Playing this week in Frome's most intimate venue, the HydeAway, another musician who is breaking the mould with an appeal for Frome music lovers to put aside any anti-folk prejudices they might have.

The venue is a perfect fit for Ivan Moult, who while he is labelled as a folk artist, describes his music as more of 'nice' mix of folk and blues with soulful and jazz influences too. Not that he appreciates the association of folky music with simply being about cuddly sweaters !

His music has been described as just gorgeous and apparently effortless, but as Ivan told Nub News he has put the work in:

So we asked him first what the audience at the HydeAway can expect?

"A nice mix of folk and blues with soulful and jazz influences too. I'll be playing a couple of songs with local musician DG Solaris, and also some covers. I've taken inspiration from John Martyn with my set up and have an acoustic but also an electric set up with delay and other effects to add to the dynamics of the performance. I like a lot of the 70's singer songwriter sound and I'm somewhere in between that and more modern singer songwriter fare. Think John Martyn, Nick Drake, Terry Reid, from the 70s and (relatively) more recently Elliot Smith, Ron Sexsmith or David Gray. "

So it is not just sweaters ?

Ivan admitted that folk can have a little bit of folksy reputation however he added : " It can in some circles but I'd describe my sound as more contemporary. It's by no means Aran jumpers and hands over ears traditional but the influences are there. It's a broad church Folk!

"Blues and roots is more my style these days. I like a lot of Americana to, so consider that a nod to Swifties if you like! It's open to interpretation which is what I enjoy, its a shared songbook and I think it's in it's umpteenth revival if you look at bands like Lankum from Dublin being shortlisted for Mercury Prize 2023. "

Is he looking forward to being in Frome ?

"I certainly am," said Ivan who grew up in Cornwall but now lives in Cardiff. " I've visited before as I have friends who live locally and stayed a couple of nights and had a great couple of days out. It's a new venue for me to play at and I look forward to meeting people at the show and playing my new record as well as some covers and older material. " Ivan will have copies of his new album, Songs From Severn Grove, which was released in May on Bubblewrap Records, at the performance.

Details and how to get tickets which are already running low HERE

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