Samantha Whates

Scottish singer-songwriter and former Rough Trade Records recording artist, Samantha Whates is a hugely respected figure on the UK folk and roots scene. Despite living in London since her mid-teens, her heart, voice and songs retain a strong affinity with her Scottish roots — cultivating a sound that is thoroughly contemporary, rooted in tradition, yet uniquely her own.

Her debut album Dark Nights Make For Brighter Days earned radio play far beyond pure folk shows, including BBC 6 Music, Radio 2 and Soho Radio. She went on to sign to Rough Trade Records with her band PicaPica — a quartet with BBC Folk Singer of the Year Josienne Clarke — releasing the EP Spring & Shade and their debut LP Together & Apart. In 2019 she toured singing backing vocals for Gaz Coombes and Noel Gallagher on arena stages.

On Monks Road Social she appears on the landmark Down The Willows album, and her contribution was described by reviewers as “a voice like pure crystal singing a hidden Dr Robert gem.” A singer whose quiet power stays with you long after the song has ended.