Katherine Priddy

17.30 - 18.50

Since emerging with her debut EP ‘Wolf’ in 2018, UK artist Katherine Priddy has quickly become one of the most exciting names on the British scene. Declared ‘The Best Thing I’ve Heard All Year’ by Richard Thompson, who later invited her to join him on his Irish tour in 2019 and UK tour in 2021, Priddy’s haunting vocals and distinctive finger-picking guitar style have seen her sell out a headline tour and support world class artists including The Chieftains, Loudon Wainwright III, Vashti Bunyan and Guy Garvey.

 Over the past two years, she has performed on Later…With Jools Holland, at the BBC Proms and played well-earned spots at prestigious festivals in the UK and abroad such as the Glastonbury Acoustic Stage, where she also performed live on BBC 2, Green Man, Cambridge Folk, where she was awarded the Christian Raphael Prize, Green Man, End of the Road and Beautiful Days. 

2022 got off to a flying start with Priddy taking her music abroad for the first time with a series of shows in Australia, including a performance at Port Fairy Folk Festival, as well as a showcase in Kansas City USA as part of Folk Alliance International and her first foray into the European festival scene with a performance at Tuckerville in Holland. The end of the year brought with it an invite to perform one of her songs from The Eternal Rocks Beneath as part of the world-renowned BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. This was a perfect showcase for Priddy’s songwriting and its ability to transcend genre, as well as a demonstration of the momentum of the debut release which still rolls on, two years later.

In 2023, Priddy’s momentum showed no signs of slowing as April brought with it a new single release on Chrysalis Records as part of a Double LP of Nick Drake covers titled ‘The Endless Coloured Ways’. The album features songs from a wide range of esteemed artists such as Aldous Harding, John Grant, Bombay Bicycle Club, Self Esteem and Guy Garvey. Priddy appeared as a special guest at Guy Garvey’s spectacular show in April at The Roundhouse, even being joined by the man himself to perform a duet together.

Early 2024 saw the release of Priddy’s eagerly-awaited second album The Pendulum Swing via Cooking Vinyl (label). Once again recorded in Birmingham by producer Simon J Weaver, the LP went straight in at No.1 in the UK Folk Charts, and explores themes of home, family, love and memories. Songlines Magazine declared it ‘One of the albums of the year’, whilst the Guardian Observer described the LP as ‘a rich, poised second album’. With The Pendulum Swing, Priddy has kept moving forward whilst acknowledging and honouring all that has gone before. The album was accompanied by a headline UK and Ireland tour, playing a string of sold out shows and culminating in a milestone performance in London’s Union Chapel.

Priddy’s original works are delivered with an emotional maturity, depth and a tenderness that still carries a darker edge. Her lyrics are particularly noteworthy – a tribute to her life-long love affair with literature and poetry and the stories she weaves are transporting. It is clear that, despite the delicate nuances of her sound, Katherine Priddy is not a fragile wallflower, but a woman who means business.

Wikapedia

Priddy was born in Birmingham, England, on 9 November 1994. She grew up in Alvechurch, and attended South Bromsgrove High School.  She developed an interest in music at a young age, alongside a passion for literature. This dual interest led her to pursue a degree in literature at the University of Sussex, where she further honed her skills in storytelling and narrative construction. These elements would later become central to her songwriting approach.

Priddy's music career began to gain traction with the release of her album "The Eternal Rocks Beneath" in 2021. The album achieved commercial success, reaching number one on the Official UK Folk Albums Chart on 3 August 2021. This initial success established her as a noteworthy presence in the UK folk scene. The Guardian has described her as a "folk prodigy". She appeared on the List of UK Independent Album Breakers Chart number ones of the 2020s.

During the pandemic lockdown, Priddy recorded a number of video duets with other musicians from the UK folk scene, including David Delarre, Ciaran Algar and George Boomsma. Notably, she recorded three songs by Nick Drake with fellow Midlands musician, Jon Wilks, Jon Nice and Lukas Drinkwater, forming the short-lived quartet, Slow Jane. She subsequently went on to be included on the "Endless Coloured Ways" compilation album featuring artists covering Nick Drake. She also recorded the vocals for the traditional song, "Mary Ashford's Tragedy", with Jon Wilks.

Priddy has also collaborated and toured with the singer-songwriter, John Smith, releasing the single "Talk to Me of Mendocino" together in 2022.

Her live performances have included notable appearances such as the BBC Proms and the Glastonbury Festival Acoustic Stage, as well as on the BBC's live coverage of the festival. Richard Thompson in Mojo magazine described Priddy as "the best thing I've heard all year".

In October 2023, Priddy announced her second studio album, introducing "First House on the Left" as the lead single. The album, titled The Pendulum Swing, was released in February 2024. Produced by Simon Weaver and released under Cooking Vinyl, it was met with positive critical reception from publications such as The Guardian and The Irish Times.

In May 2024, Priddy appeared on Later... With Jools Holland alongside Paul Weller, Mark Knopfler, Nadine Shah, Bob Vylan and Rachel Chinouriri. She performed her song "A Boat on the River" from her latest album, The Pendulum Swing.

In November 2024, Priddy announced a two track collaboration with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, featuring two specially commissioned winter-themed poems that Priddy set to music. The first single "Close Season" was released on 29 November, produced by Rob Ellis and recorded at Wool Hall.

In 2025, she supported Suzanne Vega on her UK tour.

Website: https://www.katherinepriddy.co.uk/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KatherinePriddy