5 (+2) Live From The Southern Fold

The Southern Fold was formed in Kilkenny, Ireland in 2014 by singer/guitarist/songwriter Emlyn Holden. Incorporating elements of country, blues and gospel music into a folks/Roots sound, influences from sources as far and wide as Hank Williams and Nirvana can be found. Holden first picked up a guitar at age 10 when he heard Elvis Presley and was totally immersed in those old Sun recordings in his early teens. Moving on towards Roots rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival and into Punk Rock, he forged an eclectic backdrop of inspirations to draw from. Discovering Alt Country pioneers Uncle Tupelo and Wilco brought the country back into his songwriting and set him on the road to The Southern Fold. Initially starting out as a duo in the style of Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris, the band’s first EP - 2016’s ‘A True Ascension from the Wayward Path’ included five originals plus a cover of ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’. It was a stripped down folk-country affair coupled with deeply personal lyrics and extra instrumentation provided by piano, cello and electric guitar. A few years of heavy giggingfollowed, and by the time full length album Bible Fear’s came along in 2019, the band had developed into a full 5-piece which brought about a more folk-rock sound In these post-Covid times we’ve seen the Southern Fold rise from the ashes with a couple of new singles (‘Nothing to Fear’ and ‘Before the Fall’) self-released in 2024.

Joining Holden in a new live lineup are ex- Blackbird and Crow guitarist Stephen Doohan, Mauritius native Madeline Leclezio on vocals, Canadian drummer Gregor Beresford, and ex-Midnight Union Band bassist Brian McGrath. Now comes a limited edition vinyl release recorded live at Cleere’s, Kilkenny (entitled 5+2 Live).