Martin Simpson in Kendal

Martin Simpson is an English folk singer, songwriter and guitarist, born in Scunthorpe in 1953. His repertoire draws on traditional songs from Britain and America as well as original writing, and he is particularly associated with acoustic fingerstyle and slide guitar. His best-known work includes the albums Prodigal Son and Vagrant Stanzas, and the song “Never Any Good.” Simpson spent much of the 1980s and 1990s performing in the United States before returning to Britain and touring solo through folk clubs, arts centres and theatres. In 2015 he toured with accordionist Andy Cutting and fiddler Nancy Kerr as Simpson Cutting Kerr, the trio behind the album Murmurs. He has performed at both Cambridge Folk Festival and Sidmouth FolkWeek.