Knockengorroch – one of Scotland’s longest running greenfield festivals – is giving people a unique insight into its rich history and ethos with the launch of its very own podcast.
The festival, which is known for putting on an exciting array of traditional, electronic and world music acts in the hills of Galloway every year, continues to find new and innovative ways to reach audiences in the midst of the pandemic.
Following the cancellation of the event’s 2020 edition, organisers put on an online version, Virtually Knockengorroch, which embodied the authentic, participatory nature of the event, allowing attendees to interact with performances via Zoom. The team behind Knockengorroch then went on to release a lockdown album, Sounds Like Knockengorroch, featuring 20 tracks from artists who have performed for them over the years.
2021 sees the grassroots event continue to innovate with the launch of the new Knockengorroch podcast, bringing a taste of the festival to music fans. Listeners can tune in to hear festival producer Katch Holmes delve into the event’s unique archives, uncovering magical memories and tales from staff, volunteers, musicians and more.
In its first episode, Beginnings, which is available now via the Knockengorroch website, Katch talks to festival founders and Knockengorroch residents, Liz and Simon Holmes about why they started the festival. The pair share the tale of social idealism, musical discovery and connection to land and heritage, that led to the creation of Knockengorroch.
Jonny Hardie of Old Blind Dogs and Nick Jenkins of Outland Trio also feature on the debut podcast to share their memories of the very first festival back in 1998.
The multi-episode podcast series is expected to run over the next few months, with plans for appearance from lots of exciting musical guests with a connection to Knockengorroch.
Liz Holmes of Knockengorroch, said: “We continue to find new ways to bring the special experience of Knockengorroch to people both at home and around the world and we’re delighted to have launched our very own podcast. The podcast allows us to delve deep into the characters and stories of all of those who have played a part in the story of Knockengorroch so far and we hope it provides some comfort for our loyal fanbase while we put plans in place for the rescheduled festival this September.”
Normally held in the beautifully secluded Carsphairn hills in south west Scotland every May, Knockengorroch plan to hold this year’s festival on 16 – 19 September 2021. The line-up will feature as many of the 2020 line-up as possible, showcasing cutting edge music from the UK, Ireland and much further afield.
Tickets for Knockengorroch Festival 2021 are on sale now at www.knockengorroch.org.uk.
Listen to the Knockengorroch Podcast here.
