James Walsh (Starsailor) & Ben Ottewell in Newport

James Walsh is an English singer-songwriter and the lead vocalist of Starsailor, the alternative-rock band formed in Wigan. He is known for singing and co-writing songs including “Good Souls,” “Alcoholic,” “Silence Is Easy” and “Four to the Floor,” while his solo work includes the album Turning Point. Starsailor toured behind Love Is Here and their subsequent albums, then marked the debut record’s 20th anniversary by performing it in full. Under his own name, he has also played solo acoustic concerts in clubs and theatres, drawing on both his personal catalogue and Starsailor songs. His festival history as Starsailor’s frontman includes performances at Glastonbury Festival and V Festival.

Ben Ottewell is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the alternative-rock band Gomez. The group formed in Southport in 1996, and its debut album, Bring It On, won the Mercury Prize. Ottewell’s solo records include Shapes & Shadows, Rattlebag and A Man Apart. In 2018, Ben Ottewell toured with Gomez for the 20th anniversary of Bring It On, performing the album in full. The group returned to the album-in-full format for its 25th-anniversary concerts in 2023. His solo concerts center on his voice and acoustic guitar, drawing on his own records and the Gomez catalogue. He has also toured in a two-songwriter format with fellow Gomez member Ian Ball. With Gomez, he performed at Glastonbury Festival and V Festival.