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Jon Wilks

@jonwilksmusic.bsky.social
149 followers 84 following 83 posts

Folk songs of memory, place & tradition. “Badman fingerpicking guitarist” (Carl Barât). ffm.bio/jonwilksmusic

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Matthew Bannister @matthewbannister.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Very moving launch of new Martin Carthy box set @cecilsharphouse.bsky.social last night - here are @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social and @elizacarthy.bsky.social performing Scarborough Fair - as Martin watches from front row.
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Have I told you my Yoko Ono story? She was my first major interviewee when I started as a young journalist. I've just dug out the article and stuck it on Patreon. Reading it back, she got more annoyed with my newbie questions than I remember. Into the lion's den... www.patreon.com/JonWilksArch...
patreon.com
The Yoko Ono Interview | Jon Wilks
TThis was the first interview I ever did with someone of note, and even though it was a phoner, I was terrified. Yoko Ono has something of a
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John Reed Music 🎼 and Radio 📻 @johnreed.bandcamp.com · 22/04/2026
Compendium 260 - 22nd April 2026 - Song 6 Jon Wilks - October Song (Live at the Albion Rooms) Album: Bones Date: 2026 Web: www.jonwilks.online Blue Sky: @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 27/03/2026
Billy Bragg calls for big turnout at London march against far right
theguardian.com
Billy Bragg calls for big turnout at London march against far right
Musician urges public to send clear message at what is expected to be UK’s biggest ever multicultural rally Billy Bragg has encouraged people to send a clear message to those seeking to divide the country by turning out to support what is expected to be the biggest multicultural march in UK history on Saturday. Speaking to the Guardian before the Together Alliance’s march against the far right in central London, the musician and political activist said participants hoped to “send out a message to our fellow citizens that we are willing to take a stand against [the politics of hate] being imported into the UK”. Continue reading...
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Together Alliance @togetheralliance.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Join us: 28 March, Park Lane, 12pm togetheralliance.org.uk
An image featuring a white text box overlaid on a photo of an urban street scene. The text box displays a social media post from "Together Alliance (@UKTogetherAll)" which reads: "28 March will be a turning point in history. But to make that happen, we need to show up in big numbers. We have to show that the majority rejects far-right values. Join us: 28 March, Park Lane, 12pm."

The background shows a concrete wall under a bridge or overpass, covered in graffiti and a row of black and white posters that mirror the message in the text box. The posters say "AGAINST THE FAR RIGHT" and include the date, time, and location: "28 MARCH 12PM PARK LANE, LONDON." A traffic cone is visible in the lower-left corner.
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John Reed Music 🎼 and Radio 📻 @johnreed.bandcamp.com · 04/02/2026
Compendium 249 - Song 9 Jon Wilks - Scarborough Fair (Live at Green Note) Album: Bones Date: 6th January 2026 Web: www.jonwilks.online Blue Sky: @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social
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dylyricus @dylyricus.com · 24/01/2026
Bob Dylan tribute to Martin Carthy 2025 (better quality)
youtu.be
Bob Dylan's message to Martin Carthy. The whole clip from the tribute back in September 2025
YouTube video by nightly moth
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Bruce Little @brucedlittle.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
Four-time Grammy Award nominee Jesse Welles performs his song "Join Ice." Bob Dylan once said a single folk singer could defeat an entire army. Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have our man.
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Sean | Drowned in Sound @drownedinsound.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
I feel like such a cliche getting goosebumps watching @zackpolanski.bsky.social’s latest political broadcast Had forgotten not just what hope feels like, but a vision for the country that feels like it’s for the citizens of this country, not just a minority of billionaires and toxic media barons
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Billy Bragg @billybragg.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Solidarity with the forces of resistance in Minneapolis as they stage a day of action in protest at the harrying of their city by Tяump's goon army www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Minnesotans strike to protest ICE surge in state: ‘No work, no school, no shopping’
Organizers demand ICE leave state and agency be investigated for constitutional violations
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Sean | Drowned in Sound @drownedinsound.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Listening to the radio, I assumed the names involved were Bored of Peace
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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
I know we're wearily used to it, but it really can't be overstated how utterly unhinged, rambling and detached from reality Donald Trump sounds when measured against the metric of pretty much anyone else in global politics. It's the court of a decrepit medieval king.
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
It's bizarre watching Trump talking about visiting a place called Switzerland, as if nobody has heard of it before, even though he’s delivering the speech in Switzerland.
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Here's lovely man and superb noise merchant Graham Coxon and I doing Scarborough Fair at Green Note in Camden. The full live recording is out now on my BONES album, available from Bandcamp and most good streaming services. jonwilks.bandcamp.com/album/bones
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Search trends in the UK growing over the last week. Trump's tariffs on countries that oppose his Greenland grab are inspiring a growing movement.
Screenshot of Google Trends showing UK web search data for the past week. Two panels display “Top queries” and “Rising queries” related to boycotting US products. Queries such as “boycott us products,” “us products to boycott,” and “boycott us products uk” show sharp increases, with growth ranging from around +60% to +160%. Several “how to boycott” and UK-specific variants appear among the fastest-rising searches.
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Purchase with Purpose @purchase-w-purpose.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
I had enough of big tech and their actions, so created this guide to make switching as easy as possible... Hopefully, it helps you take the first step, or for people who are equally passionate, to get their friends or family involved. Access the site and guide below: www.purchasewithpurpose.io
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Dave Keating @davekeating.substack.com · 17/01/2026
Finally, Europeans are taking to the streets to protest against the American aggression against Europe. But it should not have taken this long. And it should not only be in 🇩🇰🇬🇱. If you want your leaders to to stop their supplication to Trump and fight for you, then you need to tell them.
lemonde.fr
Thousands join 'Hands off Greenland' protests in Denmark against Trump
The protest followed Donald Trump's warning on Friday that he 'may put a tariff' on countries that oppose his plans to take over mineral-rich Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Fuck Spotify
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Billy Bragg @billybragg.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
70 years ago Lonnie Donegan hit the UK charts with Rock Island Line, kicking off the skiffle craze that inspired the Beatles, the Stones, the Who, Cream, Led Zepellin, Pink Floyd etc I'll be discussing skiffle with Mark Radcliffe on BBC Radio 2 Weds 14th Jan at 9pm. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
bbc.co.uk
BBC Radio 2 - The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe, Skiffle Fever! With Billy Bragg
Mark revisits the 'skiffle boom' that inspired countless musicians to discover folk music.
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Angeline Morrison @angelcakepie2.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Hiding from the world & obsessing over all the details of composing & recording my new album. It’s a long time overdue so I hope you’ll like it. In the meantime here’s some stills from He Comes in the Night. The whole thing is on YouTube, if you feel like cosying up with a small, eerie song.
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Sean | Drowned in Sound @drownedinsound.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
It’s my birthday. 🎂 Thanks for the kind messages thus far. I wanted to ask 4 quick things of you today. There’s so much more I wanna say but know this is already a bit long. Don’t be a stranger. Bye for now.
We’re only 10 days into 2026 and it feels pretty extreme and hopeless already but I’m seeing glimmers of what’s possible as people’s sadness and fear turns into focussed distain and a renewed willingness to not just react but to act strategically

If you’re feeling dysregulated, that means you care. Worry about those who don’t feel it

Rather than accept a pint for my birthday, I’d like to ask 4 quickies

Next week, I’m going to interview Music Declares Emergency on the Drowned in Sound podcast to discuss their new message, which we need right now: Hope Over Fear - a project to fund action hubs in grassroots music venues

1) Go treat yourself to some of their fantastic merch with slogans to live by like Another World Is Possible. This follows on from their brilliant No Music On A Dead Planet campaign

A lot of what’s occurring in the world right now from Ukraine to Venezuela is about extracting from our natural world. It’s about minerals to power AI and land grabs for fossil fuel that pollutes the planet but also to make the 3000 billionaires even richer

2) Speak their language and join the various boycotts of platforms like Spotify when lots of more ethical alternatives exist (I met some lovely researchers and experts who explained those alts in recent DiS podcasts if you wanna listen in)

3) Musicians and people who follow me who work in music can do simple things to push back like agreeing to give a small percent to Brian Eno’s EarthPercent, who fund the work of some amazing orgs including lawyers at Client Earth who take on governments and corporations, often holding them to existing agreements and laws or creating new ones. Musicians could also support projects like Sounds Right where you credit nature as a collaborator and a small royalty trickles through

4) You can also choose to support independent media with your time, attention, and ideally some funds. Whether that’s music blogs like mine or investigative reporters or emerging media orgs and creators
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
Hamnet, though. If Jessie Buckley doesn’t win every award going, the world’s a wrongun.
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KLOF Mag @klofmag.com · 09/01/2026
Emily Portman returns with "Turn Again," a motherhood-inspired single from her upcoming album Dominion of Spells. A Kickstarter campaign for the album and a companion hardback book is live, with two weeks left to run. 🎶📖 klofmag.com/2026/01/emil...
klofmag.com
Emily Portman Announces New Album and Shares Luminous New Single “Turn Again”
Emily Portman returns with “Turn Again,” a motherhood-inspired single from her upcoming album Dominion of Spells. A Kickstarter campaign for the album and an accompanying book has also been launched.
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
What's that you say? A NEW ALBUM... ALREADY?! Well, kinda. BONES was released today. Head to Bandcamp for more info: jonwilks.bandcamp.com/album/bones
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Billy Bragg @billybragg.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Just gonna leave this here
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Sean | Drowned in Sound @drownedinsound.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Even if Farage was our PM, I wouldn’t support a foreign regime swooping in and kidnapping him I guess that’s the difference between people who care about human rights and international laws, and people drunk on ideology with no moral compass
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Sean | Drowned in Sound @drownedinsound.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Breaking 🔥 Winner of the FiFA peace prize is bombing another country - “a serious military escalation” says BBC’s Lyse Doucet
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Mark French @medwinfrench.bsky.social · 12/10/2025
This fab album 'Needless Alley' from @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social arrived yesterday. A delight to sit and enjoy Jon's brilliant songwriting and musicality while reading the lyric book and admiring the gorgeous artwork by @alexmerryart.bsky.social Check it out here jonwilks.bandcamp.com/album/needle...
The 'Needless Alley' album CD digisleeve with colourful artwork and open lyric booklet, laid out on a table with tour poster and notecard from Jon Wilks.
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
I'll be doing a listening party for the Needless Alley this evening, Wed, 7:30pm, online. If you fancy it, drop me a line and I'll let you know how to get in.
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
I’ve written a behind-the-scenes account of how Eliza, Campbell and I pulled together The Life and Songs of Martin Carthy at EartH Theatre on Saturday night. From half-mad ideas to Bob Dylan’s video, it’s all in here.
jonwilks.online
Behind the Scenes of The Life and Songs of Martin Carthy — Jon Wilks
A behind-the-scenes look at The Life and Songs of Martin Carthy tribute at EartH Theatre, featuring Eliza Carthy, Broadside Hacks, and a surprise video from Bob Dylan.
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Folk London magazine @folklondon.co.uk · 24/09/2025
RIP Danny Thompson: bassist for Pentangle, Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, Davy Graham, Bert Jansch, June Tabor, John Martyn, Donovan … www.clashmusic.com/news/legenda...
clashmusic.com
Legendary Bassist Danny Thompson Has Died | News | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews
Legendary bass player Danny Thompson has died. The musician's passing was confirmed officially by his team a few moments ago; Danny Thompson passed away
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
I’ve written a new piece: Why Are Artists Leaving Spotify? A Guide for Listeners. Low payouts, AI slop, Daniel Ek’s €600m weapons investment — the “Spotify exodus” is real, and listeners have choices. Read here... www.jonwilks.online/blog/why-art...
jonwilks.online
Why Are Artists Leaving Spotify? A Guide for Listeners — Jon Wilks
Artists are leaving Spotify over low payouts, AI slop, and military ties. Here’s why it matters and how you can support them elsewhere.
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Alison Brackenbury @abrackenbury.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
But my favourite song on 'Needless Alley' is @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social 's own. 'Mine is the Sun' is richly mysterious: with landscape, brilliantly coloured, that 'asks us for nothing', a traveller, the oncoming cold. A world, as the best songs are! Highly recommended!
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Alison Brackenbury @abrackenbury.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
The one song on 'Needless Alley' not by @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social is a cracker: 'Montagu Whaler', about a small boat which served great ships - & saved lives. Written by 'Bernie' Bruen, a sailor who knew his stretchers from his gunnels! A song of loss - with an irresistible tune!
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Alison Brackenbury @abrackenbury.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
CD Review ! @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social ' 'Needless Alley'. A joy! So much appealing 60s music, I now realise, came from the very young... But later songs can be rueful, witty & wise. Here they are..with guitar work which ranges from energetic to langorous: both lovely.
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john bone @johnbone.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
#NowSpinning #NowPlaying #NowListening Just wonderful. Virtuoso guitar and a now richly venerable voice. And some breathtaking arrangements, accompanied by Sheema Mukherjee on sitar and @elizacarthy.bsky.social on fiddle and voice. Let me swim in a jug of this.
cd cover. Martin Carthy, Transform Me Then Into A Fish
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Eliza Carthy @elizacarthy.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
BUY THIS. IT IS COMPULSORY 🥰
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
New album out today. Mojo says it’s “barely folk, but classy” 😂 Info here: www.jonwilks.online/blog/needles...
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Zarah Sultana MP @zarahsultana.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Stop selling arms to Israel then.
Tweet saying:
Stop selling arms to Israel then.

Original tweet from Yvette Cooper:
The new IDF assault on Gaza is utterly reckless and appalling.
It will only bring more bloodshed, kill more innocent civilians & endanger the remaining hostages.
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Esme (she/her) @esmegrace31.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
Really interesting piece by Jon Wilks - I’ve recently cancelled my Spotify subscription and moved platforms. While other streaming services are by no means perfect, at least my money isn’t directly funding causes I disagree with. Recommend this to any artists/listeners thinking of ditching Spotify!👇
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English Folk Dance and Song Society @efdss.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
Interesting and informative piece by @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social on why, and also, how, he took his music off Spotify www.jonwilks.online/blog/life-af...
jonwilks.online
Life After Spotify: What Musicians Lose & Gain — Jon Wilks
A field report on leaving Spotify: the illusions of discovery, the playlist trap, and how musicians can find value and real connection elsewhere.
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
Woooot!
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Zarah Sultana MP @zarahsultana.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
Fascists aren’t welcome in our streets. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 14/09/2025
New piece: Life After Spotify: What Musicians Lose — and What They Gain. A field report for any musicians wrestling with leaving Spotify — the playlist trap, the illusion of “discovery,” and what you really gain by stepping away. www.jonwilks.online/blog/life-af...
jonwilks.online
Life After Spotify: What Musicians Lose & Gain — Jon Wilks
A field report on leaving Spotify: the illusions of discovery, the playlist trap, and how musicians can find value and real connection elsewhere.
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Zarah Sultana MP @zarahsultana.bsky.social · 14/09/2025
Where is Keir Starmer? Where is the leadership? Fascists marched on our streets yesterday and he hasn’t said a single word. Instead the Prime Minister spends his time defending the “best pals” of paedophiles. He is a coward. He should resign.
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Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Charlie Kirk was not a “free speech activist” and any outlet that tells you he was is lying to you. He wanted unlimited freedom for himself and as little as possible for the people he hated, ie anyone who wasn’t a white male conservative. His values were trash
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Jon Wilks @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
Congrats to me ol' mucker Martin Carthy on his nomination for the frickin MERCURY PRIZE!!!! #dontcallhimalegend
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Eliza Carthy @elizacarthy.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
Absolutely DELIGHTED to tell you that #thedaddy has been nominated for this year’s MERCURY PRIZE!!!!!! About time, Dad! You total BELTER! 🐟🐟🐟👑👑👑🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻🌟🌟🌟 Congratulations team: Ben Seal, Liz, Chris Salt, Kairen Kemp, Jon Wilks, Tim Youster and Dan Macdonald! #transformmethenintoafish
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KLOF Mag @klofmag.com · 09/09/2025
Jon Wilks's Needless Alley is described as a patchwork of memories and marks a more autobiographical approach to his writing after previous trad folk-inclined material. These songs from his mental attic are definitely worth exploring. klofmag.com/2025/09/jon-...
klofmag.com
Jon Wilks – Needless Alley (Album Review)
Songs from his mental attic, Jon Wilks says, Needless Alley is definitely somewhere well worth exploring, and, as a guitarist, he fully deserves his place alongside names such as Jansch, Carthy and Si...
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