Alula Down

An evening of experimental folk music, featuring performances from Herefordshire-based Alula Down, alongside Jacken Elswyth, and benjin.

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Alula Down (Kate Gathercole & Mark Waters) make music that is born of relationship, exploring connection with the land and with the magic and ordinariness of our human-being. With eclectic musical roots, they make use of collage, improvisation and field recording. Their explorations of folk song and their own self written songs are underpinned with drone and textured soundscape. Recognising that many traditional / vernacular (?folk?) songs illuminate dispossession and inequality, Alula Down explore these divisions between self and other, and treat the ecology of place as a point of communion, not as an uninvolved landscape. They have been acclaimed by The Guardian?s Folk Album of the Month.

Kate & Mark live in Herefordshire and have played music together since they first met. Recent musical collaborations include work with multi-award winning author Max Porter, and playing with celebrated banjo player Jacken Elswyth on her album At Fargrounds. They also sing and play with psych-folk band Sproatly Smith, make improv noise with rushes/esp, and sing a-cappella with the Bushel Bag Carollers. Part of The Weirdshire Society, they support local shows featuring folk, left-field and experimental live music from travelling musicians. Kate & Mark also run seasonal community folk song choirs in Herefordshire.
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Jacken Elswyth is a London-based folk musician, banjo player, and instrument builder. In her music making she is focused on exploring traditional tunes, developing extrapolations on folk styles and techniques, and investigating drone, ambience, and improvisation within and beyond folk music. Her debut album At Fargrounds (Wrong speed Records, 2024) was described as a ?folk-thesis for our times? by The Quietus. Jacken also organises the Betwixt & Between split tape series, and plays in Shovel Dance Collective.
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benjin is a multi instrumentalist who has toured and recorded with a number of experimental ensembles over the last 20 years. His solo compositions use classical guitar, cello, harp, clarinet, vocals, nyckelharpa, field recordings and found sounds. Aside from regular concert performances, benjin's music has been featured on BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio 3 and at the Tate Galleries.