Somerset radio station GWS has broadcast a preview of the Priddy Folk Festival featuring tracks by Festival performers and insights into the lineup design from programme director David Francis. You can listen to the show and get a preview of some of the great acts performing at Priddy via the link below.
The two-hour programme opened with the title track from the new album by fiddle star Sam Sweeney, “Escape That”. The Sam Sweeney Band is one of the headliners at the Festival, which runs from July 12-14 on Priddy’s village green
Host Jem Smith also interviewed the bands Good Habits and The Lost Trades about why they love Priddy Folk Festival.
Planning the lineup – insights
Smith asked the Festival’s programme manager, David Francis, about his aims for this year’s lineup and key picks for this year’s event.
Francis highlighted the immense amount of administration involved in running the Festival. The Festival is a volunteer-run Registered Charity and the proceeds go to promoting music and improving the environs of Priddy.
Francis said: “There’s lots of administration, lots of attention to detail, from accommodation to transport, to p.a. specs – to all sorts of things.
“But the most important thing for us is to create something that is very rounded and exciting.”
Francis said the Priddy Folk Festival organisers really focus on feedback from festival goers. He said: “What came out particularly last year is that they like diversity – they like to be uplifted, they like something a bit different. So that sets us a big challenge!”
He said he was especially pleased to be featuring the young Gambian artist Sunto Susso, whom he first heard playing at the Jam Jar in Bristol. Susso plays the Kora, a 22-string cross between a harp and a lute.
In addition to top Scottish band Braebach, Francis also highlighted Canadian band The Fugitives, saying he found it hard to stop listening to them!
The GWS broadcast included lots of tracks by past and current artists at the Priddy Festival, an interview with Festival chairman Dean Collier, and vox-pop interviews with festival-goers at last year’s event.
The show’s album of the week was “Stretching Skyward”, the latest release by Priddy headliners, the Scottish band Gnoss.
The ‘World Beat’ programme was broadcast on June 5th; you can listen to the full broadcast via the link below.
Listen now
You can listen to the Priddy preview show using the mixcloud player, or via link below:
GWS radio – aka Glastonbury, Wells and Street Voice – broadcasts to the towns of Glastonbury, Wells and Street and surrounding areas in Somerset. As well as covering local news, the community radio station offers training and volunteer opportunities. Jem Smith will be at this year’s Festival talking to audiences and enjoying the music! Make sure you’re there too!