Hailing from the borderlands around Newcastle, Holly Clarke, Merle Harbron and Bertie Armstrong are all intriguing and talented solo artists, each with different styles which meld together beautifully as the trio Holly & The Reivers.

With richly emotive vocals, fiddle, hammered dulcimer, banjo and lap steel guitar the band have created a captivating and hugely accomplished debut album which immediately caught our eyes and ears when released in November 2023.

Three Galleys is rich with devilishly delicious melodies sung and played with heart and vigour. Traditional ballads resonate with fresh vision. Americana and Irish songs are stylistically both rootsy and refreshed. Obviously, they have a keen eye for an incredible tune as demonstrated by their use of Nancy Kerr’s melody for the song Three Galleys – one to listen out for.

This trio will provide a quality fix of folk excellence on our 2025 Acorn Stage – expect songs with serious chord crunching joy!