Les Poules à Colin + The Nightjar

A monthly evening of the finest folk music live at the Old Queens Head in Islington

Les Poules à Colin

“..the five have become seasoned players, with a new take on Québécois folk – recharging the music from within while at the same time bringing fresh elements from outside.” fRoots,

“Their own sound brought freshly inventive vitality to these deeply planted roots” The Scotsman, 2016

Taking their name from a traditional song, Les Poules à Colin are a new take on an age-old recipe: a dynamic and creative group turning heads wherever they go. Exposed to Québécois and other folk music from the moment they were born to musician parents, they soaked it all up: whether backstage at a festival or at a lively kitchen jam in Lanaudière, the heart of Quebec’s traditional music scene.

Despite their youth – they range in age from 20 to 26 – they have been a group for over seven years. All five have blossomed into intuitive performers whose trajectory began with winning awards such as Young Trad Vermont and Grand Prix Desjardins. They followed up their first recording, an EP titled Anabel by recording two albums, Hébertisme Nocturne (2011) and Ste-Waves (November 2014). Launched to rave reviews, the latest album charted in Quebec and was nominated for a FELIX (Québec) award.

The group’s sound is a seamless blend of their strong folk upbringing and North American influences that range from old-time to jazz, with some provocative and moody effects. Their repertoire is a mix of original and traditional pieces, primarily in French but with some English compositions, and reveals gorgeous vocal, instrumental and rhythmic prowess. Their adaptations of traditional songs speak eloquently to their generation while retaining the beauty of timeless music. Fiddle, guitar, bouzouki, banjo, mandolin, piano, bass and foot percussion form a rich and varied backdrop for their inventive arrangements.

The Nightjar

Nominally, The Nightjar are an experimental folk band, whose roots are in various traditional musics. Their sound has developed to include close three-part harmonies, interlocking sparse guitars, field recordings and electronics. The intensity of lead singer Mo Kirby’s vocals takes the listener into a dreamlike world that is often eerie and haunting. With Pete Thomas on guitar, percussion, and vocals, Sarah Ricketts on double bass and vocals and Jez Anderson on electric guitar.