THE BLACK FEATHERS + HANNAH WOOD
FRIDAY 16 JANUARY 2026
A duo who have become firm favourites of South Gloucestershire’s music lovers return for a fourth visit.
If you were of the belief that The Black Feathers are named because of their love of dark humour and the smooth blending of harmony, you’d be wrong.
If you were told that the name is more concerned with recognition of their gentle souls, a predilection for dark clothing and the sonic tumult of the plethora of (mainly US) progressive-metal bands doing mega-business around the world in the 1990s and beyond, you might doubt those who said so, but they would be accurate.
You’d be wrong as to the name, BUT you would be utterly correct that the sonic architecture of their lyrics and musical composition takes its imperious scope from a love of blended vocal harmony and idiosyncratic guitar shapes.
Americana to some, folk to others, The Black Feathers have those qualities in expansive quantity. Sian Chandler’s soaring, dramatic, melodious but powerful voice is a perfect counterpoint to Ray Hughes’ piquant vocals and his sparkling and occasionally spicy guitar motifs. This is a duo who love what they play and play what they love with panache, humour, delight and rather a lot of commentary on the downside of being a human.
Seeing and hearing them will leave you with a smile on your face and a glowing heart of delight. You might not think that is possible when you’ve just spent some time hearing the themes of the songs they lay before an audience but it is testament to their sunny dispositions, infectious laughter and amused self-deprecation that you come away from a gig feeling a heap better about yourself and life.
Opening the evening’s music will be Hannah Wood, a Bristol vocalist and songwriter who draws influences from folk, soul and pop to create dreamy, sometimes haunting, sounds. Melancholic vocals and introspective lyrics mirror and bring comfort to our shared struggles.
Hannah recorded her second EP ‘Rabbits’ at Sloe Flower Studio and released it in May 2025. Rabbits delivers intricate melodies with nostalgic themes and earthy rhythms that seem to stretch back through time. Blending elements of folklore with personal experience, the EP makes for immersive and emotive listening.
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at Christ Church Downend on Friday January 16, are available online via downendfolkandroots.com. They are £14 each in advance or £16 on the door. Doors open at 7pm and the music starts around 7.45pm. This event is also included in the Spring Season Ticket.
There will be a bar, stocking cider, soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and real ale from Bristol’s Hop Union Brewery. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own glass/mug/tankard, as well as reusable bottles for water. There will also be sweet treats available at the bar courtesy of Radstock-based The Great Cake Company, as well as a prize draw. The concert will be live-streamed in partnership with Live to your Living Room, so if you can’t make it you can watch from the comfort of your own sofa!
For further information, please email info@downendfolkandroots.com or find them on social media.