Biography

From deepest Loughborough come Tom Kitching and Gren Bartley. Playing an aromatic hotpot of folk, world and blues from around the globe, this is a great opportunity to catch the pair on their way up. Recently signed by Fellside records, and with a busy festival schedule, the future looks bright. A young folk award finalist 2003, Tom Kitching plays fiddle with a unique flair, adding depth and context to material, drawing on his broad command of styles. Gren Bartley is simply a superstar of the finger style guitar in the making. Leaving audiences flabbergasted with the speed and control of his picking, the sensitivity and variety of his music will draw you deeper in! Together, there’s quite a chemistry…

"Their own compositions really do sparkle with commitment and creativity in their bright eyed and idiomatic playing" Froots

"(I was) ...knocked out by the intricate pretty arrangements and songs from Tom Kitching and Gren Bartley delivered in deep rich tones (they will no doubt soon own quite a few well-won ornaments on their mantlepiece)" - North Devon Journal

'Bartley proves to be an accomplished songwriter, with a restful voice that lulls its way into the mind and heart.' -Allmusic.com review

'The arrangements are dense and interesting featuring Bartley’s intricate picking and finger style guitar as the main accompaniment to his singing and Kitching’s fine instrumental playing.' Penguin Eggs, Canada

'Tom must be one of the best young fiddlers in England, with a fluid style equally at ease with the English, American and Irish traditions' - Living Tradition

'The instruments spark, with the combination of the bright fiddle and the acclaimed finger picking style of Bartley giving a lovely flow to the tunes' - Maverick Magazine

'A fresh faced marriage or British Folk and barnstorming bluegrass, Rushes is an impressive first splash by a duo who look destined for great things' - Properganda

'You've a duo certain to create a stir with their refusal to be easily pigeonholed' - Rock and Reel Magazine

'There'll be many giving (Rushes) the big thumbs up! And I, for one, will be with them. Great stuff.' Steve Henderson - Folk Northwest