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
Fiona Soe Paing in Aberdeenshire [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:50
When the Scottish Burmese sound artist Fiona Soe Paing discovered that one of her ancestors was a traditional singer, she resolved to make a contemporary electronic album reflecting the music and folk tales of her home c…
The Music of the Big Walk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:28:31
On August 4th 2023, Folk on Foot host Matthew Bannister set off on his biggest walk yet. Over two weeks, he covered 186 miles from Wickham Festival in Hampshire to Folk East in Suffolk, raising thousands of pounds for th…
The Story of The Big Walk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:05
On 4th August 2023, Folk on Foot host Matthew Bannister set off on his biggest walk yet: from Wickham Festival in Hampshire to Folk East in Suffolk. Over two weeks, he covered 186 miles, took 465,137 steps and raised tho…
Johnny Campbell & Mikey Kenney on Whernside [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:54
This is our highest ever episode. We climbed to the top of Yorkshire’s tallest peak - Whernside - with the singer/songwriter Johnny Campbell and the fiddle player Mikey Kenney to help Johnny record a track for his forthc…
Angeline Morrison in North Cornwall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:06
Angeline Morrison’s “The Sorrow Songs - Folk Songs of Black British Experience” was one of the most significant albums of recent times. On this walk near her home in North Cornwall, Angeline talks about her deep love for…
James Yorkston and Nina Persson in Tentsmuir Forest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:04
The Fife based singer/songwriter James Yorkston and the Cardigans lead singer Nina Persson teamed up with the Swedish Second Hand Orchestra to make the gorgeous album “The Great White Sea Eagle”. On this atmospheric walk…
Katherine Priddy at Alvechurch & Tanworth in Arden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:06
Katherine Priddy grew up in the village of Alvechurch in the West Midlands, writing songs as a teenager which eventually ended up on her beautiful debut album “The Eternal Rocks Beneath”. On a walk in the nearby countrys…
Amy-Jane Beer and Cynefin along the River Clettwr [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:33
Why do rivers play such a vital role in our lives, culture and folklore? In this glorious episode, the nature writer Amy-Jane Beer, author of “The Flow”, joins the Welsh singer and songwriter Owen Shiers (also known as C…
Freedom To Roam in the Malvern Hills [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:44
Freedom To Roam is a music and multi-media project dreamed up by the flautist Eliza Marshall as a response to many of the pressing issues facing us right now. On this walk climbing the glorious Malvern Hills she is joine…
Maddy Prior and Rose-Ellen Kemp at Stones Barn in Cumbria [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:52
“The snow it is lying on Bewcastle FellAnd the wind strips the skin from my face.The bare bones of a tree give some shelter to meBut still it’s a draughty old place.”Come to “the least populated area of the least populat…