But it’s another Willkommen act – The Leisure Society – which shares many members with Sons of Noel and Adrian, that has been the runaway success of the collective. The band's songwriter Nick Hemming has twice been nominated for an Ivor Novello for best song - first for Last Of The Melting Snow in 2009, then for Save It For Someone Who Cares in 2010.
‘We got a lot of radio support for our first single,’ says Nick, ‘especially from Radio Two & 6 Music - and as a result our very first tour pretty much sold out. After that the Ivor Novello nomination for The Last Of The Melting Snow attracted lots of mainstream media and allowed us to reach a whole new audience." 2010's Mercury Music Prize brought home just how successful non-traditional folk in the UK has become.
Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons were nominated as well as I Am Kloot - a Manchester-based folky/acoustic band who have been playing for over 10 years - and Irish newcomers Villagers who play heartfelt acoustic music in the manner of Bright Eyes.
No artificial connections
Matt Brown runs PR company Stay Loose, which represents Mumford & Sons, Alessi's Ark and Johnny Flynn as well as more traditional folk artists such as Drever McCusker Woomble and Lau.
‘I think UK music fans have really taken the sense of community that the whole movement is built on to their hearts,’ he says. ‘There's nothing artificial about the connection between each of these artists; it's a connection that has been in the making for a good few years before the mainstream UK media began to turn their spotlight onto it.’
>Read more on page four<
Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons were nominated as well as I Am Kloot - a Manchester-based folky/acoustic band who have been playing for over 10 years - and Irish newcomers Villagers who play heartfelt acoustic music in the manner of Bright Eyes.
No artificial connections
Matt Brown runs PR company Stay Loose, which represents Mumford & Sons, Alessi's Ark and Johnny Flynn as well as more traditional folk artists such as Drever McCusker Woomble and Lau.
‘I think UK music fans have really taken the sense of community that the whole movement is built on to their hearts,’ he says. ‘There's nothing artificial about the connection between each of these artists; it's a connection that has been in the making for a good few years before the mainstream UK media began to turn their spotlight onto it.’
>Read more on page four<
