Jim Moray

Jim Moray is one of the most consistently inventive musicians working in traditional folk music today. After three ground-breaking and award-winning albums – 2003’s BBC Radio2 Folk Album of Year ‘Sweet England’, ‘Jim Moray’ in 2006 and fRoots Critics Poll and Mojo Folk Album of the Year winner ‘Low Culture’ in 2008 - he now finds himself at the forefront of a new folk revival in the UK, and hailed as a pivotal influence by a new generation of folk musicians while still only being in his 20s himself.

Recording his first album ‘Sweet England’ while still studying classical composition at Birmingham Conservatoire in the day and playing drums in power-pop bands by night, Jim Moray emerged onto the UK folk scene seemingly fully formed in 2003. His imaginative reimagining of English traditional music blended with orchestral flourishes, guitars and electronics soon found him awarded the unprecedented combination of ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Best Album’ at the 2004 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. After notching up a live reputation with performances at Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival and WOMAD, and alongside Richard Thompson and Oysterband, Jim followed this with 2006’s ‘Jim Moray’ and ‘Low Culture’ in 2008. Awarded the prestigious fRoots critics poll prize for best album and Mojo magazine Folk Album Of The Year, Moray assembled an all-star band including Saul Rose (Waterson:Carthy, Eliza Carthy Band) and William Bowerman (La Roux) to headline summer festivals through 2009. He most recently broke with convention, giving his fourth album ‘In Modern History’ away on the cover of Songlines magazine before releasing a deluxe two disc version in June 2010.

Outside of his own albums, he has branched out as producer of his sister Jackie Oates’ award-winning ‘Hyperboreans’ album and been awarded Honorary Life Membership of Birmingham Conservatoire for outstanding achievement in music.