Benji Kirkpatrick

Born in 1976 in Shropshire, England, UK folk musician Benji Kirkpatrick excels on multiple instruments yet consistently favors the bouzouki. As the offspring of esteemed English folk performers John Kirkpatrick and Sue Harris, he made his first appearance on record with his father’s 1994 release Earthling. He next assembled the acoustic group the Hedgerows, taking the ensemble across Britain and the Continent, then stepped out alone in 1998 via the album Dance In The Shadow. That debut highlighted his command of bouzouki, guitar, and mandolin across an energetic set of performances.

Around the same time he helped establish the well-regarded ensemble Dr. Faustus while also collaborating with Magpie Lane, the Oysterband, and the five-piece ceilidh outfit Mr. Gubbins’ Bicycle led by his father. In 2004 he assisted in forming the highly regarded young collective Bellowhead and finished work on his second solo effort, Half A Fruit Pie. The record advanced beyond his initial outing through an emphasis on original material and a noticeably smoother instrumental approach. Work alongside fellow folk artist Seth Lakeman carried into Kirkpatrick’s third album, Boomerang, issued in 2008; the project adopted a more broadcast-oriented sound and contained no traditional pieces.