As part of their 20th-year celebrations, acclaimed folk group The Unthanks scale back for some intimate shows, supporting today’s best small venues and including memorable ones from their early days, like the Foundling Museum. These shows will draw from all parts of their repertoire.
Building upon the traditional music of the North East of England as a starting point, the band also draws upon the influence of Miles Davis, Steve Reich, Sufjan Stevens, Robert Wyatt, Antony & The Johnsons, King Crimson, and Tom Waits. Their 16 records to date have earned them a Mercury Music Prize nomination and international acclaim along the way.
Doors open at 7pm. The concert will last for approximately 1.5 hours. There will be a bar.
Image: Kit Haigh
The Unthanks are constantly evolving. They have scaled up for orchestral and brass band shows, drawing on the arranging and composing skills of self-taught band leader Adrian McNally, and paired right back for the unaccompanied live record, Diversions Vol 5, drawing on the traditional singing backgrounds of Rachel and Becky Unthank and Niopha Keegan. They’ve created song cycles from Emily Brontë’s poetry, site-specific theatre with Maxine Peake, soundtracks for Mackenzie Crook’s Worzel Gummidge, had music used on HBO’s True Detective, Peaky Blinders, Vera, and The Dectectorists, and a string of ‘Diversions’ interpreting the work of Molly Drake, Anohni, and Robert Wyatt.
Their 15th record, Sorrows Away, was described as ‘a masterpiece of nuanced drama,’ (Uncut Albums of the Year), ‘a landmark album by an extraordinary band that will resonate for generations to come,’ (Record Collector).
To find out how to get here, including where to eat and drink, view our visitor information page here.
To find out more about access at the Foundling Museum, including how to book a wheelchair, visit our Accessibility page here.