The first of two recommendations from last week’s Folk Weekend: Oxford festival (which the keen of memory might remember I’ve been running the local stages for). There were lots of festival highlights, but the Welsh trio Elfen was the surprise hit that everyone was talking about. This band was actually booked by the other artistic director, Jenny, so I wasn’t really aware of them until I happened to see them perform.
They have an unusual quality in a folk band, in that they can clearly be very technical, but they’re also not afraid to be really simple and direct too. At times they sound like a pop band, I think. (And, as you may have gathered, I am rather partial to a bit of pop.)
Current Favourite Track:
Y March Glas (which I think translates as ‘The Blue Stallion’).