The Magpies

The Magpies are a transatlantic folk band whose music combines British and American traditions, drawing on Celtic folk, bluegrass and Appalachian styles. Founding members Bella Gaffney and Holly Brandon are joined by singer-songwriter and guitarist Ellie Gowers and clawhammer banjo player Kate Griffin. Gaffney, an award-winning singer-songwriter, plays guitar and banjo, while Brandon is a fiddle player who also writes tunes. Feminism and gender equality recur as themes in their songs.

Their debut album appeared in 2020, followed in 2022 by Undertow, which reached the top 40 of the Official Folk Albums Chart and earned a BBC Radio 2 live session. A 2026 EP, The One Thing That I Know, has since been released. The group has played festivals including Glastonbury, Cambridge, Larmer Tree, Shambala, Towersey and Deer Shed, and has performed in the USA, Canada, Ireland, Portugal and Luxembourg as well as across the UK. They also organise the Magpies Festival in the parkland of Sutton Park Stately Home, near York.

The Live Room at Caroline Social Club, in Shipley, hosts concerts and shows, and this booking brings the band to its stage.