Introducing The Urban Folk Quartet
The Urban Folk Quartet (UFQ to their many fans) are one of the most exhilarating bands on the British folk scene. Formed in Birmingham in 2009, they made an extraordinary start: their first four gigs took place in four different countries, and on just their fourth outing together they won the Spanish International Folk Competition in Plasencia. Fifteen-plus years, four studio albums and three live albums later, they’ve played everything from secluded coves to festival fields of 30,000, including Cropredy, Cambridge and Celtic Connections.
Two Phenomenal Fiddlers and a Formidable Band
At the heart of UFQ are two outstanding fiddlers. Galician Paloma Trigás spent years touring the world’s stadiums with Spanish folk star Carlos Núñez, sharing stages with The Chieftains, Sharon Shannon and Altan. Joe Broughton, of Albion Band fame, is widely regarded as one of the fieriest English fiddlers and showmen of his generation. Dan Walsh (one of the finest banjo players in the country, and a gifted singer and guitarist) swaps instruments with Joe, often mid-song, while Tom Chapman, considered among the UK’s most accomplished cajón players, drives the whole thing along.
Folk Like You’ve Never Heard It
UFQ’s music is rooted in Celtic dance tunes and traditional song, but that’s only the starting point. Drawing on Birmingham’s wonderfully diverse musical life, they fold in funk grooves, Middle Eastern melodies, Afrobeat and North Indian rhythms. They’re as comfortable with a tender air or a harmonised Appalachian song as with a rock-charged reel. Their latest album, True Story (2024), features guests including Fairport Convention’s legendary bassist Dave Pegg. fRoots summed them up simply: “impossibly wonderful.”
Why You’ll Love Them
If you enjoy virtuoso playing, irresistible rhythms and a band that clearly loves performing together, UFQ deliver all of that and more. Expect tight, thrilling musicianship, plenty of warmth and humour, and an evening that will have feet tapping from the first tune to the last — a rare treat to have in Ulpha.