Bird in the Belly offer Eastbourne date

Spokesman Nick Cant is promising a Brighton-based folk group consisting of folk-duo Hickory Signals (Laura Ward and Adam Ronchetti), alt-folk singer-songwriter Ben Webb (Jinnwoo, Green Ribbons) and multi-instrumentalist and producer Tom Pryor. Together they collect little known and forgotten lyrics, poems and stories from around the UK and set them to their own original compositions. £8 (cash), pay on the door. Doors 7.30pm, start 8pm.

Nick said: “I have followed their progress from the start. One of my first bookings at Eastbourne Lamb Folk Club in 2020 was the duo Hickory Signals, and I have met them at a venue at Manchester Folk Festival, among others.

“Their sound is raw and bare-boned with ‘distinctively contemporary and earthy vocalising’ (R2 Magazine) – and harks back to the 1960s folk revival sound. Their debut album The Crowing (March 2018, GF*M Records) was met with critical acclaim, the Sunday Express giving the album 5/5 and calling it folk album of the year.

“Their debut album The Crowing was released on March 23 2018 and the group was back with their much anticipated second album Neighbours and Sisters released October 2019. Their third album After the City was released on February 25 2022 to critical acclaim.

“Following a showcase at Manchester Folk Festival in 2018, the band enjoyed a busy summer in 2019, playing folk festivals including Moseley, Purbeck, Warwick and Gate to Southwell. Following a couple of years of Covid standstill gigs-wise, the band played at Sidmouth and Cambridge Folk Festivals in August 2022, as well as their last visit to the Lamb. Beardy Folk in Shropshire and London Folk Festival at the Royal College of Music were visited by them and me in 2024, and they now have a busy schedule of live shows during 2025.

“Alongside recording, the group has been working on a feature-length documentary to support the album, interviewing the likes of June Tabor, Frankie Armstrong, Stick in the Wheel, Fellside Record, Rootbeat Records, Ian Anderson (fRoots editor), Lisa Knapp, Gerry Diver, Naomi Bedford and The Rails about the contemporary folk scene.”