Dave Hemingway of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South is back and sounding better than ever.

Sunbirds Biography

The man who once told us he loved us from the bottom of his pencil case, The Beautiful South’s Dave Hemingway is back and sounding better than ever.

 

Together with former South colleague, guitarist/songwriter Phil Barton, new discovery singer/violinist Laura Wilcockson and top UK session drummer Marc Parnell, Dave has returned with Sunbirds.

 

Although born and bred in England the band’s sound predominantly features the instrumentation of traditional American roots music combined with the occasional injection of guitar heavy melody more associated with Seattle in the late 80’s.

 

However, you can only sing about what you know. “Although a lot of the songs have an Americana feel” says Dave “they’re still about life in England. You’re going to feel a bit daft singing about pick-up trucks and low down honky-tonks when you live in Yorkshire.”

 

Having previously served up seven songs on The South’s 2012 offering Sweet Refrains, Dave and Phil decided that subsequent material would be better served free of the ‘golden millstone’ that the name provided. “Now we’re Sunbirds we’re free to dig a little deeper into ourselves”, says Phil “while still also free to write about everything & anything else we want as long as it’s something worth singing about. Music is a powerful vehicle and can challenge a person’s thinking. To just sing “I want to do this or that to you” seems a wasted opportunity”.

Nathan Carter headlines The British Country Music Festival
Nathan Carter performing at The British Country Music Festival

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St. Catherine’s Child

St. Catherine’s Child

St. Catherine’s Child, led by singer-songwriter Ilana Zsigmond, offers a transatlantic musical journey blending Americana influences with British wit and poignant songwriting.

Girls’ Night In The Round

Girls’ Night In The Round

Experience the camaraderie of Girls Night In The Round at The British Country Music Festival, the quartet’s only festival outing in 2024!

Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys

Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys

From the Saskatchewan prairies, Canadian songwriter Jake and the Boys merge bluegrass, 50s rockabilly and electrifying stage presence, captivating worldwide music lovers.

Randall King

Randall King

The vibrant neon glow of Blackpool and the gilded Empress Ballroom set the stage for our headliner, the one and only Randall King.

First Time Flyers

First Time Flyers

The First Time Flyers born from the collective talents and friendship of Tim Prottey-Jones, Vicki Manser, Jake Morrell, and Poppy Fardell.

Julian Taylor

Julian Taylor

Experience the eclectic Americana music of Julian Taylor, a Canadian singer-songwriter rooted in Mohawk and Caribbean ancestry

Doug Levitt

Doug Levitt

An American singer-songwriter, known for his innovative approach to storytelling and his extensive travels across the United States on Greyhound buses.

Beth Nielsen Chapman

Beth Nielsen Chapman

Grammy-nominated and Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame artist Beth Nielsen Chapman will headline Sunday TBCMF 2024

Twinnie

Twinnie

The country-pop trailblazer making waves from Nashville to The British Country Music Festival 2024

Twinnie

Twinnie’s Back

As TBCMF heads towards its fifth birthday, we are delighted to announce the return of country-pop crossover sensation Twinnie.

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