Kathryn Roberts is an English folk singer from Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She sings as a solo artist and as part of the duo Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, and she is also a member of Equation. She begins singing in childhood and grows up in a musical family, with regular summer visits to folk festivals helping to shape a lasting interest in traditional song and introducing her to younger figures on the British folk scene.

Early career

Roberts starts out performing and recording in the 1990s with fellow Barnsley singer Kate Rusby under the name Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts. That partnership leads to an award-winning album and brings her critical attention. She then joins The Lakeman Brothers — Sean Lakeman, Sam Lakeman and Seth Lakeman, from Devon — to form the folk-pop group Equation.

Equation and later work

Roberts spends many years fronting Equation and performs on stages around the world, including a period of about five years spent largely in the United States. She later returns to an acoustic format with Sean Lakeman after a decade of extensive touring, and the pair continue as Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman. Their recordings and live work help establish a strong reputation in British contemporary folk.

Recognition and collaborations

Roberts wins a BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Best Duo prize with Sean Lakeman. She is also described as one of the most highly regarded singers of her generation. In March 2011, she takes part in the Cecil Sharp Project, a multi-artist residential project organised by the Shrewsbury Folk Festival and focused on new works inspired by the life, work and collecting of folklorist Cecil Sharp.

Guest appearance

In 2020, Roberts appears as a guest on Lift Dickie Bird Where He Belongs by the Barnsley comedy band The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican, singing a duet with the group’s lead singer Scott Doonican.