MFF2027: Chris Brain

Part of Manchester Folk Festival 2027 Chris Brain is a Yorkshire-based folk singer-songwriter whose work sits firmly in the British pastoral tradition, shaped by close attention to place, memory and emotional nuance. His fourth album, Red Sun Rising (2026), is a quietly powerful collection of songs centred on yearning, restlessness and the desire for change Rooted in acoustic textures and intimate storytelling, Red Sun Rising feels like a record made in motion: landscapes shifting, seasons turning, inner lives gently unsettled. Brain’s songwriting balances melody and restraint. A familiar voice on BBC Radio 6 Music and the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show, Chris Brain has toured extensively across the UK and internationally, including a seven-date sold-out tour of Japan.