Electronic Press Kit | The John Richards Band

For folk clubs and festivals

John Richards has been writing and recording since the 1970s. His songs have travelled through the folk scene in the repertoires of Fairport Convention, Phil Beer, Show of Hands, Simon Nicol, Paul Downes, Mike Silver and many more.

The band brings those songs back to their source. John’s lead voice and guitar or bouzouki sit inside Emma Jones’s close harmonies, Jim Sutton’s bass and keyboards, and Kathleen Ord’s fiddle, whistles and vocals. The result suits attentive folk clubs as naturally as festival stages.

Four-piece bandVocals, guitar, bouzouki, fiddle, whistles, bass and keyboards

Six CDsJohn’s song catalogue is held in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library

Widely coveredSongs recorded by leading folk artists and sung in clubs across the country

Live at The Woodman Folk Club

Watch the band

Showreel, 3 minutes 33 seconds. Featuring the current band at The Woodman Folk Club.

More performances Download showreel

A songbook with a life of its own

Songs other artists sing

John’s best-known writing ranges from historical narratives and anti-war songs to sharply observed stories of working life and place.

Honour and Praise

Recorded by Fairport Convention and Paul Downes

The Deserter

Recorded by Simon Nicol, Fairport Convention, Michael Black and Damien Barber

Roaring Water Bay

Recorded by Phil Beer and performed by Show of Hands

Foundryman’s Daughter

Recorded by Mike Silver, Billy Spakemon, The Rotundas and Artey Williams

Reviews

In their words

“John Richards’ epic sea song ‘Honour and Praise’ is magnificent.”

Colin Irwin, Folk Roots, reviewing Fairport Convention’s Gladys’ Leap

“The band were simply superb! Great musicians, great vocals and stunning songs.”

Malc Gurnham, Bedworth Folk Club

The band

Current line-up

John Richards

Songwriting, guitar, bouzouki and vocals

Raised in a musical Black Country Methodist family, John moved from teenage pop and blues into folk and roots music. He has written since his teens, and his songs have been recorded and performed by artists across the British folk scene.

Emma Jones

Lead and harmony vocals

Emma has sung with John since she was eleven, first as a duo and later in The John Richards Band and roots-rock band Desperate Men. She takes lead vocals, supplies the band’s close family harmonies and has contributed research to several of John’s recent songs.

Jim Sutton

Bass and keyboards

A long-time collaborator of John’s, Stourbridge musician Jim Sutton has worked across folk, roots and jazz for more than four decades. His bass and keyboards form the band’s musical foundation, alongside recording work with artists including Gren Bartley and Ben Holton.

Kathleen Ord

Fiddle, whistles and vocals

Cumbrian-born Kathleen is a Royal Northern College of Music graduate whose playing draws on traditional folk, classical training and jazz improvisation. She has toured and recorded with The Unthanks and also performs with Simply Dylan and The Horse Puppets.

Press copy

Short biography

The John Richards Band performs original English folk songs shaped by John Richards’s Black Country roots and more than five decades of writing. Songs including “Honour and Praise”, “The Deserter”, “Roaring Water Bay” and “Foundryman’s Daughter” have been taken up by Fairport Convention, Phil Beer, Show of Hands, Simon Nicol, Mike Silver and many other artists. John is joined by Emma Jones on lead and harmony vocals, Jim Sutton on bass and keyboards, and Kathleen Ord on fiddle, whistles and vocals.