Luke Jackson

Luke is a Singer-Songwriter from Canterbury, Kent, who way back in 2013 was nominated in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for both the Horizon Award for Best Emerging Talent and The Young Folk Category. He was also winner of Fatea’s “Male Artist of the Year 2014” and 2016, his live album ‘Solo:Duo:Trio’ was voted 2018 Album of the Year by Laurel Canyon and in 2020 his last studio release ‘Journals’ was voted 2019 Album of the Year by Fatea Magazine.

Over the past few years he has steadily developed a reputation for himself in the Folk, Roots, Americana & Acoustic circuits, through his solo, duo or trio shows, many festival appearances or when opening for such luminaries as Fairport Convention, Show of Hands, Steve Knightley, Martyn Joseph, Seth Lakeman, Karine Polwart, Oysterband, Paul Brady, Glen Tilbrook, Sarah Jarosz and John Paul White, formerly of the legendary Civil Wars.

In addition to the UK, Luke regularly tours across Europe playing in France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. In 2016 and 2017 he visited the USA to play at the International Folk Alliance conference in Kansas and again in early 2019 when the conference was held in Ontario, Canada. Luke has completed several joint headline tours with Grammy Award winning songwriter Amy Wadge, with Folk Award winning duo Greg Russel and Ciaran Algar and American singer-songwriter Rebecca Loebe.

His debut album ‘More Than Boys’, produced by the acclaimed Welsh Singer-Songwriter Martyn Joseph, was released in 2012 to great reviews, as was the follow up ‘Fumes and Faith’ in early 2014. In 2015 he released a 7 track EP with his trio, ‘This Family Tree’, which was described in a 5 star Maverick review as ”Two words. Bloody brilliant” and it further reflected his development as both a writer and performer

November 2016 saw the release of Luke’s 3rd full studio album, “Tall Tales and Rumours” to universal critical acclaim, which Maverick, in a 5 star review, described as “a brilliant, thoughtful album – Jackson shows talent beyond his years”. Whilst Acoustic Magazine noted “Jackson has been compared to a young Richard Thompson and for once these are not empty words”

In February 2018 Luke put out his first live album ‘Solo:Duo:Trio’ which again was enthusiastically received, with Mike Harding noting “That’s got to be one of the most faultless live recordings ever in my opinion- he’s a great songwriter with a great voice and boy can he sing the blues”

In 2019 Luke was back to the Folk Alliance Conference held in Canada, performed a select run of dates with Amy Wadge, had solo, duo and trio shows and a co write song ‘Lake Louise’ was released on Rebecca Loebe’s 2019 album ‘Give Up Your Ghosts’. In the summer he played the ‘Costa Del Folk’ Festival in Portugal, October marked his first full solo tour in the USA and his latest studio album ‘Journals’ was released in November to great reviews, made ‘Album of the Year’ by Fatea Magazine with R2 Magazine saying ‘Journals’ is an excellent album from a very special singer with a great repertoire, fully confirming his star potential beyond the folk scene’.

Luke remains an ever present in the live music scene, gigging relentlessly all over the United Kingdom, Europe and now the USA with plans for two tours back there in 2020.

What They Say:

“Blessed with one of those soulful, heaven-sent voices that soars with emotion or plunges into brooding intensity.” – The Musician Magazine

“He is one of the most distinctive voices, both literally and figuratively, on the contemporary folk scene.” – Folk Radio UK

“His songs are crafted with a finesse to grab the attention of almost any potential audience, his vocals varnished with a pop style crossed with a blues, folk soul at its core.” – Irish Music Magazine

“I was hugely impressed by every part of Luke’s music – he’s a great singer, writer and performer, a striking new voice.” – Frank Turner

“Reminds me of Jeff Buckley, which can only be a good thing.” – Mark Radcliffe BBC Radio 2

“Every so often a new voice emerges, one so stunning that it knocks you sideways. Jackson has been compared to a young Richard Thompson and for once these are not empty words.” – Acoustic Magazine

“Two words, bloody brilliant.” – Maverick 5 star review

“Luke has already acquired both an unmistakable voice and a strikingly individual vision.” – fRoots Magazine

“It comes as no surprise that Luke Jackson is continually feted as one of the British folk scene’s bright young things.” – R2 Magazine

“One of the most faultless live recordings ever in my opinion – he’s a great songwriter with a great voice and boy can he sing the blues!” – Mike Harding

“He has a stage presence that many artists would kill for and a voice and guitar style that make you think that he’s a sixty year veteran who happens to have discovered the fountain of eternal youth.” – Fatea Magazine

“If you think previous comparisons to Richard Thompson jump the gun, think again; because there’s something that sets this performance a discreet cut above the rest.” – Edinburgh Fringe Festival Review

“Very powerful-impressive songs, individual playing and the singing-oh man the singing!” – Folkcast

“A sumptuous voice loaded with maturity and a melodically blessed guitar style.” – Spiral Earth

“Luke Jackson sings with an extraordinarily rich voice and possesses a guitar technique astonishing for one so young. I first heard him sing four years ago and even then his songwriting suggested a performer of rare promise” – Steve Knightley, Show of Hands

“Luke Jackson has an incredibly mature and expressive voice that can holler the blues or give sensitive treatment to his own more personal tales – R2 magazine