David Gibb & Elly Lucas

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I am enormous fan of folk music. I love everything about it, from the range of instruments, to the haunting lyrics, to the talent of the musicians that make it. However, what I especially love about it, and what makes it particularly relevant to the concept of Born In Britain is that England (and subsequently Britain, though both Wales and Scotland have their own unique folk traditions) has its own distinctive brand of folk that began here hundreds of years ago, that was nurtured here, that evolved here and that has been constantly re-imagined by musicians here ever since.

David Gibb & Elly Lucas belong to the latest generation of folk musicians who are taking these ancient songs and reworking them to create something that, whilst still based strongly in folk tradition, is simultaneously innovative, new and simply beautiful.

Hailing from Derbyshire, David and Elly have been working and performing as a duo for several years. David plays guitar and mandolin and Elly wields both fiddle and viola, and they share the vocal load between them. The distinctive vocal qualities they both possess when taking the lead also complement each other perfectly in exquisite (and often haunting) harmonies. Their musical talent is undisputable, and in 2011 they were chosen as finalists for the highly regarded BBC Young Folk Award. They released their first studio album ‘Old Chairs to Mend’ on Hairpin in March 2012.

With musical qualities that is all at once melodious, soothing, joyous and yet with a hint of the ethereal, David and Elly bring their own brand of gentle simplicity to stories ages old. They are young British musicians adapting old British music for a contemporary British audience. How much more ‘Born in Britain’ can you get?

– Georgie