“Gibbs’ songwriting is deeply personal and profound. It’s plain to see Otis Gibbs is a man you should give a damn about. ” –Rolling Stone
Otis Gibbs is a songwriter, storyteller, painter, photographer, and planter of 7,176 trees. He once wrestled a bear and lost. He’s been called “the best unknown songwriter in music today,” but if you ask him, he’ll just say he’s a folksinger.
The Trust Of Crows, his tenth studio album, was recorded at the iconic Columbia Studio A in Nashville, where Bob Dylan made Blonde on Blonde and Nashville Skyline. It’s been closed to the public for decades, but Otis was given permission to record there.
Gibbs’ storytelling extends beyond music to his YouTube channel, where more than 100,000 subscribers listen to tales and folklore passed down by legendary musicians. In an effort to preserve these personal stories before they’re lost to history, he single handedly built a living archive in the spirit of The Lomax Family, Studs Terkel or even Charles Kuralt. This deeply personal project reflects Otis’ reverence for history, lived experience, and the characters who shaped American roots music from the ground up.
Otis embraced a DIY ethic early on, sometimes by choice and sometimes out of necessity. Whether it’s starting his own record label, podcast, YouTube channel, or whatever else needed to be done, he’s created his own ecosystem in the arts—all while wearing the same work shirt and old felt hat that he wore planting trees 25 years ago. He continues to shine a light on the forgotten people, places, and the unvarnished beauty of everyday life.
Support: Holly Carter
Holly Carter is an award-winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Bristol, UK. Widely recognised as an exceptional fingerstyle guitarist and one of the UK’s only professional female pedal steel players, she is making waves not only as a tasteful and sensitive accompanist, but as an artist in her own right.
A two-time winner of ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ at the AMAUK awards, Holly also featured in the Awards House Band for three consecutive years (2022-24), accompanying the likes of Allison Russell, The Waterboys and Judy Collins. She performs regularly on London’s West End-notable credits include ‘Oklahoma!’ (Wyndham’s Theatre, 2023) and Hadestown (Lyric Theatre, 2024-25)
Her live shows are a masterclass in using joy, humour and music to foster a sense of community and hope, creating a profound sense of connection with the audience; it’s easy to see how she has drawn comparisons with others for whom music is innately connected with social activism, such as Billy Bragg and Marisa Anderson. Her extensive work in community music settings and for charities such as Live Music Now has informed an approach to music as a right, not a privilege, and Holly is a proud advocate for the importance of keeping music accessible for all.