Seth Lakeman lines up Derbyshire show to celebrate 20th anniversary of Mercury Prize nominated album Kitty Jay

Seth performs at Buxton Opera House on February 24 2024, where he will honour the album that catapulted him into the mainstream by playing the tracks live. He will be accompanied by a band including long-time collaborators Benji Kirkpatrick, Ben Nicholls, Cormac Byrne and Alex Hart.

His album Kitty Jay was inspired by the legends and stories of Dartmoor where Seth spent his formative years. Kitty Jay was produced by Seth’s elder brother Sean and cost just £300 to record in his kitchen in Devon.

Growing up in a musical household, Seth found his calling early when he played music with his parents and two brothers. The three brothers formed Equation with two female singers and signed to Time Warner in 1995. After recording and touring the world, Seth left Equation in 2001 and went on to achieve great success as a solo artist.

He has released 11 albums (including six Top 40), BBC Radio 2 playlisted singles and won a clutch of awards.

The Guardian noted Seth’s inclusion in the Mercury Prize shortlist of 2005 as “the biggest surprise” as he was up against a raft of well-known pop artists including the Kaiser Chiefs, Coldplay, Bloc Party and KT Tunstall. The winner was Antony and the Johnsons who beat hotly tipped favourites the Kaiser Chiefs.

Seth’s gold-selling album t Freedom Fields featured the hit singles Lady of the Sea and The White Hare and was released in 2006.

In 2007 Seth won Singer of the Year and Best Album at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and won two in 2014 as part of the Full English project for Best Album and Best Group. He released his first DVD ‘Live at the Minack’ in 2009 which captured Seth and live band performing to a rapturous crowd at the spectacular, open-air Minack Theatre in Penzance, Cornwall.

Seth’s 2011 album ‘Tales From The Barrel House’ was recorded down a mine at Morwellham Quay in Devon. He not only wrote, sung and played all the instruments on every track, he also recorded and mixed the whole album himself.

A particularly busy year for Seth in 2013 saw him tour Europe and Australia, the birth of his twins, a hectic summer of festival appearances and a flight to New York to meet Izzy Young for a BBC Radio 4 special called The Folklorist.

In 2018 tSeth toured the USA, Australia and Europe with Robert Plant before returning home to release his ninth studio album, The Well Worn Path, and head out on tour around the UK.

Seth has now played everywhere from Libya to Australia, as wel as featuring on just about every major festival bill across the UK. He has performed with Tori Amos and Clannad on European tours and with Jools Holland, Levellers, Runrig and Billy Bragg in the UK.

His latest album – The Somerset Sessions – comprises unreleased session recordings featuring Ethan Johns, Jeremy Stacey, John Smith, Nick Pini and Alex Hart. Originally a limited release for Record Store Day 2023, the album is now available to buy or stream on https://lnk.to/smrstsess

Tickets cost £32 for Seth’s concert in Buxton. Book online at www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk