Fairport Convention

It’s often incredible to consider how just the name of one artist, alone - in this case, it’s Fairport Convention - can be completely synonymous with a certain genre of music, even if it’s a broad one; sure, Fairport Convention were indeed at the forefront of the British folk movement, but the truth is, the sound that they cultivated way back in the sixties is really iconic enough that their name is enough to have the word ‘folk’ in mind straight away; they’re one of the genre’s great unifiers, in that respect. Their work ethic is something that’s frankly awesome to behold; they formed in 1967, and by the time they released their seminal album Liege and Lief two years later, they were already four albums down. They continued to write and record at a similar pace until the late seventies, eventually dissolving in 1979, but after reforming in the mid-eighties, they continue to play to their devoted fanbase today, with original members Dave Pegg and Simon Nicol still involved and playing shows across the UK on a regular basis, playing new cuts and old classics to crowds that continue to include a younger faction who are just being turned on to the band’s genre-defining catalogue.