Keston Cobblers Club

Originating in Bromley, Kent, U.K., Keston Cobblers Club took their name from an 18th-century violin-playing cobbler famed for his habit of dancing outdoors. The contemporary folk-pop ensemble quickly gained notice for its energetic deployment of acoustic instruments and buoyant summer melodies. Matthew and Julia Lowe, siblings who both play multiple instruments, launched the project in 2009 alongside their close friend and fellow multi-instrumentalist Tom Sweet. Tubist Bethan Ecclestone and drummer Harry Stasinopoulos later joined, rounding out the five-piece lineup. Listeners first encountered the group at length through the 2010 digital EP Welcome to the Club, issued on the independent imprint Beatnik Geek Records. Two years afterward came the label’s digital-only debut album One, for Words, captured inside the Lowe family residence and reflecting the band’s deep affinity for traditional folk while threading in modern pop melodies and vocal harmonies. Critics responded enthusiastically, highlighting the quintet’s range and inventive songcraft. Additional EPs followed in quick succession—A Scene of Plenty in 2013 and A Pocket Guide to Escaping in 2014—while BBC Radio presenters Bob Harris, Steve Lamacq, and Dermot O’Leary offered consistent support that helped cultivate a widening audience. After signing to TriColour Records, the collective delivered its second album, Wildfire, in 2015; reviewers noted its nostalgic timbres yet also praised the refined production that introduced subtle electronics amid the organic textures, marking the record as a vivid illustration of folk’s 2010s revival and the rise of neo-folk. A nationwide tour supported the release, and 2017 brought the third album Almost Home, which adopted a leaner songwriting style yet earned further acclaim for its imaginative and wide-ranging instrumental palette.