The Trials of Cato 

The Trials of Cato 

Festival debutants and exciting new trad act, The Trials of Cato won a Radio 2 Folk Award for their debut album, Hide and Hair, in 2018 and are receiving glowing reviews for its mix of subtle melodies, haunting songs and captivating playing.

Notably formed in Beirut, Lebanon, The Trials of Cato have blazed a trail like no other since returning to the UK in 2016. Memorable performances across Britain, Europe, and North America led to Mark Radcliffe hailing the band ‘one of the real discoveries on the folk circuit in recent times’. The remarkable rise of Welsh/English trio The Trials of Cato on the UK folk-scene has been the subject of massive critical attention. Dubbed "the Sex Pistols of folk,” (John Davis – Led Zeppellin) they pay clear homage to the tradition whilst twisting old bones into something febrile and modern, with stomping tunes and captivating stories. Their latest album Gog Magog is awash with a spray of styles, ranging from neo-traditional interpretations of Welsh language poetry to current-day plague songs, as well as unexpected instrumental explorations of the outer edges of folktronica and trad-jazz. Tying it all together is still The Trials’ appetite for flights of adventure, anchored firmly by quality compositions and fabulous playing.

Band members, Polly Bolton, Tomos Williams and Robin Jones combine mandolin, tenor banjo, bouzouki and guitar with haunting vocals and catchy beats to create something really exciting.