Bella Gaffney & Polly Bolton

Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Award winner Bella Gaffney hails from Bradford. She writes folk inspired songs which she performs along with her own original arrangements of traditional pieces. Bella released her second album ‘Heaven Knows’ in the summer, and has supported folk luminaries including Jon Boden, Cara Dillon and Altan. She has appeared at festivals including Celtic Connections, Southwell Folk Festival, Bromyard folk festival, Moseley Folk Festival, Beverley Folk Festival, HebCelt and many more. Bella also performs with Midlands based band Bric-a-Brac.

York-based Polly Bolton first picked up the mandolin as a child and has been touring internationally in various line ups since her early teens. She is one third of progressive bluegrass / acoustic trio Stillhouse and has performed at festivals including Wilderness, Boomtown Fair, Deer Shed, Festa do Avante! (Portugal), Beverley Folk Festival, Musicport, Towersey and Broadstairs Folk Week, as well as support slots with Tcha Limberger & Mozes Rosenberg, LAU and Hot Club of Cowtown. Polly is endorsed by Eastman Guitars and is their only UK-based mandolin player.

Polly & Bella first jammed backstage after a show in York in the autumn of 2017 and the project grew from there. A great musical friendship, they work collaboratively, arranging material led by powerful vocals and glittering instrumental collaboration.