DKOS Artists Sat 4th Feb – Strawberry Hill /. Christina Alden & Alex Patterson /. Simon Howard. /. Honey We Three. /. Olivia Graham.

Strawberry Hill – Boston Massachusetts

Strawberry Hill band .Based in Boston USA . Three piece comprising of vocals guitar fiddle banjo bodhran and various things we get our hands on. Lively upbeat with songs and tunes to fill the space from Irish , Scottish and Americana . Also those sad songs for rainy days. Band members Jim Lever originally from Greenock Scotland vocals guitar bodhran and bouzooki. Cairan Dalton vocals guitar and banjo from Boston MA and Elias Cardosa vocals fiddle from Boston MA .

Christina Alden & Alex Patterson – Norwich

Christina Alden & Alex Patterson are multi-instrumentalists and songwriters from Norwich. Their music is rich with intertwining harmony, sensitive accomplished musicianship and a creative song-writing style that is both delicate and moving. Deeply inspired by the world around them, they have a keen environmental eye to craft stories with the natural world at its heart, reflecting on the relationship between humans and the wild.
They have enjoyed touring extensively in the UK and Europe; including a twenty- three-date concert hall tour with Show of Hands (including Union Chapel and St David’s Hall Cardiff), a show at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for Celtic Connections, headline and main stage performances at some of the UK’s most prestigious folk festivals and performances in Norway, Belgium, France and Ireland. They have written and self-released four albums, composed music for a BBC Radio 4 documentary series and have had over a million streams on Spotify.

Simon Howard – Liverpool

Liverpool based singer-songwriter Simon Howard began his career in 2018 after spending a secluded summer writing in Austin Texas to focus on his delicate storytelling. With his effortlessly heart-wrenching vocal, the indie folk singer returned home to play shows across the UK and to release his debut EP ‘Youth’s Ground’ which led to multiple BBC introducing plays for his song ‘No Evidence’ in 2021.
In May 2022, Howard released his single ‘Not Like Superman’ a song in which he talks about the struggles of always trying to please others but never being good enough. With body hitting drums and a powerful 8-piece string section, the song carries you through what feels like a Western showdown, staring straight into the eyes of anyone who has ever wronged you. Howards latest single ‘Trojan Horse’ is a joyful gallop reminiscing of his own personal attacks when feeling at his most vulnerable.

Honey We Three – Manchester

Lay your head down in the meadows and let the heady folk harmonies wash over you. Taking traditional Irish music as a starting point married with Americana, this captivating blend of sweet vocal harmonies and the interlocking rhythms of upright bass and guitar leaves the soul soothed.
Based in Manchester, Honey We Three come together from the coastal towns of Belfast (Séamus Cowan), Swansea, (Rachel Rimmer) Mold (Awen Blandford) and Newcastle (Andy Patterson) to share their long awaited eponymous album.
As part of the Artists scheme run by the english folk expo, we have have performed at the Manchester Folk Festival at HOME MCR and Rochdale folk festival, amongst other folk festivals in England. Honey We Three have just released their debut album which they are looking forward to performing across the UK and Ireland 2023. Our second album is underway will be released next Autumn.

Olivia Graham – North Yorkshire

Modern-day bard Olivia Graham breathes new life into the ancient and mystical tales of the British Isles with her soft, haunting vocals and poetical lyrics. Hailing from York, a city world-renowned for its rich history and folklore, she combines storytelling and musicianship to weave a magical daydream for the listener.
Olivia’s musical adventure began early in 2013 when she recorded her first EP at the age of 19. Tracks from that record – ‘On the Wings of a Dream’ – went on to be played at radio stations around the UK. She has since released a further three records (and counting!) and has performed at numerous British festivals – often in partnership with professional storytellers.
The emphasis on storytelling in her songs has often led Olivia to work on theatre projects, most recently composing and performing the scores for touring Irish children’s show ‘Tír nanÓg’ (Moonbeam Productions) and ‘The Stranger’ (Bare Witness Theatre Company). Olivia has a BA Hons from the Guildford School of Acting, where she trained for three years as an actor- musician. While studying, her song ‘Morgan le Fay’ was runner-up in the Sir Richard Stilgoe Songwriting Competition, with Sir Richard himself calling her ‘a poet’.