I hope 2011 is treating you all well thus far. My year kicked off with a sold-out gig at Band On The Wall in Manchester on Saturday night. A night jointly run by Hedge / Humble Soul, it featured Nancy Elizabeth, Aidan Smith, Cortina Delux, and my good friend Liam Bailey, with whom myself and bassist Jon Thorne (who has just released the wonderful ‘Watching the Well’ album, written for legendary bassist Danny Thompson) took to the stage to do a couple of tunes. Great crowd and esteemed company, a magical start to the year.

Up next is the next installment of the cross-cultural collaborative extravaganza that is ‘Shifting Sands’ (see separate ‘News’ article here for more info), which takes me up to Glasgow for Celtic Connections and then to Bahrain to perform there.

During March I’ll be on the road again for a solo tour (check out the dates on the ‘Gigs’ page to find out where I’m playing near you). Add in return appearances at Shrewbury and Sidmouth Folk Festivals over the summer and new material on the way, and things are looking as busy as they are exciting. Keep your ears peeled, I hope to see you all at a gig soon!