Craven are an English and Welsh cinematic folk trio based in the South West. Their music toes the line between grinding symphonic weight and ethereal delicacy. From yearning and bitterness to white hot rage against injustice, Craven explore themes of queerness, transness, solidarity, and anti-war sentiment through traditional ballads and songs.
Their debut album, "The Fruits of Idleness, Disgrace, and Death" - set to release November 6th - showcases a deft and sensitive approach focusing on storytelling and word-painting.
Their wide-ranging influences bring in sounds and techniques from chamber music, electronic dance music and punk, while staying very rooted in the traditions of the material.
The music seeks out new light to shed on familiar traditional songs, underlining the narrative and emotional tensions in each. Singles "Willie of Winsbury" and "Crow on the Cradle" exemplify this, with the sensitive chamber strings of "Willie" highlighting the poignance of the story, contrasted with the grit and bite of "Crow", and its pulsing rhythms responding to the building tension in the song.
From spit and sawdust DIY venues to sold-out shows at the home of English Folk - Cecil Sharp House - Craven’s performances engross audiences from diverse genres and backgrounds. Their music is an exploration into the ideas and opportunities of what is possible for folk music. Their album launch tour, with dates across the UK in November ‘26, culminates in a final show in their home town of Bristol at the Greenbank Folk Club on December 2nd.
