“The Shovel Dance Collective’s raison d’être is to find hidden queer histories, feminist narratives and the stories of working people in old English, Irish and Scottish folk music.” - The Quietus

Maybe you were there when this nine-member folk collective paid tribute to Harry Smith’s iconic collector Anthology Of American Folk Music in 2023. Or maybe you were overwhelmed by their visit to the Church of Our Lady of the Riches Clares during our BRDCST festival in 2024.

Or perhaps you’re a fan of Lankum, ØXN, Merope, Trá Pháidín, John Francis Flynn, Indre Jurgeleviciute or Brìghde Chaimbeul and you cherish this latest and very quirky wave of folk. Possibly Shovel Dance Collective is now suddenly on highlighted your to-be-discovered list.

Either way, in the wake of their debut The Water is the Shovel of the Shore – described by Gonzo Circus as “one of the most curious and exciting folk albums of 2022” – their second self-titled album is yet another hit.
KLOF Mag: “Shovel Dance Collective once again demonstrates through their new album how they are changing the way folk music is created, and they are doing so with breathtakingly potent tunes.” Mojo gave the album a ****-review and at The Quietus it adorned the ‘Albums Of The Year 2024’ chart.

P.S.: Are their folkies inhabiting AB? Hell yeah! (Be sure to also see: Trá Pháidín on Saturday 7 June 2025.)