The Bookshop Band

 

 

The award-winning Bookshop Band write and perform songs inspired by books. Formed in September 2010, they released their first album two months later and have since released 13 albums, collaborating with over 100 authors, including Philip Pullman, Louis de Bernières, and Margaret Atwood.

They have toured extensively around the UK, Europe, Canada, and America, and are equally at home in a bookshop, at an arts centre, in a folk club, or on a festival main stage. They have been commissioned by the BBC, The V&A, and most recently by Aardman Animations to compose the music and songs for their Oscar and BAFTA-nominated musical Robin Robin, with the band picking up an Ivor Novello Award nomination for their score.

The band have been working with producer and musician Pete Townshend (The Who) on their 14th studio album, due for release in late 2023.

Between them, Beth Porter and Ben Please bring the books to the stage along with a multitude of instruments, including cello, harmonium, glockenspiel, guitars, and ukuleles. Along with their distinct voices, they create a cinematic sound that draws the audience right into a highly intimate performance—at once touching and mesmerizing, heart-wrenching and funny. No previous knowledge of the books is required, as the band guide the audience through the stories behind each song’s inspiration.

Beth has performed and recorded with Peter Gabriel, The Proclaimers, and is part of The Lost Words: Spell Songs alongside musicians including Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, and Julie Fowlis. The band are based in Wigtown, Scotland’s Book Town.

“Not just good but achingly good” The New York Times

BBC 6Music “It’s a modern day Twinkle meets fairytale-land for adults. You’ll be smitten.”