Sam Sweeney
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2019 – Nominated Musician Of The Year After embarking on a solo career, Sam Sweeney released his debut solo album The Unfinished Violin on Island Records, touring…
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BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2019 – Nominated Musician Of The Year
After embarking on a solo career, Sam Sweeney released his debut solo album The Unfinished Violin on Island Records, touring to sell-out crowds on the 2019 album launch tour. Sam released his highly anticipated second solo album in Spring 2020.
A veteran of the mighty Bellowhead, Sam and his new band are putting something into English music that has never been there before. This album has the swagger and groove of traditional English music with the huge sound, flare, energy and festival spirit of bands coming out of the Celtic and Scandinavian music scenes.
The new album occupies a very different sound world to The Unfinished Violin. Leaving string sections, piano and harmonium behind, the new band features acoustic and electric guitars and double bass.
The fiddler with the Midas touch… an English equivalent of the great Irish fiddle player Martin Hayes. ****
The Guardian
Sweeney’s playing is unearthly at times: the singular focus of this set and the level of its performance makes this an outstanding and deeply moving experience.*****
Songlines
About
Moving on from his five year connection to the First World War, which inspired his first album and captured the nation’s hearts through appearances on Antiques Roadshow and BBC Breakfast, alongside BBC Radio 2, 3, 4 and 6Music, Sam is moving on to making music on his own terms, with three of his favourite musicians and with a totally fresh approach and a big sound.
The new band:
- Jack Rutter – guitar (Seth Lakeman, Jackie Oates, Moore Moss Rutter)
- Ben Nicholls – double bass (Seth Lakeman, Nadine Shah, Kings Of The South Seas, Wild Rose, The Full English)
- Louis Campbell – electric guitar (member of National Youth Folk Ensemble 2016-18, BBC Introducing with Big Massive Orchestra, studying guitar at RNCM)
Sam is a veteran of the mighty Bellowhead, former artistic director of the National Folk Youth Ensemble, founder member of the acclaimed instrumental trio Leveret, and a superb instrumentalist at the forefront of the revival in English traditional music.
Membership CTA