Biography
The British singer and songwriter Wes Finch blends folk, blues, Americana, and literate indie pop. Residing in Coventry, he led a shifting roots collective known as the Dirty Band for several years, and that group backed his debut release, the 2008 album Now Look Here, It's the Dirty Band, See. Even as the Dirty Band continued serving as his concert unit, Finch pared his approach to a largely acoustic solo format on the 2010 record Asthill Grove. The 2012 successor Mayflower broadened the sonic palette further, moving through atmospheric field recordings and eclectic full-band textures alike. Traces of U.S. songwriters such as Conor Oberst, Elliott Smith, and Ryan Adams surface in Finch’s work, which remains grounded in folk traditions while displaying pop-level ambition and refinement. After Mayflower appeared, he increased his road activity, appearing at clubs and festivals while opening for British folk stalwarts including Billy Bragg and Martin Carthy. Teaming with producer Gerry Diver (Sam Lee, Lisa Knapp), he completed his fourth album, the ambitious and exploratory Awena, issued in 2015.
Albums