The following is our first stab at our manifesto and raison d’être.

1. Folk music is all inclusive. We believe that folk music is the widest, most diverse, and most interesting genre there is. Here at Second Hand News we have all the time for discussions about what folk is and we’ll happily hear your definition, but we’re always going to be all inclusive and not interested in seeing musicians left out in the cold.

You are entitled to your music taste, and we’ll do our best to enjoy what you enjoy, but that can’t always be the case. Equally, we expect that you will do the same for us, especially if it’s something you’ve never been exposed to before. Folk can have drums, it can have electric guitar, it can have multiple electric guitars, it can even have a laptop involved, and it can certainly have a stomp box. While definitions may vary, we will always endeavour to be open minded. We hope you will too!

2. We are here to support local artists. Before we were a label our hope was always to help spread the word about local folk musicians. We continue to offer reviews, interviews and press for those touring, releasing music or putting on shows. We have no intention of stopping this. We love interviewing artists and we love hearing the newest albums (especially a week or two before everyone else!!!) We’ve now extended to offer a folk music dedicated label and, while this will always have a small roster of artists, the label will help pave the way for all.

We’re always looking to help newcomers and established musicians alike. Our door is always open and we’re only an email away for any connections you may need. This ethos extends to those we don’t work with, be it other genres of music, writers, other creative artists of visual or dramatic persuasion. There’s room for all creatives in this world – dancers for gigs, artists for poster design, videographers and photographers! If you are a local artist of any kind please feel free to be in touch with us.

3. This is a quick one, but an important one. We want anything Second Hand News related to be a safe space for everyone. We want our gigs to be a place artists can express themselves without fear and our audiences to feel comfortable attending any show or event. Folk music is like government, for the people, by the people – yet we’re a lot of more accountable and we’ll actually listen! If you ever experience something that makes you uncomfortable within our folk community we’ll always be here to listen, help and, if needed, improve.