The Turnstone is an inquisitive bird that, as it name suggests, likes to overturn stones and seaweed in its search for food. That’s how the members of the Gigspanner Big Band see their hunt for the finest traditional songs to re-arrange, burnish and present for our delight. In this conversation with Matthew Bannister, the band’s Peter Knight, Hannah Martin and John Spiers share the stores behind the songs on their Folk Album of the Year nominated work “Turnstone”- and revel in the musical chemistry which allows the band to improvise much of their free flowing music.

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“Our first gig together was a benefit for a greyhound” The dog loving trio who make up Irish band Poor Creature are husband and wife Ruth Clinton (of Landless) and Cormac Macdiarmada (of Lankum) - plus Cormac’s brother, Lankum’s live drummer John Dermody. In this conversation with Matthew Bannister they reveal a passion for unusual vintage synthesisers, tell how Cormac breaking his back during the pandemic lockdown inspired the sound of one of the tracks on the album and share insights into working with legendary Dublin producer John “Spud” Murphy.

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Born in Zimbabwe - but now resident in the UK - Edith WeUtonga is known as Mama Bass - because that’s the instrument she has made her own. She’s also an acclaimed singer, songwriter, and campaigner for musicians' rights. In this conversation with Matthew Bannister, she tells how the death of her beloved grandmother inspired her to write the songs that make up her Folk Album of the Year nominated work “Varipasi”.

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"My first kiss with Irene was behind some wheelie bins in Penge." As she celebrates her ninetieth birthday, the legendary Peggy Seeger unpacks her current feelings about “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” - written for her by her late husband Ewan MacColl, but now also embracing her other passionate loving relationship. She revisits the song on her final album “Teleology”, nominated as one of the Folk Albums of 2025. In this special episode Peggy and her son, producer and musician Calum MacColl, tell the story behind the album as she reflects on a musical career lasting over seven decades.

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An old recording of her grandfather reciting a poem in the Scots dialect of the little Black Isle fishing village where he lived inspired the clarsach (Scottish harp) player Grace Stewart-Skinner to create her Folk Album of the Year nominee “Auchies Spikking Auchie”. She mixed recordings of the dialect with her own music to create the evocative album. In this episode, she tells Matthew Bannister the story behind the album and also reflects on living with cerebral palsy - and her mixed feelings about being called “an inspiration”.

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Recorded in a former office space in Belfast City Centre, Joshua Burnside’s Folk Album of the Year Nominee “Teeth of Time” was inspired by his experience of becoming a father for the first time. He tells the story behind the album and plays tracks from it in this conversation with Matthew Bannister.

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Delve into the heritage of Welsh poetry, agriculture, fishing, milk processing and, of course, music as Cynefin shares the story behind his beautiful Folk Album of the Year nominated work “Shimli”.

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“We first met in the National Youth Folk Ensemble. I was 14 and Louis was 16.” From these beginnings, fiddle player Owen Spafford and guitarist Louis Campbell have formed an inspiring, innovative musical partnership, drawing on wide ranging influences to create the acclaimed mostly instrumental album “Tomorrow Held”. Hear tracks from the album and the story behind it as they chat to Matthew Bannister in this special episode of Folk on Foot.

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The multi instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and painter Barry Kerr grew up on the shores of Lough Neagh in the heart of Northern Ireland. His experiences there left an indelible mark on his music. In this special episode, he tells his story to Matthew Bannister and they play tracks from “Curlew’s Cry”, which is nominated for Folk Album of the Year 2025.

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We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...

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Keep up to date with the Folk Album of the Year Award: https://www.folkonfoot.com/award

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This month's show has music from Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage, Me and My Friends, The Unthanks, Gus White, Josienne Clarke, Martyn Joseph and The Lilac Time. Matthew Bannister and Lucy Shields review the amazing albums shortlisted for the Folk Album of the Year Award and there’s news of a festive episode of Folk on Foot.

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We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...

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