The Unthanks, Scala

To mark their tenth anniversary in style, The Unthanks are bringing their alluring, austere sound to Scala. Expect spirited romps through traditional English ballads, sublimely slow-burning originals with emotionally devastating lyrics, and covers of artists as diverse as Robert Wyatt, Elvis Costello and Antony Hegarty.

Acclaimed for their enigmatic, subdued aesthetic and commitment to promoting working class folk traditions, the Unthanks began life as Rachel Unthank and the Winterset. Centred around Rachel’s remarkable voice, able to move from ghostly whispers to full-blooded rabble-rousing while retaining a strong Northumbrian tinge, the band changed its name in 2009 after her equally talented younger sister Becky joined up.

With a now permanent line-up of five multi-instrumentalists often joined by additional forces, they have spent the last decade ploughing a unique furrow between the traditions of folk and the adventurousness of rock. Their work strives to be socially consciousness and offer an oral history of the English past. Between touring large venues and recording music, they run residential singing weekends on the north-eastern coast, host musical workshops in schools and perform in local pubs.

Their most recent album Mount the Air was their most accomplished to date: steeped in tradition, and keenly felt. For fans of folk music, this special anniversary performance is an essential entry in the calender.