Oysterband (England)

Oysterband makes modern, folk-based British music, acoustic at heart, sometimes intense, sometimes rocking. Since 1978 they’ve toured in 35 countries  –  festivals, concerts, bars, rallies, jails, bring ’em on! 

Right through the 80s & early 90s, you’d have been hard pressed to find something more unhip to be associated with than … (ahem”…fo*k music. But Oysterband had little choice in the matter. Influenced by all manner of music, culture and style, they listened to anything and everything – but the heartbeat of the band was a deep-rooted love of the traditional music of Britain.

And not the invented tradition of twee choruses and dodgy ideologies that inspired a million fake-rustic cliches that turned off the very people it was alleged to represent. But a tradition that dealt in integrity, passion, human experience and human emotion – songs that made you want to dance, laugh, cry, jump for joy, kick a few heads in. Hey, that could be folk music, could be rock music .. but maybe it’s just good music. Whatever – it helped the Oysters become one of the most irresistible bands of the last decade. And the one before that too.

Currently Oysterband consists of founder members John Jones (vocals, melodeon), Alan Prosser (guitars, vocals), and Ian Telfer (violin, keyboard, vocals) with Dil Davies (drums), Al Scott (bass guitar, mandolin, vocals), and Adrian Oxaal (cellor, guitar, vocals).