HAMPSHIRE acoustic duo Sandtimer celebrate their first single release on Thursday at The Willow Tree in Winchester.

They are working with new record label Folkstock who have received high praise in The Sunday Times.

The broadsheet commented: “It may be a small operation, but British label Folkstock has become shop window for an impressive roster of youthful singer songwriters who roam far beyond the borders of the traditional repertoire... a label that is nurturing some our most promising folk talent”.

The label has had three albums reviewed and added to the Top Folk Albums of the Year by The Telegraph, who described the label as ‘progressive’.

Sandtimer - Rob Sword from Alton and Simon Thomas from Eversley, joined forces last summer after Rob returned from travelling around India. Inspired by the alternative guitar tunings of Nick Drake and Beck, Rob felt moved to write his own songs and learnt the guitar because it was more portable than a piano and invited Simon and his girl friend Rachel, who happens to be Simon’s sister, to sing harmonies! Rob has had considerable success composing on piano, his first instrument, and even had a composition played on BBC Radio 2’s Good Morning Sunday show.

Sandtimer’s music is " simply gorgeous, with haunting harmonies and rich chorus’s which stay in your head long after you’ve heard the song" according to Hertfordshire based Folkstock Records, who are releasing their first ‘ Double A side single’ on iTunes, Amazon as well as their Folkstock Records bandcamp page, on Thursday.

Joining Sandtimer on the night will be special guest, Kelly Oliver, an artist signed to Folkstock Records who has gained album of the year awards and an emerging excellence award as well as national radio play on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music. The Times remarked that Kelly Oliver successfully blends ‘traditional values with bold indie pop sensibility’ and Bob Harris remarked on air that she was ‘an emerging voice in British Folk’ and that her music was ‘beautiful’.

Entry is free. Music starts at 8pm.