Dave Burland established himself early as a veteran figure on the British folk scene, launching his career in 1968 across the London club circuit with material drawn equally from longstanding tradition and newer compositions. He soon joined Bill Leader’s Leader Records roster, appearing alongside fellow artists Nic Jones and Dick Gaughan. His first album, the entirely traditional A Dalesman’s Litany, arrived in 1971 and earned both widespread critical praise and Melody Maker’s Folk Album of the Year accolade. Extensive touring followed through the first half of the decade, accompanied by two further releases: a self-titled collection of traditional songs and 1975’s Songs and Buttered Haycocks, which introduced pieces by David Ackles, Mike Waterson, and Richard Thompson. In 1976 he joined the British folk ensemble Hedgehog Pie for their final album, Just Act Normal, while also collaborating with Dick Gaughan and Tony Capstick on Songs of Ewan MacColl.
Burland resumed solo work in 1979 with You Can’t Fool the Fat Man, then issued Rollin’ a few years afterward, shifting emphasis toward contemporary material by writers such as Bob Geldof and Randy Newman. He continued to draw steady audiences on the U.K. touring circuit. His 1992 release, His Master’s Choice: The Songs of Richard Thompson, offered a full tribute to one of his key influences, while 1996’s Benchmark marked a return to classic traditional repertoire. Alongside these projects he performed with Sara Grey and Roger Wilson in the Lost Nation Band, hosted a BBC radio program, and established a folk festival in Leeds. During the next ten years he concentrated primarily on pursuits outside music, accepting only scattered live engagements that included a 2010 reunion of Hedgehog Pie. In 2017 he resurfaced with the project credited to Dave Burland & the Awkward Squad; the resulting album Okkard featured contributions from Dave Fisher and Bryan Ledgard.
