Jon Wilks

Jon Wilks (born 4 January 1977) is an English writer, folk singer, and guitarist, known for his work in the traditional folk music scene. He has gained recognition for his authentic interpretations of traditional English folk songs, as well as his own original compositions. fRoots magazine has described him as "one of the best of the New Wave Of Folk Blokes".

Early life and career

Jon Wilks was born in Solihull. His father was a professor of Shakespearean studies, and his work meant that the family occasionally lived abroad. Wilks lived in Nigeria from the age of six months to three years old, and Saudi Arabia from eight to 13. While in Saudi Arabia, he attended the Continental School, Jeddah. He returned to Solihull in 1990, where he attended Alderbrook Comprehensive School and Solihull Sixth Form College. Wilks's paternal grandparents met at Cecil Sharp House where they were involved in community dancing. His grandfather was a member of the Beaux of London City morris dancing side.

His interest in folk music developed whilst at Bangor University, where he learned fingerpicking in the style of Nick Drake, Bert Jansch, and Martin Carthy. He played weekly gigs at the Greek Taverna in Upper Bangor, where he often received a pint of beer, a packet of cigarettes, and a plate of potatoes for his performances.

After completing his studies, Wilks moved to Japan in 1999, where he became a teacher for a brief period before transitioning to writing and editing. He worked as a magazine editor for Japanzine, and eventually became the editor of Time Out Abu Dhabi and then the Editorial Director of Time Out Tokyo. In 2016, he became a co-founder of the company REAL Kombucha. As a freelance journalist, he has written for publications including The Guardian, Time Out, Dazed & Confused and the Japan Times.

Music career

Wilks was a member of Cut Flowers, an indie band based in Fukuoka, Japan, between 2003 and 2007, during which time they released one album called Early Recordings (2005) and an EP called You Come Around (2007). It was only after leaving Cut Flowers that Jon delved back into his interest in traditional folk music, often playing old English folk songs to Japanese audiences.

He formed the Grizzly Folk duo with Jon Nice in Fukuoka, Japan, in 2007, and the pair performed together for many years, releasing several albums and EPs, including Gurning at the Moon (2014), Lairy Thru the Town (2015), Leftovers (2018), and The Best of the Grizzly Folk (2019), and the EPs Baibaba Bimba (2016) and Tape Machine (2020).

Explaining his love for traditional music, Wilks told The Guardian, "Most people have an affair or buy a sports car for their midlife crisis. I fell for traditional music, then fell down the rabbit hole."

In 2017, he released his debut solo album, Songs from the Attic. fRoots magazine called his second album, Midlife (2018) a "delight", and his third, Up the Cut (2021) was described by Jude Rogers in The Guardian as being an exploration of "the fascinating history of Birmingham street balladry, a thriving 19th-century industry." He also released a solo EP called The Trial of Bill Burn Under Martin's Act (2019). His fourth album, Before I Knew What Had Begun I Had Already Lost, was released in May 2023. It was named as Folk Album of the Month by The Guardian.

Wilks has collaborated with other musicians and artists including Jackie Oates, Lukas Drinkwater, and Katherine Priddy. In autumn 2023, he will tour with Martin Carthy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilks formed the briefly-lived quartet, Slow Jane, with Katherine Priddy, inviting Jon Nice and Lukas Drinkwater to take part. Together they recorded covers of three Nick Drake songs and released them, along with videos, as a way to pass the time and entertain other people stuck in lockdown. Wilks and Priddy said they chose Nick Drake's songs because they both grew up equidistant to Nick Drake's birthplace, Tanworth-in-Arden and were both influenced by his music in their formative years. The two collaborated once again in late 2020 on a recording of the broadside ballad, "Mary Ashford's Tragedy", which Wilks researched, arranged and composed a tune for before inviting Priddy to provide the vocals.

In May, 2023, Wilks was the subject of an acoustic session on Mark Radcliffe's BBC Radio 2 The Folk Show. He performed three songs from his fourth album, Before I Knew What Had Begun I Had Already Lost.

In May 2024, Wilks successfully relaunched the Whitchurch Folk Festival, a long-dormant event that originally ran from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s. The festival's resurrection came about following conversations between Wilks and Paul Sartin. After Sartin's passing in 2022, contributions were made to a festival fund. With the assistance of Claire Patterson, who served as the agent for both Wilks and Sartin, the festival was relaunched.

Music writing and journalism

In addition to his music career, Wilks is a writer and researcher. He has written on English folk music and culture, and has contributed articles and reviews to EDS, the magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS). He also produces and hosts the Old Songs Podcast, sponsored by EFDSS.

In 2021 Wilks launched the website Tradfolk.co, which focuses on the traditional music and ritualistic culture of England. Tradfolk's account of the Wassailing tradition of England - mid-winter ceremonies featuring singing, drinking and crop-blessing - and its directory of wassail events were the source for an article in The Guardian in 2022.

Discography

Solo Albums:

• Songs from the Attic (Album) (2017)
• Midlife (Album) (2018)
• The Trial of Bill Burn Under Martin's Act (EP) (2019)
• Mary Ashford's Tragedy (Single with Katherine Priddy) (2020)
• Up the Cut (Album) (2021)
• Before I Knew What Had Begun I Had Already Lost (Album) (2023)

With Cut Flowers:

• Early Recordings (Album) (2005)
• You Come Around (EP) (2007)

With Grizzly Folk:

• Gurning at the Moon (Album) (2014)
• Lairy Thru the Town (Album) (2015)
• Baibaba Bimba (EP) (2016)
• Leftovers (Album) (2018)
• The Best of the Grizzly Folk (Album) (2019)
• Tape Machine (EP) (2020)

With Slow Jane:

• Northern Sky (Single) (2020)
• River Man (Single) (2020)
• Fly (Single) (2021)

Contributions:

• Gracious Wings (Album by Jackie Oates) (2022)

Compilations:

• 'October Song' and 'Hangman' (with Angeline Morrison) on A Tribute to Les Cousins: Soho's Legendary Folk and Blues Club (Live) (2024)

External links

• Official website
• Tradfolk