Folk on Foot

Folk on Foot

Author: Matthew Bannister Language: English Episodes: 100
Imagine stepping out for a walk with a friend who happens to be a brilliant musician, the path unfolding through the very hills, coastlines, or woods that shaped their songs. That’s the essence of Folk on Foot, a multi-award-winning podcast created by Matthew Bannister. Each episode is a gentle fusion of conversation, landscape, and live performance, recorded outdoors while walking with some of the most compelling voices in folk music. The format is beautifully simple yet profound: as they traverse a place of personal significance, the guests discuss their connection to the land, their creative process, and the stories behind their work, often pausing to play a tune or sing a song right there on the trail. Listeners are invited into an intimate, thoughtfully crafted soundscape that feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s been praised as a restorative listening experience and is noted for its impeccable production. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's an auditory journey that celebrates the deep, often unspoken bond between artist, music, and environment. The resulting podcast is consistently engaging, offering a unique blend of natural history, cultural insight, and, of course, fantastic music. It provides a genuine sense of accompaniment, as if you’re right there beside them, sharing in the quiet moments and the melodic ones, all woven together into a wonderfully calming and enriching hour.
Episodes
The Wexford Carols with Caitriona O’Leary [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:04
A festive episode featuring the Wexford Carols sung by the beautiful voice of Caitriona O’Leary. The carols came out of the persecution of Catholics in Wexford in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and were written…
Gwilym Bowen Rhys in Aberdaron [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:30
Come for a wild, wet and windy walk on the beach at Aberdaron on the Llyn peninsula in Wales with the singer and songwriter Gwilym Bowen Rhys. Then join us in the local church where Gwilym demonstrates his musical versat…
Folk on Foot Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:31
What is the multi-award-winning Folk on Foot all about? The Telegraph calls it “a restorative breathing space in sound”. In this sampler, host Matthew Bannister shares beautiful extracts from episodes featuring Karine Po…
The Dance of the Commons at the Englefield Estate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:11
On a hot August day, scores of walkers in weird, wacky and wonderful costumes inspired by old English traditions, accompanied by morris dancers and musicians, set off to stage a peaceful and joyful mass trespass. Led by…
Fay Hield at the Soundpost Weekend in Dungworth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:23
The singer, songwriter and academic Fay Hield invites us to a Soundpost Singing Weekend in the village of Dungworth on the outskirts of Sheffield. Guests include Sean Cooney of the Young’uns and Rowan Rheingans who wrote…
The Musical Village of Pathhead, Midlothian [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:46
Join us on a walk around the unassuming village of Pathhead, Midlothian, just south of Edinburgh, which is home to a whole galaxy of Scottish musicians.We start with singer songwriter Karine Polwart, who takes us to meet…
Jamie Webster in Liverpool [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:20
“My city, my people, my heart” – Jamie Webster loves his home city of Liverpool – and Liverpool loves Jamie Webster. The young singer and songwriter started out performing chants for fans of Liverpool FC, which led to a…
Grace Petrie in Leicester [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:30
Grace Petrie sometimes introduces herself on stage as “a socialist, feminist, lesbian protest singer”. Her acutely observed songs range from political and passionate to personal and profound. She’s also been known to tur…