Fiona Hunter with The Trials of Cato

While compiling her long-awaited second solo album, Malinky vocalist Fiona Hunter recalled a treasured highlight of her student days, working as crew on 2002’s fabled Scottish Women tour – originally a Celtic Connections project - soaking up songs en route from heroines like Ray Fisher and Sheila Stewart. The new record includes several such touchstone favourites among its classic and lesser-known material, accompanied here by Tom Gibbs, David Foley and Mike Vass.

Drawing on British, Irish and US traditions together with rock, psychedelic and Eastern influences, Welsh/Yorkshire trio The Trials of Cato won the 2019 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Best Album title for their debut release Hide & Hair. Formed whilst living in Beirut, whether plying their trade busking, performing in front of thousands at festivals across Europe, or frequently selling out their own shows, The Trials of Cato have the wind behind them. “One of the real discoveries on the folk circuit in recent times” (BBC Radio 2)