Winter Wilson
When Mike Harding dubbed Winter Wilson as one of the hardest working duos on the circuit, he'd clearly done his homework. UK based, Kip Winter and Dave Wilson have performed in Germany, Australia, Spain, Canada, Belgium and New Zealand. They've released a string of critically acclaimed albums, one of the highlights being Live & Unconventional. The live album, recorded on tour and at Cropredy Festival (video here) with folk rock icons Fairport Convention. The reviews were exceptional:-
"If you need evidence of just how special the duo Winter Wilson is, then Live & Unconventional delivers in abundance." Steve Caseman, RnR magazine
"This is a brilliant, exceptionally well-recorded live album that really does convince that Kip and Dave are well and truly at the top of their game." David Kidman, Living Tradition Magazine.
It is in live performance where these two really excel. Kip Winter and Dave Wilson bring a sense of intimacy to every venue, blending superb, often hard-hitting original songs, stunning harmonies and musicianship with sometimes hilarious humour and tales of life on the road. Kip (vocals, accordion, guitar, flute) "simply has a voice to die for” ( John Roffey, Maverick Magazine), whilst Dave (vocals, guitar and banjo) is now rightly recognized as being amongst the top tier of British songwriters, with his songs sung in folk clubs across the UK and beyond. Together, their voices are sublime.
“In 30 years of listening to folk music, I have never heard two voices blend so perfectly.” (David Aird, Chairman, Glenfarg Folk Club)
You will laugh; you may cry. You will certainly want to see them again!
Kip Winter
Born
West Germany (although her family lived in Holland at the time - bad day out!), but fiercely Scottish (Hebridean, if you want to be picky....).
Raised
Holland, Germany, England, Scotland... also lived in France for a while - a bit of a nomad. But music always featured. Kip learned to sing harmonies on long family car journeys back to the Outer Hebrides every summer. "It was usually a two-day journey, in a Morris Minor with no radio, so singing was the natural way to pass the time."
Music
Learned piano from age 9. Bought a second-hand flute for Fr400 when living in France in 1980 and has subsequently "pootled" on guitar, tenor guitar, bass, piano accordion and tenor ukulele.
But mainly she loves to sing - anything from classical and jazz to soul, but especially folk and blues.
Influences
"My Dad, a great singer and musician and I learned so many songs from him."
Dave Wilson
Born & Raised
Sleaford, Lincolnshire (although he did briefly move next door, to Nottinghamshire!).
Music
Bought his first (Yamaha) guitar aged 17 and taught himself to play from the David Bowie song book. He started writing songs regularly when he began attending Boston Folk Club in the early 1980s (to make up for not knowing any folk songs) and hasn't looked back since.
Dave's songs have been covered by musicians all over the UK and beyond, the best known being Storm Around Tumbledown, which has been recorded by Vin Garbutt and Anthony John Clarke amongst others.
Today Dave plays mainly Martin guitars, plus a handmade Nick Benjamin.
Occasionally he has a "rock god moment" when he gets the chance to play his Fender Strat.
He also enjoys practising banjo... loudly... at home.
Influences
Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson, Nic Jones, Steve Earle, Martin Simpson, Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits, John Tams, we could go on...
"It's the words that matter."