An evening with Holly Carter and her band at The Prince Albert, Stroud

Two-time recipient of ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ at the Americana UK awards (2023 & 2024) Holly Carter is widely recognised as an exceptional fingerstyle guitarist and one of the UK’s only professional female pedal steel players.

Drawing deeply from the well of the folk tradition, she harnesses an approach to song as a powerful tool for education and the preservation of legacy. Along with a showstopping approach to guitar that follows hot on the heels of the likes of Chet Atkins and John Fahey, her music weaves joyously catchy melodies with thought-provoking lyrics that pay homage to a diverse collection of musical and personal heroes.

Holly has graced stages around the UK and Europe and in June 2025 was invited by Billy Bragg to join him for one of his ‘Radical Roundups’ on the Leftfield stage at Glastonbury. In Oct 2025 her debut full length album, ‘Leave Your Mark’, was released, which was dubbed ‘One the best debut albums this year’, by Fatea Magazine and received 8/10 stars from Americana UK. The release was accompanied by a run of UK and EU shows, culminating in a sold-out home town show at The Hen & Chicken in Bristol in Nov 2025.

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.

This show will be part of a run to mark five years since the release of Holly's debut EP 'All of You...and Me', which will be re-recorded and re-released to mark the occasion. It will also be a chance to sample some 'never heard before' songs that will feature on her second full length album (due for release in 2027) before they've even made it into the studio; a way to celebrate both old and new.

Holly will be joined by her full band (Joe Wilkins, John Parker, Matt-Stockham Brown) for this show.

Description supplied by the event organiser.