Painted Sky have only recently emerged onto the UK folk scene, but they have already made a lasting impression with their progressive acoustic sound.
Siblings George Brandon (guitar/vocal) and Holly Brandon (fiddle/vocal) have been making music together for as long as they can remember. Both have worked on independent projects, with George performing solo and Holly, perhaps best known as part of transatlantic folk band, The Magpies. But the siblings have always been drawn back to each other’s playing and tight-knit instrumentals and harmonies reflect the bedrock of their lifelong musical history.
Original material thoughtfully balances the duo’s roots in traditional English music. Their songs are characterised by honest vocals and timeless storytelling, underpinned by driving rhythms. Whilst their exquisite instrumentals weave delicate finger-picking guitar and soaring fiddle with a dynamic energy. They seamlessly blend tunes from further afield too, from the complex rhythms of Eastern Europe to the fiddle stomping tunes of Quebec, to create a distinct and borderless synthesis of contemporary folk.
After making waves with their EP – Dawn – in 2020, Painted Sky released their debut album From The Blue in May 2024. Produced by award-winning singer-songwriter, Blair Dunlop, the record stands as a testimony to the siblings’ 20 years of music making. It feeds on a rich pool of English songwriting, traditional songs and ideas to deliver an album with a refreshing mindset, where waves of contemporary textures and arrangements make it feel like an album truly from the blue.