Peter Tickell (fiddle)

Peter Tickell is a fiddle player from Newcastle.

Having started playing at the age of 6, he took part in many competitions as a wee nipper, winning all Northumbrian opens on three consecutive occasions, reaching the final of the 2001 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award and the semi-final of BBC Young Musician of the Year. His musical influences are varied and eclectic, having trained classically and been strongly influenced by the music of Northumberland and the Borders, he also played piano and guitar from a young age. Aged 16, he joined the Kathryn Tickell Band and decided he wanted to play the fiddle full time, instead of pursuing a career on the right wing for Blyth Spartans. At 17, he was appointed leader of Young Sinfonia orchestra, and has since had the pleasure of playing with various musicians, including recently recording and performing with Sting. Peter is also a regular fixture of the Peatbog Faeries.

Joss Clapp (Acoustic Bass, Voice)

Joss Clapp is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and producer/engineer from the hills of Cumbria.

He was inspired to play bass aged 11 by legendary bassist Phil Murray (Hedgehog Pie, Jack The Lad, The Doonans). His teens were spent in his brother’s blues band and at 21 he co-founded Tarras, and recorded two albums, touring UK, Europe and the USA. During this time he met and worked with Kathryn Tickell and when the original Tarras split in 2002/03 he became a full time member of her band until 2005, leaving to play with Winterville. He also appeared on Jon Redfern’s debut album. He returned to Kathryn’s band full time in 2007, also producing Rosie Doonan’s debut album and then Jon Redfern’s Acoustic album, plus a second studio album in 2008. He is currently pursuing a solo album of traditional songs and tunes and self-penned material.

Julian Sutton (Melodeon)

Julian Sutton is a melodeon player, composer and teacher, hailing from Tyneside.

Julian has been part of the Kathryn Tickell Band since 1998. As an accompanist of traditional song he has also recorded and performed with amongst others Scottish singer/songwriter Karine Polwart, Northumbrian song group and recent Mercury Prize nominees The Unthanks, traditional Irish singer/flute player Nuala Kennedy, and multi-award winning Barnsley songstress Kate Rusby. Outside the folk realm, recent projects have included performing alongside Evelyn Glennie, Andy Sheppard, The Brazz Brothers and Kuljit Bhamra and recording and performing with fellow Geordie and celebrated rock musician Sting. Other on-going musical adventures include The Auvo Quartet (an Anglo-Finnish group rooted in traditional music with a wide range of other influences), The Wendigo (with Stephen Tyler and Anne-Marie Summers of medieval music duo Misericordia) and most recently a duo with French bagpiper Fabrice Besson, playing new compositions influenced by English and French traditional music.

Amy Thatcher

Amy Thatcher is a Newcastle based accordion player and clog dancer.

Amy is an occasional member of the band, depping for Julian Sutton.

Since graduating from Newcastle University’s folk degree course she has really made her mark on the UK folk scene. Amy is a member of The Shee (nominated for 2009 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards) and also The Monster Ceilidh Band, performing with the latter in Russia and at the International Rain Forest Festival, Borneo, this year. Their debut album Make Me a Dancer was nominated in the 2010 Spiral Earth Awards and they are planning to release a second album early next year. Extra curricular activities include performing in Karen Tweed's Circa Compania and she can be seen clog dancing for Sting in Durham Cathedral on his Winter Song Book DVD!