Article- 1st draft

Crossing the mile

Zoe Bradley has risen in the ranks of the folk world in the past few years, from busking on the streets of Cambridge to headlining at Greenman Festival. The release of her first album in 2010 catapulted her into the spotlight, she quickly became one of the most talked about folk artists in Britain, and now she is going on tour with her hotly anticipated new album “Milestone Crossing”, which features a breathtaking collaboration with Benji Kirkpatrick in “Sovay”.

Coming from Cambridge, which is in itself famous for its folk festival, was the perfect place for any folk talent to live and for Zoe the love of folk music was instilled in her from a young age. Growing up in a house that was forever filled with folk stars coming and going, as her father was the manager of the band “Fairport Convention” and was great friends with it’s front man Dave Pegg, was a great incentive for music making and she had learnt the acoustic guitar and piano by the time she was fourteen.

By this time, she was busking on the streets with her friends and when she was seventeen, she was encouraged by her parents to sign up for a spot at Cambridge Folk Festival. Her mix of traditional songs with modern twists drew large crowds. After the performance she was approached and signed by Navigator Records and in 2009, she began work on her debut album “Hearts and Minds” which was released early in 2010 to much critical acclaim.

In the summer of that year, she headlined on the Main Stage at Greenman Festival in Wales and began a lifelong friendship with The Unthanks who were also playing there. She did a small tour of Britain with her first album only playing ten dates at theatres and supporting Bellowhead on one night in Bristol, which is how she met Benji Kirkpatrick, with whom she would later collaborate.

This year then will see her going on an epic eighteen-date tour of the UK promoting her new album and sharing some dates with The Unthanks on their “Diversions” tour. Her tour destinations include London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Dublin and of course Cambridge and her album includes “Beating the bounds”, “Death and the maiden” and “Young Waters”.  

Zoe Bradley’s forthcoming album is out on the third of March and her tour starts on the twelfth of April in Cambridge’s Corn Excange.