Shovel Dance Collective + Lucy Kitchen

The nine-piece folk band bring music from their latest album ‘The Shovel Dance’ to kick off our Summer Festival 2025. Following in the footsteps of groups like Lankum, Shovel Dance Collective are driven by a passion for the traditional music of the British Isles, Ireland and beyond. Their plaintive, melancholic and powerful sound world weaves together dark, earthy textures from acoustic instruments, improvisation, field recordings, and experimental sounds. With instruments such as harp, harmonium, banjo, strings, and flute, and their unpolished voices, the Collective bring a radical new lens to historical narratives.Following a stunning duo set at the 2024 Summer Festival, singer-songwriter Lucy Kitchen returns as the recipient of this year’s Turner Sims Turn It Up award.Lucy and her five-piece band perform songs from her forthcoming album, ‘In the Low Light’. Her influences span folk, Americana, and a little bit of country, infused with the feel of 70s singer-songwriters. Lucy’s original songs explore concepts of grief and loss. Her exquisite vocals are supported by guitars, double bass and drums plus pedal steel, piano and Hammond. Their warm sound world contrasts with the grit of Shovel Dance Collective.