Ear Trumpet Presents: The Furrow Collective

Ear Trumpet Presents: The Furrow Collective

The Furrow Collective consists of three talented and individually acclaimed performers: Lucy Farrell (viola, voice & saw), Emily Portman (banjo, concertina, voice) and Alasdair Roberts (guitars, voice). Drawn together by a shared love of the traditional song and balladry of England, Scotland and beyond and an open, intuitive approach to collaboration, the group released their debut album At Our Next Meeting in 2013. The Furrow Collective were awarded the accolade of 2017 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards ‘Best Group’, hot on the heels of their second album, Wild Hog (Hudson Records). Their latest lunar-themed release We Know by the Moon is the much anticipated follow-up to Fathoms (2018).

Drawn together by a shared love of the traditional song and balladry of England, Scotland and beyond and an open, intuitive approach to collaboration, The Furrow Collective share timeless songs of this world and others, with storytelling at their heart. 

It is this storytelling focus upon which the band are set to expand with their new project Cantastoria, including digital single releases and the use of visuals, both in their music videos and live performances. Lucy Farrell, who is a talented visual artist as well as musician, will create ’crankies’ for each single, illustrating the stories of the songs. The crankie theatre is turned by hand whilst the story unfolds on a moving scroll, an enchanting addition to their live shows. The songs may be hundreds of years old, but they are chosen for the parallels that can be drawn with our times; tales of courage, resistance and wit. 

For this concert The Furrow Collective will be playing as a trio, with Lucy Farrell - viola, voice & saw, Emily Portman - banjo, concertina, voice and Alasdair Roberts - guitars, voice). The band are well-loved for their contemporary interpretations of folk songs, and these releases focus on what they do best: breathing new life into old ballads, in song, story and art.