OUR STORIES

Marion Fleetwood

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Marion was asked in 2015 to join Folk Rock supergroup TRADarrr after she was spotted performing with Americana folk band The Jigantics at a festival by Mark Stevens and the much missed Gareth Turner (melodeon - The Albion Band, Little Johnny England). 'Where have you been hiding?' they said to her in the bar. 'We knew you could sing, but didn't know just how good you are! Want to be in a new band?' Of course, the folk music scene in England being a close knit family, their paths had crossed many times but PJ Wright and Mark were in the process of putting together a new band and Little Johnny England were playing at the same festival. 

 

So, where had she been hiding? After a childhood immersed in classical music, ploughing through her grade exams on violin and viola and singing in her church choir, she became an active member of the music society at University College London, whilst (sort of) studying Philosophy there. She was in the London Festival Orchestra as a violist, was MD for a production of Sweet Charity at the Bloomsbury Theatre and sang in a chamber choir. 

 

After University, reality hit and she went to Exeter to study to be a primary school teacher. She married and had her first child, put her violin and viola away for 5 years and then found herself as a single parent with a baby, teaching full time at a school in Tower Hamlets. This was emotionally and financially unsustainable so she returned to her parents, who were living near Stratford upon Avon to recover and re-group. It was after her mum told her she needed to play and rediscover her music that she was spotted at an open session in a pub in Stratford by local folk-rockers Meet on The Ledge who were after a 'girl fiddle player who can sing'. Thus she embarked on her folk phase. She was no stranger to performing though - she had cut her teeth on the London jazz and classical scenes, singing with the Bloomsbury Big Band, a jazz trio, performing at corporate gigs including for Amnesty International at The Waldorf and teaching violin and viola. After joining Meet on the Ledge, she continued with her love of jazz through Sunday sessions in Stratford upon Avon, playing in various bands whilst also enjoying a growing reputation in the folk world. She joined ColvinQuarmby, a quirky award winning band fronted by the inimitable Gerry Colvin. When Nick Quarmby sadly passed away, ColvinQuarmby disbanded and after an enjoyable stint with The Jigantics Marion was introduced to a wider audience, as lead female vocalist, violinist, cellist (and very occasionally a guitarist) in TRADarrr. Their debut album was received enthusiastically by reviewers and audiences alike.

 

'Marion Fleetwood’s breath taking, near a cappella performance of My Lagan Love with a gossamer clear accompaniment is as dramatic a piece of music as you are likely to hear this side of the great divide.'

Spiral Earth review

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Whilst she was spreading her performance wings, Marion was also developing as a session musician, providing full strings (after buying a cello and learning it at home) on albums by artists from across the musical spectrum - from trance meditation music to heavy metal, she has experienced it all! She continues this work with enthusiasm and is widely regarded as an expert strings provider. 

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'Marion is my absolute go to for any solo or quartet string work. She is so fantastically versatile, enthusiastic and supportive, regardless of the genre she’s working with. From solo instrumentation, through providing a full quartet or augmenting existing programmed string arrangements, she has been a hugely valuable contributor to all sessions requiring strings. A delight to have in the studio'

Tom Gittins, Monochrome Studios

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When she was asked to join The Sandy Denny Project, she was delighted to be able to spend more time researching and playing the music of one of the greatest female folk artists England has ever produced. And to be asked to join a band with Fotheringay II members Sally Barker and the legendary PJ Wright (also a member of TRADarrr), along with the fabulous Mark Stevens, Anna Ryder and Mat Davies was an exciting step forward. Two SDP albums have been greeted by critical acclaim and there are plans for more.

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'Marion Fleetwood’s emotional reading of The Lady perfectly captured the spirit of Sandy'

Living Tradition

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Cue Covid and an entirely different way of working. The Sandy Denny Project (latterly with Gemma Shirley replacing Anna Ryder) and IOTA (a writing and performing project offshoot with Sally and Anna) had just taken their first steps when the doors to live gigs were temporarily closed and everyone had to figure out new ways of working. Marion was lent a studio mic by Mark Stevens, bought some studio equipment and recording software and taught herself the art of home-recording. This led to many remote sessions for artists across the world - film scores for Switzerland and the USA, and albums for artists in Italy, Germany, Australia, the USA, Switzerland, Ireland and across the UK. She also created the now legendary 'Marion Learns New Instruments' lockdown series, in which she played a different instrument every day - badly - for three weeks solid. People tuned in every day at 4pm on Facebook to see what she's learnt to play badly that day, and a variety of instruments started appearing in her porch - a saxophone, a stylophone and a trumpet amongst others (the longed for bagpipes sadly never materialised though).

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Since Covid, Marion has been a full member of a band which has been close to her heart for many years. Feast of Fiddles. She has been touring with them every year since Covid (having guested with them a few times before) and has been warmly welcomed by her gorgeous band mates and audiences alike. To play alongside such stellar fiddlers as Peter Knight, Tom Leary, Ian Cutler (now sadly not with us), Garry Blakeley, Brian McNeill, Simon Swarbrick and Phil Beer - and to be able to look behind her whilst playing to see the smiling face of one of the world's finest drummers, Dave Mattacks - is one of the deepest joys of her career. 

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In 2020 she got a call from the wonderful singer songwriter Reg Meuross asking her to be part of a new project which was being developed by him and Pete Townshend (yes - THAT Pete Townshend!). Fire and Dust - a Woody Guthrie Story has become a core element of her diary since then and she shares joyous gigs with Reg, Geraint Watkins, Simon Edwards, Roy Dodds and Phil Beer as often as they can be booked.

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Another piece of her musical jigsaw has recently fallen into place, with her joining the Jim Cregan Acoustic Band alongside Jim, Sam Tanner, Pat Davey and Stuart Elliott. Jim is best known for his guitar solo in Cockney Rebel's 'Come Up And See Me' and for his decades of work with Rod Stewart. At their first gig, after singing the 'OOOO la la la' bv's on Come Up And See Me, Jim said how impressed he was that she could do them on no rehearsal - until she pointed out that anyone who has been to a wedding or birthday party in the last 30 years could have done it.

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Finally, Marion has produced for the first time - London based Clementine Lovell's debut album Westbound. The album won 'Best Debut Album of 2025' at the Fatea Magazine awards and was shortlisted for Bright Young Folk 'Album of the Year'. She's very much looking forward to producing again.​ 

And now a new piece of the puzzle - this partnership with Sally. Exciting times lie ahead.

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'One of the very finest vocalists in the country'

Ashley Hutchings, MBE​​​​

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