Expressive and stirring songcraft, emotionally charged vocals, lively soundscapes and uncontainable spirit combine in the output of American folk-music troubadour John Craigie, whose Birmingham gig this month will no doubt see him performing material from his most recent album, Pagan Church. 

“The music is always evolving and devolving with each new record,” explains John. “With my [previous] album, Mermaid Salt, I really wanted to explore the sound of isolation and solitude as everyone was heading inside [due to the Covid lockdown]. With Pagan Church, I wanted to record the sound of everyone coming back out.”