16 November: Iona Lane

Iona Lane is a Highlands-based songwriter who has been captivating audiences in the UK and continental Europe with her fine singing and fingerstyle guitar playing. Her debut album, Hallival, charted at number 36 in the Official Folk Album Charts and was named by Folk Radio UK as number 27 in their Top Albums of 2022. The album received widespread press including in The Guardian, Walk Highlands, BBC Radio 2 and The Scotsman, and Iona went on to tour extensively, including joining Karine Polwart on a run of dates in England.

Iona’s latest album, Swilkie, was released at the beginning of 2025 and weaves ecology, conservation, islands and folklore into poetic songs and contemplative melodies. Written during three residencies on the Isle of Eigg, Isle of Mull and Sanday in Orkney, sense of place and landscape are at the core of these songs.

Reviewing the album for Folk London, TwickFolk’s Paul Solman praised Iona’s “gentle and intimate sound” and “evocative and cinematic songwriting rooted in humanity’s relationship with the natural world”.

“Iona’s lyrics and musical arrangements crackle with wide-eyed curiosity” – Jude Rogers, The Guardian

“A real talent” – Mark Radcliffe, BBC… Continue reading. →

30 November: Pip Collings & Paul Vile + support from Back of a Length

Our final headline act of 2025 combines the talents of singer-songwriter Pip Collings and TwickFolk’s longest-serving volunteer Paul Vile. Pip and Paul have been playing their urban folk together for more 30 years and have released  the albums Portraits and Landscapes (2000) and Diary (2005).

Pip (vocals, guitar) began singing in folk clubs when she moved to London from her Suffolk home in the late 1980’s. She sang in a duo with Robb Johnson for six years in the early 1990’s and in the Johnson Collings Band. After that, she started writing her own material and played with bands including The Last Drop (British folk and Americana), Kickback Plus (14-piece Americana band) and Something Going On (four-part harmony). She is currently working with pianist Adam Thompson.

Paul (vocals, guitar, mandolin) hails from Newcastle upon Tyne and moved south in the 1980’s, where he formed the band Staying up Late with Pip Collings and Andy Peters, releasing two albums. He has been a member of The Manana Brothers and Woodsmoke and is a member of rock band ClogIron. He released the album The… Continue reading. →

7 December: Singaround: Informal, unplugged song circle

Our final session of 2025 is another of our popular singaround evenings and, as is our tradition at this time of year, we will be inviting you to donate to homeless charity Crisis.

Expect anything from sea shanties to psychedelia, with a mix of original songs, traditional songs and covers of well known and less known songs. Some performers will take requests on the night. Seasonal songs are welcome but not compulsory.

If you fancy a go at singing in public, then this is the place to start.

If you just want to sit back and listen, that’s also fine. In fact listening, and paying attention to the words and music, is what an evening of folk is all about.

We welcome anyone with a song or a tune to play. Or a poem or a story tell. Expect a warm welcome and a supportive ring of singers and audience.

Non-performers are welcome to come and there is no need to pre-book.

… Continue reading. →