Holly & The Reivers are one of the best folk outfits in the UK and their north-east gigs always go down a storm. They’re at the Gosforth Civic Theatre in Newcastle this January.

Nancy Kerr – Principal Lecturer in Folk Music at Newcastle University and former recipient of the Folk Singer of the Year award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards – is just one of many fans of Holly Clarke. Of her she says: “Holly is the possessor of a seemingly effortless and transporting folk voice which is perfectly suited to her broad and deeply thought-out repertoire, and is an enviably confident and skilled instrumentalist.” Holly Clarke, of course, fronts up Holly & The Reivers, a trio who formed in 2017 – the band sharing a love of acts such as Lankum and The Furrow Collective. They’re very much in the folk tradition but they also draw deep from the well of supernatural songs, political songs and Scottish fiddle tunes. They lean towards songs with a darker narrative – shades of their love of folk horror – and the band, which also comprises Merle Harbron (voice, fiddle) and Bertie Armstrong (voice, banjo), invariably fashion sets that are absolutely dripping with atmosphere. Also helps that they are breath-taking live performers. GM

Holly & The Reivers, Friday 31 January, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle, 7.30pm, £12, gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk