Fleecey Folk: Emily Portman & Friends - Sun 15 March, 8pm, £18

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Emily Portman is an award-winning singer and songwriter with a passion for traditional songs, hailed as ‘one of the new British folk scene’s most beguiling presences’ (Uncut).

She has toured widely for over 15 years as a band leader, with The Furrow Collective and in a duo with Leveret’s Rob Harbron. Emily was awarded a BBC Folk award for ‘Best Original Song’ and has released three critically acclaimed albums of original songs that recast old ballads and fairytales into new shapes.

After a decade of focusing on collaborative projects, Emily Portman is back with an inspired new solo album of original songs, Dominion of Spells, planned for release in March 2026. Central to the album are themes of midlife metamorphosis and magic. Emily, who was raised in Glastonbury, has a lifelong fascination with folk stories and has been writing otherworldly songs since she was a child.

Her new album tells tales of women encountering challenges and transformations in midlife and embarking on quests to find wonder in a jaded age. Shape-shifting selkies and owl goddesses intertwine with relatable stories of female experience. The songs chronicle Emily’s own midlife experiences, with reflections on motherhood, burnout, the redemptive power of music…and shapeshifting into a werewolf!

The album debuts Emily’s dreamy piano accompaniments alongside rippling banjo-led songs, a perfect backdrop to Emily’s crystalline, disquieting vocals. A stellar cast of guests provides beautiful three-part harmonies, lush strings, and guitar accompaniment.

This vividly imagined and courageous album is Emily Portman at her finest. Emily will be previewing some of her new songs solo on tour in November 2025 to tie in with a single release. The album launch tour is planned for spring 2026 when Emily will perform with musical friends including guitarist Louis Campbell and cellist Lucy Revis.

‘Entrancing and unsettling. A marvellous, original work’ Observer

‘A tribute to her powerful imagination’ Living Tradition

‘Spooky and surreal’ Guardian

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