Calum Gilligan

Calum is a songwriter and guitarist from Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, now based in the beating heart of British music, Liverpool. Influenced by the likes of Christie Moore, Paul Brady, Paul Simon, Joan Baez and Woody Guthrie, he plays a subtle blend of Scottish, Irish and American folk music with captivating imagery and the lyrical maturity of a much more experienced songwriter. His guitar playing provides enough intricate melodic accompaniment to his singing that he can easily command a stage and captivate an audience on his own. Calum has been described as a ‘gifted musician, playing the guitar beautifully…’ by Spencer Leigh from the Liverpool Echo, and as ‘… a gifted songwriter with a voice to back it up’ by Folk Radio.

His 2019 release, ‘Maybe Half a Lifetime’, was named BBC Radio Folkscene’s ‘EP of 2019’ after a sell-out launch show in Liverpool. He followed this success up with support shows for the likes of Talisk, Kitty MacFarlane, Chloe Foy and Molly Tuttle up and down the country, as well as numerous festival appearances, the most notable being Cambridge Folk Festival 2019.

Returning to live music in 2021 saw him support the likes of Martin Simpson, Emily Portman, Martin Carthy and Ian Prowse across the country. He was also named as the 2021 winner of Purbeck Folk Festival’s Purbeck Rising competition before returning to a triumphant headline show in the Iconic Cunard Building on Liverpool’s waterfront.

2022 saw his debut album released in April to a sold-out Liverpool launch crowd and to widespread acclaim, followed by a successful UK tour in April and May and a busy summer of festivals up and down the country. 2022 has been a rousing success so far, and things are only looking up into 2023 and beyond!