Californian folk rock band Dawes has been announced as another headliner for this year’s Shrewsbury Folk Festival.
The Los Angeles band will make its debut at the four-day event over August Bank Holiday weekend.
Dawes has a huge following Stateside and in the UK has appeared on BBC’s Later... with Jools Holland; performed at Latitude, T In The Park and Hard Rock Calling festivals and toured here with Mumford and Sons. They have also supported Bob Dylan in America.
Festival Director Alan Surtees said signing the band fulfilled a long held ambition for him: “I’ve have been trying to get this band for three years – they epitomize that classic LA sound, all chiming guitars and West Coast harmonies, their heart felt songwriting, authenticity and originality made them a must for Shrewsbury.”
Dawes will perform on Friday August 28. The Peatbog Faeries, who had been due to perform on the first night of the festival, have withdrawn so a band member can be at the birth of his child.
Mr Surtees said the Dawes booking supports the festival’s reputation for expanding the boundaries of the perception of folk music and bringing new and exciting artists to the festival.
“We have never been afraid to present great musicians from any musical genre and it gives us a unique offer that challenges our audience but never fails to please.
“We want Shrewsbury to be a new breed of folk festivals that bring even greater diversity in content, new levels of presentation and provide an event with a broader appeal, that dispels the old perceptions of the folk genre, while celebrating the tradition and celebrating all that is new in contemporary roots and acoustic music,” he added.
Weekend tickets are still available although Friday, Saturday and Sunday adult day tickets have already sold out.
Others headliners at the West Mid Showground from August 28 to 31 include the Richard Thompson Electric Trio, La Bottine Souriante, Sharon Shannon, Oysterband, Kate Rusby, The Spooky Men’s Chorale, world music duo Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita, Steve Knightley, False Lights and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.
Also on the bill are John Jones & the Reluctant Ramblers, Nancy Kerr and the Sweet Visitor Band, Mawkin, O’Hooley & Tidow, The Wilsons, The Young'uns, New Rope String Band, Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson, The James Brothers, Lucy Ward, Patsy Reid, Jack Harris, The Willows, Gren Bartley, The Roaring Trowmen, Winter Wilson, Teacups, Fran McGillivray and Mike Burke, Granny’s Attic, Mary Humphries & Anahata, The Boundless Brothers and Paula Ryan.
Special performances will come from Oysterband frontman and festival patron John Jones with The Oxford Girl show, and Folk Nations – a British Council musical collaboration featuring British and South Asian artists.
Canadian bands Ten Strings and a Goatskin and Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys have been signed up along with the Barra MacNeils and American Jonathan Byrd will be making a return after his 2012 debut won him a new army of fans.
The festival has four music stages, a dance tent, more than 100 workshops, children’s and youth programmes, onsite camping, a craft fair, real ale and wine bars, and food village.
Published on 03 June 2015 by Ben Robinson
