International producer seeks Bedfordshire folk musicians

A Bedfordshire musician who has worked with Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr is looking for talented performers to join his new folk band.
Could you be the musician that Charley Foskett is looking for?Could you be the musician that Charley Foskett is looking for?
Could you be the musician that Charley Foskett is looking for?

Charley Foskett, of Dunstable, and his friend Ned Lawton, who plays the whistle, Irish pipes and bodran, are looking to make contact with local musicians to form a new, dynamic folk group.

In light of the recent success of artists such as Bellowhead, whose music was regularly played on Radio 2, the pair are hoping to increase the popularity of the genre with their new venture.

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Charley said: “We are hoping to find some like-minded professional players, eager to tour and record and have mega fun in the process.

“I grew up in Newcastle with everybody singing about goats and kippers, but folk music has really grown and matured.”

Since learning to play the guitar in his youth, Charley’s career has seen him work as record producer, musical director, arranger and composer.

He has written and produced for an impressive array of artists including Bonnie Tyler, Cliff Richard, Holly Johnson and Robin Gibb, even having his musical pieces used in Cadbury’s and Guinness adverts.

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Now, as well as forming a new band, Charley has set himself a new challenge, founding Foskett’s Folk Factory, a music and video production company to help promote folk, roots and acoustic music.

He said: “My grandfather Thomas Cuthbert Frane was quite a character, and used to have a one-stringed fiddle hanging on his wall.

“He’d sing Scottish and Geordie folk songs and had his own pipe band in Newcastle.

“But I only got back into the genre one year ago when a friend from Universal Records called me to say there were a huge amount of young guys coming up with great stuff.”

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Inspired to help the new wave of artists, Foskett’s Folk Factory offers young bands the chance to perform pre-recorded tracks or capture a ‘specifically produced live performance’, filmed and recorded in a controlled atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Charley and Ned are continuing the search to find additional members for their new band.

Charley said: “Ideally, we’d like people who can play and sing. We’re not just looking for weekend musicians, we’d love people to work their socks off and put time into this.”

Please call Charley on: 07917 156867.