Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys
Friday 21st August 2026
#PVFF26, #PVFF19, #PVFF18
Sam Kelly was back with a bang in 2025, releasing a hotly anticipated new album, Dreamers Dawn. The album features Sam’s signature eclectic arrangements of traditional folk songs, seamlessly interspersed with stunning original music from the pen of Sam and his Lost Boys band collaborator and banjo virtuoso – Jamie Francis. The album takes the listener on an eclectic journey all the way from fantastical moonlit adventures of privateering and poaching, to introspective reflection & solemnity, as centuries old folk songs sit alongside modern themes of mental health and exploration of the inner self.
One of the most exciting bands to have entered the UK folk scene in the past twenty years, Sam’s band The Lost Boys has gained a reputation as one of the best live acts in the UK and they have packed out festival tents and venues the world over since they started in 2016. With the virtuosic talents of Graham Coe (cello), Toby Shaer (whistles/fiddle), Archie Moss (melodeon) and Evan Carson (drums), The Lost Boys have become known for their eclectic and innovative reworking of traditional songs and tunes from England, Scotland, Ireland and the USA, as well as stunning original music and the occasional surprise classic rock cover. It’s all tied together by Sam’s stunning and unique singing voice. Shaped by the technical proficiency and agility of traditional sean-nós singing from his Irish grandfather, but with modern pop sensibility a powerful rock edge,
Sam has been described by UK folk legend Mike Harding as ‘the real deal – one of my favourite singers ever’ and by Cara Dillon as ‘such a beautiful voice with so much soul, he’s amazing’. The new album features the talents all six members of the Lost Boys, who have individually become some of the busiest session musicians on the UK folk scene, and this album promises to be their biggest release yet.
