An interview with The Sam Kelly Trio

When and why did you form as a band?

We all met at university in Brighton, and realised we all shared an interest in roots music. We all played in various different bands throughout uni and then settled on the trio line-up, mainly because we could all fit in one car!

Which famous musicians do you admire? And who inspires you?

My biggest inspiration comes from modern folk singers and bands. People like Kate Rusby, Cara Dillon, O’Hooley and Tidow, Seth Lakeman. I am also hugely influenced by all the classics, like Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, Dylan etc.

What kind of songs do you play?

We play a wide variety of traditional Irish and English songs, Appalachian and blues songs, alongside original music and even some golden oldie rock covers!

How do you describe your music to people?

High energy, riff-based, contemporary, acoustic folk-rock!

Have you had any Dave Grohl-esque mishaps during a performance?

At one gig, the tuning peg of my guitar pinged off and hit somebody in the audience, and the subsequent snapped string left a big cut on the palm of my hand which bled quite profusely throughout the rest of the set (this happened during the first verse of the first song… I was feeling a little woozy by the end). Rock’n’roll!

Are there any foodies in your midst?

I wouldn’t describe us as foodies, but coming from farming stock, I’ve always loved proper, fresh food – and I do love cooking. We all hate fast food and like to eat properly when we can. We also all share a particular talent for making food disappear…

Who is the worst chef in the band?

We’ve all made some pretty interesting meals during our time as students… Evan makes some suspect pasta bakes. I think the pinnacle for me was a tin of sweetcorn and fortune cookie for dinner.

Are you looking forward to coming back to River Cottage?

We can’t wait to come to the Cottage. I loved performing there with Winter Mountain earlier in the year. We’ll be playing our most digestion-friendly music, so hopefully people will come and spend the evening with us!

Tickets are now available for The Sam Kelly Trio gig at River Cottage HQ on Thursday 10 September.