The Roots Circuit – live blues, folk and Americana featuring Bird in the Belly, Cole & Ward, The Two Emilios and Kevin Brown.

The Roots Circuit — Live roots music · UK & Spain

Great roots music. New audiences. New places.

Bringing distinctive folk, blues, Americana and other roots artists to intimate concerts and independent venues — and building connections between musicians, venues and audiences.

Discover the Artists Work With Us

The Music

Distinctive live music from the roots traditions

The Roots Circuit presents live roots music across folk and contemporary folk, blues, Americana, acoustic music and singer-songwriter traditions — and the many places where those traditions meet.

What holds it together is not a genre but a standard: excellent musicianship, real character, songs worth listening to, and the particular experience of hearing a musician perform a few metres from where you are sitting.

Folk
Contemporary folk
Blues
Americana
Acoustic
Singer-songwriters
Traditional song
Roots crossovers

Artists

Featured artists

A small, carefully chosen roster of artists past, present and upcoming.

Artistic recreation of Bird in the Belly performing intimate English folk music with guitar, vocals, flute and violin.

AI-assisted recreation based on footage by Stan Dickens — Soho Folk and Blues, London, 6 August 2026.

Contemporary English Folk — Brighton, UK

Bird in the Belly

Madrid appearance not yet confirmed.

Bird in the Belly are a distinctive Brighton-based folk quartet who bring forgotten British songs, poems and stories to life through imaginative original compositions.

Stan Dickens discovered them performing at Soho Folk and Blues in London in August 2026. Impressed by their originality, musicianship and the atmosphere of their intimate performance, Stan has remained in contact with the group ever since. The Roots Circuit hopes to introduce Bird in the Belly to Madrid audiences in the future, although no concert date has yet been confirmed.

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The Two Emilios performing live in an intimate concert setting.

Original photo: Stan Dickens — Madrid, 18 June 2026. Digitally edited.

Madrid Blues, Jazz, Soul & Acoustic Music Duo

The Two Emilios

Previous concert

Emilio Velozo and Emilio García bring harmonica and guitar together in a musical partnership exploring blues, jazz, bossa nova, soul and familiar classics.

Stan Dickens first heard Emilio Velozo at La Coquette in Madrid in spring 2026. Emilio became his harmonica teacher and introduced him to Emilio García. The duo performed at The Roots Circuit's first home concert in Madrid on 18 June 2026, an early milestone for the project.

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Photo: Stan Dickens — The Fountain Inn, Gloucester, 29 July 2026.

British Acoustic Blues, Americana & Roots

Cole & Ward

Madrid · 14 November 2026 · Big Tree Books

Cole & Ward bring together two accomplished British roots musicians: Mark Cole, a singer, songwriter and versatile guitarist, and Liam Ward, an award-winning harmonica player and Hohner artist. Their engaging performances combine blues, Americana, folk and original songs with exceptional musicianship and plenty of humour.

Stan Dickens first met Mark Cole and Liam Ward at Ain't Nothin' But in Soho, London, in April 2026. Further encounters at the Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival that summer helped develop a musical friendship and plans to bring the duo to Madrid through The Roots Circuit.

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Photo: Stan Dickens — The Sisters, Gloucester, 31 July 2026.

British Blues Singer-Songwriter & Slide Guitarist

Kevin Brown

Future artist — Madrid date to be announced

Kevin Brown is an acclaimed British singer-songwriter and slide guitarist whose music draws on Delta blues, folk, country and world music. His performances combine expressive guitar playing, warmth, humour and memorable storytelling.

Stan Dickens was introduced to Kevin Brown at The Sisters in Gloucester on 31 July 2026, during the Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival. The Roots Circuit hopes to welcome him to Madrid in 2027, although no concert date or venue has yet been confirmed.

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Concerts

Intimate concerts and independent venues

We present music in two connected ways: small, intimate concerts where an artist can be heard properly, and selected independent venues with an audience of their own.

Smaller concerts introduce an artist to new listeners; established venues let those same musicians play to a wider room. Together they make short, sensible tours possible.

Promotional image of blues duo Cole & Ward with guitar and harmonica in the intimate Big Tree Books music venue in Madrid.

Upcoming concerts

Cole & Ward at Big Tree Books

Saturday 14 November 2026 · Doors 20:00 · Concert 20:30

An intimate evening of acoustic blues and roots music with UK musicians Mark Cole (vocals and guitar) and Liam Ward (harmonica). Presented by The Roots Circuit. Limited seating—advance booking recommended.

BOOK TICKETS Full concert details

More about the concerts

For Venues

For venues, bookers and festival organisers

The Roots Circuit exists to find distinctive roots artists and help build performances that suit the room they are played in. We work with independent venues, small festivals and promoters to shape individual concerts and short, workable tours.

That means honest advice about which artists fit your audience, practical help with routing and dates, and a straightforward conversation before anything is agreed.

Talk to us

For Artists

For musicians

If you work in folk, blues, Americana or a neighbouring roots tradition and you are interested in playing in Spain, we would be glad to hear from you.

The Roots Circuit is deliberately small and carefully curated. We can only work with a limited number of artists at a time, so not every enquiry will lead to a booking — but every one is listened to properly.

Send us your music

About

Where this comes from

The Roots Circuit grew out of a simple passion for live roots music, and out of a belief that outstanding musicians can find enthusiastic new audiences when the right artists, the right venues and the right people are connected.

More about the people behind the project, and how it started, will follow here.

About The Roots Circuit

Contact

Get in touch

No forms to register, no accounts. Just write to the right address.

Artists

Send links to recordings, live video and a short note about what you do.

artists@therootscircuit.com

Venues & promoters

Tell us about your room, your audience and the kind of nights you programme.

venues@therootscircuit.com

General enquiries

Anything else — including press, mailing list and collaborations.

hello@therootscircuit.com