Katherine Priddy

Katherine Priddy is an English folk singer and songwriter from Birmingham, England. She is currently signed to Cooking Vinyl. Priddy was born in Birmingham, England, on 9 November 1994. She grew up in Alvechurch, and attended South Bromsgrove High School. She developed an interest in music at a young age, alongside a passion for literature. This dual interest led her to pursue a degree in literature at the University of Sussex, where she further honed her skills in storytelling and narrative construction. These elements would later become central to her songwriting approach. Priddy's music career began to gain traction with the release of her album The Eternal Rocks Beneath in 2021. The album achieved commercial success, reaching number one on the Official UK Folk Albums Chart on 3 August 2021. This initial success established her as a noteworthy presence in the UK folk scene. The Guardian has described her as a "folk prodigy". She appeared on the List of UK Independent Album Breakers Chart number ones of the 2020s. During the pandemic lockdown, Priddy recorded a number of video duets with other musicians from the UK folk scene, including David Delarre, Ciaran Algar and George Boomsma. Notably, she recorded three songs by Nick Drake with fellow Midlands musician Jon Wilks, Jon Nice and Lukas Drinkwater, forming the short-lived quartet Slow Jane. She subsequently went on to be included on the Endless Coloured Ways compilation album featuring artists covering Nick Drake. She also recorded the vocals for the traditional song "Mary Ashford's Tragedy" with Jon Wilks. Priddy has also collaborated and toured with the singer-songwriter John Smith, releasing the single "Talk to Me of Mendocino" together in 2022. Her live performances have included notable appearances such as the BBC Proms and the Glastonbury Festival Acoustic Stage, as well as on the BBC's live coverage of the festival. Richard Thompson in Mojo magazine described Priddy as "the best thing I've heard all year". In October 2023, Priddy announced her second studio album, introducing "First House on the Left" as the lead single. The album, titled The Pendulum Swing, was released in February 2024. Produced by Simon Weaver and released under Cooking Vinyl, it was met with positive critical reception from publications such as The Guardian and The Irish Times. In May 2024, Priddy appeared on Later... with Jools Holland alongside Paul Weller, Mark Knopfler, Nadine Shah, Bob Vylan and Rachel Chinouriri. She performed her song "A Boat on the River" from her latest album, The Pendulum Swing. In November 2024, Priddy announced a two track collaboration with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, featuring two specially commissioned winter-themed poems that Priddy set to music. The first single, "Close Season", was released on 29 November, produced by Rob Ellis and recorded at Wool Hall. In 2025, she supported Suzanne Vega on her UK tour. Priddy was born in Birmingham. She studied literature at the University of Sussex.[when?] The Eternal Rocks Beneath (2021) The Pendulum Swing (2024) These Frightening Machines (2026) Wolf (2018) "Letters from a Travelling Man" (2019) "Still Winter, Still Waiting" (2020) "True Love Will Find You in the End" (2021) "Indigo" (2021) "Eurydice" (2021) "Icarus" (2021) "I Think They're Leaving Me Behind" (2023) "First House on the Left" (2023) "Does She Hold You Like I Did" (2023) "Anyway, Always" (2024) "Northern Sky" (2020) "Fly" (2021) "Mary Ashford's Tragedy" (with Jon Wilks, 2020) "Talk to Me of Mendocino" (with John Smith, 2022) "Migrations" (with Richard Walters, 2024) "Close Season" (with Simon Armitage, 2024) Martin, Liam. "Katherine Priddy Biography by Liam Martin". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 March 2024. "FEATURE: Spotlight: Katherine Priddy". Music Musings & Such. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2024. Paine, Andre (11 October 2023). "Cooking Vinyl signs singer-songwriter Katherine Priddy". Music Week. Retrieved 22 March 2024. Priddy, Katherine (4 May 2021). "REFLECTIONS: INDIGO". Katherine Priddy. Retrieved 25 June 2024. "x.com". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 3 June 2024. "Katherine Priddy at Alvechurch & Tanworth in Arden". Folk on Foot. Retrieved 13 March 2024. Spencer, Neil (19 June 2021). "Katherine Priddy: The Eternal Rocks Beneath review – a class act". The Guardian. Weir, David (15 June 2021). "Katherine Priddy: Folk Radio Interview". KLOF Mag. Retrieved 26 March 2024. Geraghty, Hollie (2 March 2023). "Listen to Fontaines D.C. cover Nick Drake's 'Cello Song'". Nme.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024. Jon (27 September 2020). "Mary Ashford: A Broadside Ballad". Jonwilks.online. Retrieved 26 March 2024. "John Smith and Katherine Priddy – Talk to Me of Mendocino Review". Cultfollowing.co.uk. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024. Page, Tim (12 February 2024). "Elbow to headline summer gig at castle". BBC. Retrieved 23 March 2024. "KATHERINE PRIDDY ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM THE PENDULUM SWING FOR FEB 2024". Spiralearth.co.uk. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2024. "Just Played: A Column About Vinyl Records #49". Clash Magazine. 29 February 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024. Thomson, Graeme (17 February 2024). "Why I was wrong to think Idles obvious and depressing". The Spectator. Retrieved 23 March 2024. Spencer, Neil (3 February 2024). "Katherine Priddy: The Pendulum Swing review – a rich, poised second album". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 13 March 2024. "Katherine Priddy: The Pendulum Swing – a comforting throwback to 1960s folk". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 March 2024. Later... with Jools Holland - Series 64: Episode 2. BBC Two. Retrieved 10 June 2024. Hargreaves, Keith (29 November 2024). "Katherine Priddy and Simon Armitage – Poetry in motion!". Americana UK. Retrieved 18 December 2024. Cumming, Tim (6 November 2025). "Suzanne Vega and Katherine Priddy, Royal Albert Hall review - superlative songwriters". theartsdesk.com. Retrieved 6 May 2026. Gallacher, Alex (26 October 2023). "Katherine Priddy announces 'The Pendulum Swing' and shares her first single 'First House on the Left'". Klofmag.com. Retrieved 26 February 2024. "Wolf EP". Katherinepriddy.co.uk. Retrieved 6 March 2026.