Date/Time Sun 09 Jun 2024 8:00 PM

Price Online - £10 + £1 fee; On The Door - £12

Website: https://www.thekimberleys.org/

The Kimberleys are Isobel and Jim Kimberley. Yorkshire born Isobel, as a singer songwriter, met Essex boy Jim while seeking instrumentalists to collaborate on her original material. Isobel’s folk influences were gathered from an early age, initially in the folk clubs of Yorkshire, at university and subsequently during time living in the USA. Jim became a session drummer on moving to London and he numbered several folk musicians among his connections, one of which lead to him depping on drums with The Albion Band.

Whilst recording and touring Isobel’s original songs, the pair had always enjoyed making folk music just between themselves, and it seemed an obvious step to take folk music more seriously. At a friend’s birthday party they met, and sang with Cathy Lesurf (Fairport Convention, Fiddlers Dram). This fortuitous meeting led to the recording of an album (Turn The Glass) and the happy opportunity of working with Gordon Giltrap, Andy Cutting and even Dave Swarbrick. The album featured in the Daily Telegraph’s Top Folk Albums of 2015.

The Kimberleys’ ability to create daringly creative arrangements of well loved ballads, whilst remaining completely respectful to the origins of the song attracted attention and appreciation for their first album as a duo. The video Isobel made with an independent animator for The Kimberleys’ interpretation of Tam Lin won the “People’s Choice” award from Sky Arts in 2018.

​In the intervening time Isobel and Jim have continued running their Roving Folk Club in Greenwich and Bromley. Live gigs have taken them to France, Belgium, the US and all over the British Isles, from the Isle of Skye to Sidmouth.

The Kimberleys’ second album, The Shape of a Year, is released in April 2024.