The Drystones perform at Forest Arts Centre, New Milton on Thursday April 5 and King Somborne Village Hall on April 7.

Making more than a few waves on the folk scene, The Drystones combine traditional music’s timeless instrumental union of fiddle and guitar with technical mastery.

They navigate different traditions and introduce instantaneous changes of pace with a sound that seems bigger than the sum of its parts.

Since forming in 2011 to play a last-minute slot at their local festival, they have appeared twice on the Avalon Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, played to a 9,000-strong crowd at the Glastonbury Extravaganza and supported big names such as The Elephant Sessions, Steeleye Span, and Seth Lakeman.

The Drystones, Alex Garden (fiddle, vocals) and Ford Collier (guitar, tin whistle and vocals), are still celebrating their nomination for the prestigious Young Folk Award at the 2018 BBC Folk Awards. Their achievement adds them to a prestigious roster of artists including; Martin Simpson, Sam Kelly and the Young ‘Uns; who have all performed at Forest Arts and been nominated for a BBC Folk Award this year.

With a UK-wide album tour this year and plans for an album to be released in 2019, the duo show no signs of slowing down. They are determined to take their breath-taking live sets far and wide and leave smiles on faces on the way.