The Unthanks mark 20 years of Tyneside folk with Royal Northern Sinfonia

Two decades ago, a young folk group from Tyneside played their first ever gig at Holmfirth Folk Festival on 7 May 2004. Twenty years on, The Unthanks are one of the most admired bands in British folk music, and they have marked the milestone in grand style.

At the heart of the group are sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank, who grew up in Ryton. They began as Rachel Unthank and the Winterset and took the name The Unthanks in 2009. Alongside them are Niopha Keegan on violin and viola, Chris Price on guitar and bass, and pianist, arranger and producer Adrian McNally.

Their debut album Cruel Sister was named Folk Album of the Year by Mojo in 2005. The Bairns was in the running for the 2008 Mercury Prize, and Mount the Air won Best Album at the 2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Their most recent studio record, the double album In Winter, was released in November 2024.

To celebrate 20 years together, the band joined forces with Royal Northern Sinfonia for an anniversary tour in January 2026, with the 37-strong orchestra conducted by Ellie Slorach and arrangements by McNally. The dates took in Manchester's Bridgewater Hall, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the Barbican in London and, on 30 January, a homecoming at The Glasshouse in Gateshead.

"We can't wait to celebrate 20 years as a band," McNally said when the tour was announced, adding that it would be a thrill to perform favourites such as Mount The Air and The King Of Rome with the orchestra.

The band's admirers include Michael Sheen, Maxine Peake, Martin Freeman, Elvis Costello and Dawn French, but their closest ties remain at home. They are Artistic Partners at The Glasshouse, where they curate and host The Friday Night Club, a quarterly series of evenings.

Rachel has also found time for side projects, including Unthank:Smith with Maxïmo Park frontman Paul Smith, whose album Nowhere and Everywhere came out on Billingham Records in February 2023.

For anyone who has not yet heard their haunting harmonies and North East stories, The Friday Night Club at The Glasshouse is a lovely place to start. Listings are on The Glasshouse website.