Rising Folk: Holly Clarke

Holly Clarke draws from the old ballads and stories – songs of folklore, of the supernatural, of love and loss – immersing listeners in age-old narratives but with a clarity of expression and musical vision that feels entirely contemporary.

‘Holly is the possessor of a seemingly effortless and transporting folk voice which is perfectly suited to her broad and deeply thought-out repertoire, and is an enviably confident and skilled instrumentalist’ (Nancy Kerr).

Alongside Holly’s affinity for traditional ballads, she is a strong composer in her own right, with her tune compositions being performed by Norwegian Hardanger Fiddle legend Annbjørg Lien and Shetland’s Catriona Macdonald. Outside of performing, between 2019 to 2020 Holly was The Glasshouse International Centre for music’s Artist in Residence specialising in Traditional Folk Song and Ballads.

“Holly Clarke has a captivating voice, sweet and sure, it draws you in until you’ve got no option but surrender. She absolutely blew me away – I genuinely can’t remember the last time I was this impressed with a new artist.” (Cat McGill, Live to your Living Room)