Fisherman's Friends

Nestled in a compact fishing hamlet along the Celtic Sea’s northern Cornish coast, the traditional English folk ensemble Fisherman’s Friends first took to the harbor at twilight each summer evening in 1995, entertaining both visitors and residents. Rooted in longstanding seafaring lore and its vibrant storytelling customs, the ten-piece collective focuses on forebitters, shanties, and age-old Cornish folk material while deliberately avoiding any single frontman; instead, the fishermen, lifeboatmen, coastguards, builders, artisans, hoteliers, and shopkeepers rotate lead duties as the rest of the vocalists supply harmonies. Having grown up together and first blended voices at the village Methodist church, the members signed with Universal in the closing years of the 2000s and issued their self-titled debut album in 2010. The unexpected hit climbed into the U.K. Top 10 and later earned Gold status. Fame soon brought nationwide touring, highlighted by a Glastonbury main-stage slot, before the group returned to Port Isaac for a series of sold-out local performances throughout the summer of 2012. Early the following year, tragedy claimed tenor Trevor Grills and manager Paul McMullen in a sudden mishap while equipment was being unloaded at a Guildford venue, forcing the cancellation of all remaining dates. Work on the follow-up album One and All had already wrapped before Grills’s death, allowing his lead vocal to anchor the posthumous single “Mary Anne.” The survivors chose to persevere, completing Proper Job in 2015 and Sole Mates in 2018. In 2019 the comedy-drama feature Fisherman’s Friends, starring James Purefoy and Tuppence Middleton and chronicling the band’s signing, reached cinemas; the soundtrack album Keep Hauling, drawn from the film’s songs, appeared simultaneously.