Growing up, the idea of listening to folk music would have been an almost ludicrous one. As a teen, I was, like many of you, obsessed with rock/pop and, in my case, hard rock. I’d been raised in a house where Elvis and country music ruled the airwaves, so with a typical teenage disregard for my parents, I was always on the lookout for noisier sounds, provided there was still a tune to be heard, extreme metal was out. Folk was almost a four-letter word. Naturally, my tastes evolved over the years. I could not and would not, thankfully, shake Elvis (Mum had done a fine job of ingraining the King into my psyche) while I found my way back to more traditional country music via Americana, or alt-country as it was back then. This brings me to folk music, like Americana, a melting pot of widely differing sounds and styles. You might well be listening to folk music and not know it. So, it seems like a good time to peruse the August 2024 edition of the UK Folk Music Charts in search of some great music.

**The full Top 40 list can be** viewed **HERE** from 8pm on 3rd September.
**© Official Charts Company 2024**

On Tuesday 3 September the Official Charts Company in partnership with English Folk Expo reveal the Top 40 best-selling and most streamed folk albums released in the August reporting period in the UK by UK and Irish artists. The chart is first announced to the public on Tuesday 3 September at 7pm GMT as part of the Official Folk Albums Chart Show presented by Folk on Foot via their YouTube channel.

A cursory glance reveals folk stalwart Richard Thompson with his latest, and rather good, ‘Ship To Shore’ record. Coincidentally, Richard’s ex-wife Linda Thompson also makes the chart with a record that reaffirms that illness is a barrier that can be overcome if you’re inventive and tenacious (two words that suit Linda perfectly). Other well-known names include the always reliable guitar mastery of Martin Simpson via his ‘Skydancers’ release. Elsewhere, the latest album from Fisherman’s Friends demonstrates the ability of traditional folk music - and the odd sea shanty - to crossover into the mainstream, especially if you go to the cinema or watch loads of daytime TV.

August was a quiet month for new releases entering the chart, the first of these is ‘Silver Horizons’, the latest from Sam Carter.

“I’m still dealing with themes of love, loss, and change that have been a part of my earlier work, but at the moment, sketching events in an impressionistic way instead of documenting them in detail gives the songs more room to breathe.”

— Sam Carter

This is Sam’s fifth album, and he will be out on tour promoting it very soon (dates below). Sam is one of those artists who show the breadth and accessibility of folk music via his introspective songwriting and impressive fingerpicked guitar skills. His latest single, the propulsive, ‘Good Enough’ also displays an ear for a pop hook, so Sam seems to have all the bases covered.

The other new chart entry at no.34, is from Altan the Irish band formed in the late 1980s and the first traditional Irish group to sign with a major label when they inked a deal with Virgin Records in 1994. Their latest release, named after their native ‘Donegal’, is their fourteenth studio album and first in six years. Altan still has an unerring ability to transport the listener to the lush greenery of their native land via their Irish language songs and impressive musicality.

There is plenty of great music in the chart, with the likes of Beth Gibbons receiving, understandably wide acclaim for ‘Lives Outgrown’, but if I had to pick a favourite of the albums I’ve heard (too much music, too little time) then Katherine Priddy’s ‘The Pendulum Swing’ would be my pick. Katherine has been touring all year, with dates continuing into the early months of 2025.

Feb/March for a headline tour in support of The Pendulum Swing

26 FEB POCKLINGTON ARTS CENTRE

27 FEB SHEFFIELD GREYSTONES

28 FEB NOTTINGHAM METRONOME

1 MAR STAMFORD ARTS CENTRE

5 MAR PONTARDAWE ARTS CENTRE

6 MAR GLOUCESTER GUILDHALL

7 MAR LEICESTER Y THEATRE

8 MAR SETTLE VICTORIA HALL

12 MAR NORWICH ARTS CENTRE

13 MAR OXFORD SJE ARTS

14 MAR TEDDINGTON LANDMARK ARTS CENTRE

15 MAR ASHFORD REVELATION

19 MAR LEEDS CITY VARIETIES

20 MAR GATESHEAD THE GLASSHOUSE Sage 2

21 MAR GLASGOW ORAN MOR

Tickets: https://www.katherinepriddy.co.uk/

So there we have it. A quick look at the UK Folk Music chart for August 2024. Do you have a favourite album/artist we should check out? If so, please leave a comment below.