Early life and musical background
Emily Portman is an award-winning English singer and songwriter whose work is rooted in traditional song and narrative balladry. Over more than fifteen years of touring, she has established herself as a distinctive presence within contemporary British folk, known for reshaping traditional forms through original composition and carefully crafted arrangement.
Her songwriting draws deeply on ballads and folktales, reworking inherited narratives into new forms that retain their structural strength while speaking to present-day experience. Uncut described her as “one of the new British folk scene’s most beguiling presences”, a reflection of the atmosphere and narrative depth that define her work.
Career development and collaborations
Emily Portman has released three critically acclaimed solo albums of original songs that recast old ballads and fairytales into contemporary shapes. She was awarded a BBC Folk Award for Best Original Song, recognition that affirmed her standing as one of the leading writers within modern British folk.
Alongside her solo career, Emily Portman has worked extensively in collaboration. She has toured with The Furrow Collective, participated in the folk chart-topping Sea Song Sessions, and performed in a duo with Rob Harbron of Leveret. These projects underline her longstanding commitment to ensemble work and shared musicianship.
Dominion of Spells and the live collective
In 2026, Emily Portman returns to the road under the banner Emily Portman & Friends, presenting an inspired new live show previewing songs from her forthcoming solo album Dominion of Spells, due for release in May 2026. The name reflects a collaborative collective, with Emily joined on stage by a group of highly accomplished musicians whose instrumental and vocal contributions expand the texture and atmosphere of her songs.
Dominion of Spells marks a new chapter in her songwriting. Drawing on ballads and folktales, the album weaves lived experience with mythic imagery, charting a heroine’s midlife journey through dark woods in search of transformation and wonder. Selkies, fairy queens, foxes and owl goddesses appear within contemporary story-songs exploring parenthood, home, burnout, grief and the transformative power of creativity.
In performance, Emily Portman & Friends present this material alongside selected songs from across her acclaimed catalogue. The collective format allows for richer arrangements, layered instrumentation and close ensemble interplay, while maintaining the clarity of narrative and lyric that define her writing.
Appearance at Bromyard Folk Festival 2026
Emily Portman & Friends are scheduled to appear at the Bromyard Folk Festival in 2026. Founded in 1968 to support and promote traditional folk music, song and dance, the festival has long championed artists who sustain and reinterpret the ballad tradition.
With her deep engagement in traditional forms and her commitment to original songwriting, Emily Portman’s work aligns closely with the ethos of Bromyard Folk Festival. Joined by an ensemble of exceptionally talented musicians, Emily Portman & Friends will bring a richly textured and imaginatively realised performance to the 2026 programme.