Conor Reynolds

Young Kentish multi-instrumentalist, singer, and New Roots Competition 2023 finalist Conor “Conker” Reynolds is already making his mark on the UK folk scene with his vibrantly earnest blend of original tunes and traditional songs. ‘He sang like an angel, and he played that box like he knew what he was doing.’ (Joe McBurnie, Folk O’Clock) At 14, he attended the Burwell Bash Traditional Music Summer School where he was introduced to the massively influential folk music luminary Brian Finnegan and other distinguished folk musicians, and very quickly had his “lightbulb moment” – he soon developed a passion for the tin whistle, before quickly falling in love with the diatonic button accordion watching the mesmerising playing of Andy Cutting, who has since been a teacher and major musical influence, along with other leading contemporary folk artists like Nancy Kerr and Spiers & Boden. Conor particularly enjoys writing his own music, with an understated and emotionally complex tone present throughout both his original compositions and traditional selections, which he creatively ties together with a refreshing flair, seeking to illuminate new perspectives in the music. He’s currently in the process of recording his debut EP, Silhouettes, which is due to release this Spring.