Owen Spafford and Louis Campbell

BIO

Owen Spafford and Louis Campbell (Sam Sweeney) met as as part of the first cohort of the National Youth Folk Ensemble. Since forming their duo in 2018, they have been nominated for the BBC Young Folk Award and been played on BBC Radio 2 and 3, as well as RTE1. A shared musical ‘true north’ and lasting friendship enable the duo to make two instruments seemingly sound as one; creating subtle and emotive textures that re-calibrate the fiddle and guitar duo idiom.

Their debut album ‘You, Golden’ (04/11/22) manages to envelop influences from contemporary classical, post-rock, ECM Jazz and bluegrass cohesively and organically into English folk music with a combination of traditional and contemporary material which is sonically indistinguishable in origin. It was recorded entirely live in a barn in the Oxfordshire countryside in just two and a half days and has seen remarkable critical acclaim for such a new act.

The duo’s live performances present an extraordinary sense of musical intimacy, covering the full dynamic spectrum, with as much of themselves being put into every note as possible. For technically advanced young musicians they hold an unusual allegiance to the beauty of simplistic melodies, putting their musical point across as clearly and honestly as then can.

“Rising stars of the folk scene”

Katie Derham, BBC Radio 3

“Beautiful, swirling, modern English folk music”

Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2

“Gorgeous Music”

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, RTE 1

“They display a mastery and vision that, for a debut, is truly remarkable.”

Folk Radio UK

“Virtuosic, vibrant and very, very progressive. A magnificent take on the trad. tune idiom. Don’t let their youth suggest these aren’t two very wise old hearted musicians at the start of a very long and glorious career” Sam Lee

“Brave, brilliant, deeply musical and creative. Listen to this….”

Martin Simpson

Tour Dates