One of the leading luminaries of the British folk scene, Katherine Priddy, is coming to The Glasshouse in Gateshead on May Day.

Katherine Priddy blends a luminous vocal clarity with a literary depth that has earned her the title of “folk prodigy”. Her rise has been marked by high-profile endorsements – most notably from Richard Thompson, who famously declared her “the best thing I’ve heard all year” – and a consistent presence on major stages like Glastonbury and the BBC Proms. What sets Priddy apart is her symbiotic relationship between music and literature. Her songwriting is often described as “borderline poetry”, utilizing vivid imagery to explore themes of memory and the “pendulum swing” of home. Her debut album ‘The Eternal Rocks Beneath’ reached No. 1 on the Official UK Folk charts in 2021, while her second album ‘The Pendulum Swing’ continued this momentum, exploring the domestic push and pull of arriving and leaving. This year’s ‘These Frightening Machines’ meanwhile is her most sonically varied to date, tackling complex themes of human connection within modern systems. And her gig in the region on 1 May should be a real treat as supporting is Crack fave, Amelia Coburn. DP

Katherine Priddy + Amelia Coburn, Friday 1 May, The Glasshouse, Gateshead, 8pm, £27.90, theglasshouseicm.org