Jon Wilks is an acclaimed traditional folk guitarist and singer. His February 2021 tour will feature songs from his most recent album, Up The Cut, as well as a selection from his previous albums and EP releases. Jon’s background as a journalist (a former editor of Time Out magazine and contributor to Dazed & Confused, The Guardian and other publications) means that he has a great eye/ear for a story, and this shows in his live shows – an amusing mix of folk song performance and conversation. He throws in weird and wonderful tidbits about the original singers and collectors that he has unearthed during his substantial writing and podcasting research on traditional folk music in the UK, and his performance has been described as half concert, half standup routine. 

Jon will be performing at All Hallows Church, Whitchurch, as part of the Whitchurch Folk Club concert series. Doors will open at 7:30pm, with the music beginning at 8:00pm. 

Support will be from Jon's son, Kai Wilks, who will be performing with parts of his band, Cutflowers.

We will be running a bar and merch stand using credit cards. As February is a chilly month, the church will be nicely heated, but do bring your jumpers and cardigans if you tend to feel the cold. 

Praise for Jon Wilks... 

 “Jon Wilks’s ‘Up the Cut’ explores the fascinating history of Birmingham street balladry, a thriving 19th-century industry, through simple, deeply affecting voice-and-guitar settings. The Lover’s Ghost and Stowaway are especially beautiful, delicate with love and loss.” – Jude Rogers, The Guardian

“One of the best of the New Wave of Folk Blokes. As a guitar player and arranger of traditional songs, Jon Wilks already deserves speaking of in the same breath as your Simpsons and your Morays.” – Ian A. Anderson, fRoots 

“Jon’s passion informs his live shows, the songs liberally sprinkled with anecdotes (‘babysitting’ Martin Carthy being a particular gem), humour and history, his singing and personality hugely engaging. He is the sort of performer folk circles mean when they talk of the living tradition.” – Mike Davies, Folking.com reviewer and Alternative Roots presenter