New album by prolific, world-renowned English guitarist/singer-songwriter brings together Americana/Folk originals alongside inspirational Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell repertoire

Martin Simpson is not a man to sit still for very long. Undoubtedly one of the hardest-touring musicians on the UK folk/roots circuit, he also averages a brand new studio album almost every two years. ‘Skydancers,’ his 12th full length solo record for Topic Records since 1992 (15th if you count collaborations), comes hot on the heels of last year’s guest-packed collaboration with the American producer/guitarist, Thomm Jutz, ‘Nothing But Green Willow : The Songs of Mary Sands and Jane Gentry.’

Recorded by Tim Wright and Andy Bell in Simpson’s hometown of Sheffield, ‘Skydancers’ collects new, Simpson- penned originals alongside 18th century broadside ballads and reverent reworkings from the songbooks of, amongst others, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Nancy Kerr, June Tabor and Craig Johnson.

‘Skydancers” title track, commissioned by TV presenter and naturalist, Chris Packham, highlights the plight of the endangered Hen Harrier, ornithology, a keen interest of Simpson’s. Elsewhere he narrates the life and times of Billy Waters, a black, peg-legged man who became famous busking in London in the nineteenth century. ‘Roger’s Cascade’ is a very personal, jaunty, 5- string banjo homage to master instrument craftsman, Roger Bucknall. Simpson is joined on ‘Skydancers’ by Grammy-winning American musician/producer, Greg Leisz, on pedal steel , Greg Leisz, Andy Cutting on diatonic accordion, Louis Campbell on guitars, Liz Hanks on cello, Ben Nicholls on string bass and a wealth of backing singers.

Martin Simpson is an English folk musician and guitarist, known for his innovative and eclectic approach to traditional music. In the mid-1980s, Simpson moved to the United States, where he collaborated with the likes of Jackson Browne, Steve Miller, Kelly Joe Phelps and many others. He has been nominated 23 times in the 11 years of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including nine times consecutively as Artist of The Year, which he has won twice. His album Prodigal Son was named album of the year in 2008 and a song from that album, “Never Any Good” was named best original song of the year.

2024 marks Topic’s 85th anniversary as the world’s oldest independent record label.