Detta Kenzie
Friday 21st August 2026
#PVFF26
Detta Kenzie is an indie-folk singer and songwriter whose music, while often touched by traditional Celtic folk influences, is guided by a thoroughly modern and independent spirit. Her sound blends the richness of folk storytelling with elements of soul, cinematic minimalism and left field pop, creating music that is emotionally expansive, intimate and unmistakably her own.
Her songs are threaded with themes of transformation, survival and renewal. There’s a quiet spellcasting in her work, pulling listeners into a sonic world shaped by a love of language, a skill honed during her years as a Secondary English Teacher.
Detta is performs in a duo with either Isambard Award winner Chris Cleverley or BBC 2 Folk Award Winner Sam Kelly. For Purbeck Valley festival she is performing with Sam. Together they create a sound that is both grounded and dreamlike, blending intricate, genre blurring guitar work with immersive arrangements and a shared instinct for musical storytelling.
Their collaborations include co-written songs and bold reinterpretations of traditional folk. She has opened for folk legends Martin Simpson and Phil Beer and collaborated with celebrated artist Tobias ben Jacob in 2024. With a growing catalogue of work and a voice marked by precision, boldness and creative intent, Detta Kenzie is fast becoming a distinctive and powerful presence in contemporary folk, deeply rooted in tradition yet always reaching beyond it.
