RTÉ Radio 1 named Emma Langford Ireland’s Best Emerging Artist at their inaugural Folk Awards in October 2018. The newcomer has received unwavering appreciation from national and international media and audiences alike, with The Irish Times describing Langford’s debut album Quiet Giant as ‘music that weaves a spell as you listen to it… An enduring piece of work’.

Langford’s sound is made to be heard live, be it solo or with a full complement of musicians. Noted for a distinct vocal timbre that dances playfully among the nuances of “folk”; Emma Langford’s voice is at once defiant and ethereal; her lyrics insightful, yet loaded with wit and whimsy. Comparisons are often drawn in style and sound to artists such as Joni Mitchell and Janis Ian.

The self-made songwriter comes to Belfast this June fresh off the back of a whirlwind 100-date tour across Austria, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, the UK and Ireland in 2018, yet as she posits in her own lyrics: “Is this all you want? Is this all you need?”. Langford has hit her stride and shows no signs of slowing down.

Cúig

This Irish five-piece band from the North of Ireland are tearing up the rule book with their bold approach to their native musical tradition. Since the release of their critically acclaimed debut album, ‘New Landscapes’, for which Cúig were awarded ‘Best New Irish Band 2016’ by the Irish American News, they have taken both sides of the Atlantic by storm having toured extensively in the US, Europe and Ireland.

Comprising of Miceal Mullen (banjo, mandolin), Rónán Stewart (fiddle, uilleann pipes, vocals), Ruairí Stewart (guitars), Eoin Murphy (button accordion) and Cathal Murphy (drums, guitars, vocals), Cúig look set to continue this success with the release of their highly anticipated sophomore album, ‘The Theory of Chaos’.