Mawkin

Mawkin are a folk group from the United Kingdom, formed in 2002. Their line-up develops from an electric partnership between the Delarre brothers, with the band starting as a trio and later expanding to include rock bassist Danny Crump, melodeon player Alex Goldsmith, and, later on, Nick Cooke and Lee Richardson.

Style and sound

The group’s music draws on folk traditions while also bringing in world music, jazz, prog and rock. They build their sound from traditional material and instrumental playing, with an approach that combines older folk forms with a more modern, energetic style. Their work is associated with English folk, alongside wider European and global influences.

Early live work

Mawkin first play at the 2002 Dartmoor Festival, where they perform to a strong reception. They then begin playing festivals across the country and quickly become part of the British folk festival circuit. At that stage, two-thirds of the band are not old enough to drive.

Recordings and albums

Their recorded output begins with the six-track EP Extended Procrastination in 2005. Two years later they release their debut album, The Fair Essex, which is built around a narrative of English summers, coastal towns and villages. The album receives praise for its detail and its combination of gypsy jazz stylings, rural sound effects and samples, and it is named one of MOJO’s folk albums of the year.

After the success of that record, the band tour and continue developing their live sound in the UK and Europe. They also support a range of acts on tour, including Eliza Carthy, Billy Bragg, Show of Hands and Mr Scruff.

Mawkin:Causley

A meeting with Jim Causley at Dartmoor Festival leads to the collaboration Mawkin:Causley. The project works on an EP while appearing at festivals in 2008, and before releasing a full album it receives a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nomination for Best Group. The group’s 6-track sampler Cold Ruin helps draw attention, and the collaboration appears on BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris show and BBC Radio 4’s Clive Anderson’s Loose Ends. They also perform at BBC Radio 2 Cambridge Festival, Larmer Tree Festival and Shrewsbury Festival.

Their debut album, The Awkward Recruit, is released in 2009 and wins further BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominations for Best Group and Best Traditional Track. Reviews describe it as assured, confident and substantial. In August 2010, Mawkin:Causley ends as the members move in different directions.

Later line-up and Crow

After Mawkin:Causley ends, the band continues with a renewed focus on instrumental roots and a broader take on the traditional folk canon. Alex Goldsmith leaves music, and the group brings in Nick Cooke, known for work with The Jim Moray Band, Trinculo and Glorystrokes, along with Lee Richardson, who co-produces and engineers. The resulting album, Crow, takes around two years to make and is recorded and produced by the band themselves.

Crow brings together traditional tunes and modern arrangements, with folk fused to jazz, rock and prog. It includes guest contributions from Eliza Carthy on “Bad Girls Lament”, Steve Knightley on “It’s All Quiet”, Jim Causley on “The Bellringers”, and a version of The Kinks’ “Harry Rag” performed by David Delarre in an Essex-delta blues style. The album also reflects a self-contained recording process, with artwork by Becca Eastland.