Edinburgh’s husband-and-wife dream pop outfit Sarah/Shaun have wooed hearts and wowed critics with a steady run of EPs: It’s True What They Say? (April '24), Someone’s Ghost (April '25) and In Silence Love Speaks Loudest (Jan '26), the latter completing the triptych which is altogether titled Visit Through The Heavy Static.

These releases (each featuring four songs: 12 in total) have garnered a sizeable list of plaudits/support from some very established names: David Holmes, Youth, Nemone and Don Letts at BBC 6Music, Vic Galloway, Roddy Hart and Nicola Meighan at BBC Radio Scotland, The Skinny, The List, The Scotsman, Jim Sclavunos (Bad Seeds), Simone Butler (Primal Scream), the Monolith Cocktail & Ban Ban Ton Ton blogs, the Ravechild podcast and more.

“For a band that’s relatively unknown, they hold the crowd throughout, evoking contrasting comparisons with Goldfrapp and Beach House” - Snack Mag (reviewing Fringe By The Sea live show, Aug ‘26)

"The Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra of synthesized dream-pop... like a space-chartered St. Etienne" - Monolith Cocktail

"A mellow musical light in the darkness. Terrific woozy dream pop" - Ian Rankin

Featured in Vic Galloway's 25 Scottish Artists To Watch in 2026 (BBC Radio Scotland website)

"F*cking lush" - Nadine Shah

"Beautiful sound" - Iain Cook (Chvrches)

Future Player are an alternative rock 6-piece band. Based in East Lothian and Edinburgh, they write and perform original songs drawing on a wide range of musical influences.

The band consists of Callum Maguire (vocals), Murray Briggs (drums), Jon Thompson (bass guitar), Nick Aldridge (piano) and Neil Gill and Jon Welsh (guitars).

Popular tunes that will have you tapping your feet, singing along and dancing.

Cover songs from The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top and ABBA, all the way to Sam Fender and George Esra.

Alan Gray is an independent singer-songwriter and musician based in Dunbar. He produces and releases his own music, blending elements of alternative, indie, punk and DIY folk with reflective and often socially informed lyrics.

His work tends to explore personal and cultural themes with a raw, authentic voice that reflects life in Scotland and beyond.

He has supported acts such as Idlewild, Fatherson and New Model Army.

Vibrant Rebels are a high-energy genre-fusion band blending ska, funk, hip-hop and pop into an infectious live experience.

Fronted by a dynamic rapper/vocalist and soulful female singer, the band is driven by deep rhythmic bass, tight grooves, and bold brass lines.

Their uplifting sound is impactful and fills dance-floors. Built for festival crowds, Vibrant Rebels bring colour, movement, and undeniable vibes to every stage they hit.

Inspired by a range of genres, Nico draws on the musical styles he loves most, bringing his own original twist to established favourites. The blues, which have always fascinated him, go hand in hand with rock, pop and folk. His original compositions and innovative arrangements will surprise listeners with interwoven, overlying melodies, made possible by the combination of fingerpicking and flat picking techniques.

A classically trained and highly regarded acoustic guitar player for over 15 years, in 2016 Nico G chose to embark on a new challenge and began his current solo project, creating and sharing his unique finger-picking playing style with audiences worldwide. After the release of a first album, recorded in collaboration with Italian guitarist Paolo Loveri in 2015, Nico G released his debut solo Acoustic Guitar EP in 2016, followed by The Road Book EP in 2018. Since this time Nico has played extensively throughout Europe and in Scotland, winning a ‘Danny’ at the Danny Kyle Open Stage Competition at Celtic Connections in January 2020.

"This Place You Call Your Home”, the new album from Scottish roots folk/Americana trio Paper Sparrows, is out now on Folksville Records. The follow up to 2023 debut “Hiding Away From the Light” retains the ‘rich songwriting craft’ (Shindig! Magazine) and distinctive twin-acoustic guitar style that won them plaudits on the folk festival circuit (“Highly recommended” - Celtic Connections Festival).

The new album captures their close-knit sound as road-worn live performers, but is also elevated by cameos from fiddle player Pepita Emmerichs (Oh Pep!, Rain of Animals, Wayward Jane) and Graham Coe (Jellyman’s Daughter). The album firmly captures on record the three-part vocal harmony sound that has become so popular in their live sets, adding a delicate power to the quieter moments on the album and an uplifting joy to the singalong choruses.

Their sound centres on their distinctive twin-acoustic guitar style, finger-picking, harmonies and double bass. Arrangements draw upon British and American 60s folk-revivalists (Dylan, Donovan, Jansch, Drever, Milk Carton Kids, Rawlings).

Lead single ‘Wait For Me’ sends a simple message of truth and compassion in the face of hardship and struggle and has proved to be memorable with audiences and a catalyst for communal singing. The follow up, title track “This Place You Call Your Home” shows you the climate crisis through the medium of a breakup letter from planet Earth to humanity. Album opener “Everybody Wants To Be Your Friend” is a cynical but witty toe-tapper about the pitfalls of insincerity, that the band have wryly described as a ‘ragtime Bond theme’.

The band have travelled far and wide, taking in the world famous Cambridge Folk Festival and Celtic Connections as well as Folk East, Ely Folk Festival, Glasgow Americana, Edinburgh Fringe and the Assembly Festival to name but a few. They’ve also opened for The Unthanks, The Shee, Often Herd and Seth Lakeman this summer as well as collaborating with Kris Drever, Katherine Priddy and Rod Clements through their live music club.

The Waxing Quarter mine the depths of human emotion to find enlightenment, optimism and closure.

Thematically, the music draws inspiration from the world it inhabits, and the people (including ghosts) caught up in its orbit.

The result is an epic and unforgettable journey into the joy and pain of love, heartbreak and healing; the loss of what we never really had; the dream of what could have been; the acceptance and celebration of what is and what could still be - if we want it enough.

Soulful vocals, acoustic guitar and a feel-good mix of classics, country, rock and soul favourites - from laid-back tunes to proper singalong party songs. Expect live music, plenty of personality and a good night.

The Quiet Fire (Duo) - Cameron Wynn and Colm Charles Gray bring the stripped-back heart of The Quiet Fire to Dunbar Music Festival for their debut appearance.

Blending two distinctive voices in close harmony, the duo perform a carefully chosen mix of original songs, traditional folk material and well-loved covers, drawing from Irish, British and American folk, Americana and country traditions.

Colm’s rhythmic acoustic guitar provides the foundation for Cameron’s expressive lead guitar and harmonica, with lively instrumental breaks woven throughout.

Expect songs with stories and soul, warm harmonies, and an intimate sound that feels both familiar and fresh.

Terence hails from the central belts Falkirk but has made his home within the magic and beauty of Scotland's east coast.

Raised on the classics of the 60s and 70s and later finding a deep love for the roots of folk, country and blues he has nurtured a simplistic and raw sound comprising all the hardships and beauty that the trials and tribulations of life provides.

Firefly Fortyfive have performed in and around Dunbar for about fifteen years, sometimes as a full band, sometimes a stripped back trio.

They play their own mellow, modern folk and often borrow the songs of artists such as Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell, John Martyn, Tim Buckley, Gene Clark and CSNY... sometimes even a hint of Jethro Tull.

GOGS sing well known Folk, Sea songs & Shanties and Americana in three part harmony.

They love the audience to participate and sing along.

Saturday 26 September 2026, Dunbar Parish Hall

Known for her fearless storytelling, raw emotional depth, and unflinching honesty, Kathryn Joseph has made a lasting mark on contemporary music. A relentless pursuit of truth runs through each of her albums, from the devastating beauty of bones you have thrown me and blood i’ve spilled (2015), which won the Scottish Album of the Year Award, to the grief-stricken intensity of from when i wake the want is (2018), and the haunting for you who are the wronged (2022), a powerful reckoning with abuse in all its forms.

Kathryn’s most recent album WE WERE MADE PREY was released onRock Action Records. Recorded in the remote Black Bay Studio on the Isle of Lewis, the album explores the collision of want and loss, self-fulfillment and shame, embracing a newfound intensity—bigger, angrier, and full of want.

Joining forces with Lomond Campbell, Kathryn’s delicate yet visceral sound continues to evolve, seamlessly blending intimate, unfiltered lyrics with rich, atmospheric layers of piano, keyboards, and electronic elements. Their long-standing collaboration has been instrumental in pushing her music into darker, more experimental territory, amplifying the raw emotional power at its core.

Reflecting on the album’s transformation in the studio, she says, “The songs were angry, but in a small way. Until Lomond added all this beautiful noise, and suddenly they were angry in a much bigger way, in an exciting way, and so full of want.”

Image credit: Marilena Vlachopoulou

Plus - Lomond Campbell

Lomond Campbell is a Scottish musician, producer, composer and artist whose work moves between songcraft, electronics, invention and visual art. Based at his Highland studio, The Lengths, he creates music using modular synths, piano, voice and self-built instruments, bringing a distinctive experimental edge to everything he does.

A long-time collaborator of Kathryn Joseph, Lomond produced her acclaimed albums for you who are the wronged and WE WERE MADE PREY, helping shape the darker, more electronic textures of her recent work. His live performances are intimate, inventive and quietly immersive.

Schedule

18:00 - Doors open

19:00 - Lomond Campbell (support)

20:00 - Kathryn Joseph & Lomond Campbell

21:45 - Show ends

Tickets: Early bird £27.50, Standard £32.50, On the door £36

Cairnsie (Melissa & Graham Cairns) are delighted to be back at DMF.

Ear catching blend of daughter & dad harmonies coupled with guitar, mandolin & banjo playing a surprising blend of original songs and eclectic covers from their wide array of influences across alt-acoustic, folk and country.

Come and have some craic with Cairnsie.

Barnstorm is a local 4-piece Folk band from Dunbar.

We have been performing for over 10 years in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Berwick and enjoy nothing more than performing in front of a lively foot-tapping audience.

Dougie is the songwriter and leader of “Dougie Burns & The Cadillacs” and has toured with Seasick Steve as well as supporting many artists including Albert Lee, Iain McNabb, Nine Below Zero, Dona Oxford and many others.

Dougie hosts a very successful  monthly acoustic music gathering in Inverness which he has been running for over 10 years. This acoustic music gathering attracts guests locally and from all over the world.

Dougie is accompanied by the lead guitarist from the Cadillacs Sye Murray. Sye is an accomplished slide guitar and Dobro player. He has played with several North East Scotland bands such as , The Binsness Blues Boys, Mamas Brand New Bag and The Buck Band to name a few. Lovers of Blues and Rock n Roll shouldn’t miss this session

Isaac Charlton is a Yorkshire born songwriter living on the East Coast of Scotland.

Completely self taught, he's played the Guitar and written songs since the age of 14.

Dealing with themes of anxiety, love loss and alienation, he's found his place in not knowing his place.

Blues Matters Magazine wrote in 2025:

"The Best Dressed Blues Band is in increasing demand at festivals.
Their sound - a potent mix of blistering lead guitar, soulful slide, and wailing harmonica - channels the raw, unpolished energy of early electric blues."

Perla has been a featured singer with the Edinburgh Schools Jazz Orchestra and the Edinburgh Schools Rock Ensemble for the last few years to great acclaim, performing many times at the Usher Hall and the Jazz Bar in Edinburgh.

We are delighted to welcome her here to the Harbour Chapel with her band before she begins her studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) on the jazz course.

She will be performing with fellow members of the jazz orchestra - Alfie Primrose on piano, Jacob Swaffer on saxophone, Luca Colagiacoma on double bass and Carrick Lindsay on drums.

This performance is part of Eileen Hunter’s Jazz Afternoon at The Harbour Chapel.

The Spoken Bond - A father/daughter duo featuring the amazing Heather on guitar, vocals and keyboard supported by dad on guitar and adding extra vocals.

The music choice is varied and consists of music loved by both of them.

Ant Thomaz is an acclaimed acoustic singer-songwriter known for his commanding vocals and rhythmic guitar style.

Described as a "Scottish Jack Johnson" infused with the vibrant soulfulness of Anderson .Paak, he seamlessly blends folk, Celtic, and rock into high-energy, deeply moving musical narratives.

A seasoned live performer, Thomaz brings an infectious energy and captivating stage presence to the spotlight, whether performing as a compelling solo act or fronting his dynamic full band.
Career Highlights

Ant has shared the stage with acclaimed artists including Eddi Reader and John Douglas, Sandi Thom, Callum Beattie and James Walsh.

His debut solo album, GAIA, received widespread radio play across BBC Scotland, BBC Radio Foyle, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and Celtic Radio, as well as being named Go Radio’s Album of the Week. The album has also been nominated for the 2026 Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award, ahead of the ceremony this November.

Jack is a Dunbar-based solo performer, playing upbeat songs and classics - an act that will have a crowd singing and dancing along.

Dundee based Andrew is a singer and guitarist focused on an honest performance.

Each set is built round strong vocals, a well-worn acoustic guitar, and a direct connection with the audience.

The Kevin MacKenzie Trio is Kevin MacKenzie - guitar with Tom Lyne on double bass, Tom Bancroft on drums

Kevin Mackenzie lives in Scotland and has built a career in Jazz, Scottish Traditional Music and as a session guitarist.

His own projects have included Kevin Mackenzie’s Vital Signs, the Kevin Mackenzie Quartet and Trio, Swirler, Trio AAB, Cool Groove,Kevin Mackenzie’s Cyber Jazz and PRIME. Some musicians that have been involved in these groups include Ari Hoenig, Julian Arguelles, Loren Stillman, Donny McCaslin, Ben Perowsky, Boris Kozlov, Martin France and many others.

Kevin released ‘Another New Horizon’ in 2004 that featured some of Scotland’s leading Folk and Jazz talents. The CD received a good response from reviewers including CD of the week in the Guardian and CD of the Month in the Observer.  

He teaches guitar privately as well as being a regular tutor at the Tolbooth in Stirling is part of the faculty at the Royal Conservatoire Jazz department and the Traditional Music department.

“an international-class jazz player” The Herald

"a conspicuously inventive soloist." the Scotsman

“Mackenzie demonstrates a composer's ear and vision that equals his improvising skills” The Guardian

“..an excellent example of what's going on north of the border” The Observer

“a perfect contribution that completes an urbane study in measured jazz improv.” Garry Booth BBC Music Magazine

This performance is part of Eileen Hunter’s Jazz Afternoon at The Harbour Chapel.

A jazzy, funky take on classic Brazilian rhythms, Dias combine Latin American folk talents with a tight Scottish rhythm section to produce an exciting blend, full of dance, groove and ambient sounds.

With added colour from instruments such as the berimbau, conch shell and cuica the Dias take on samba and bossa beats brings a whole new dimension to Brasilica sounds.

This event is ticketed due to limited capacity, and access control requirements to enter the Belhaven Brewery site.

The £6 ticket price includes a pint of Belhaven Belter Lager or a soft drink on arrival. There is also the opportunity to book at Belhaven Brewery Tour prior to this event. See the booking page for more details.

Inspired by a range of genres, Nico draws on the musical styles he loves most, bringing his own original twist to established favourites. The blues, which have always fascinated him, go hand in hand with rock, pop and folk. His original compositions and innovative arrangements will surprise listeners with interwoven, overlying melodies, made possible by the combination of fingerpicking and flat picking techniques.

A classically trained and highly regarded acoustic guitar player for over 15 years, in 2016 Nico G chose to embark on a new challenge and began his current solo project, creating and sharing his unique finger-picking playing style with audiences worldwide.

After the release of a first album, recorded in collaboration with Italian guitarist Paolo Loveri in 2015, Nico G released his debut solo Acoustic Guitar EP in 2016, followed by The Road Book EP in 2018. Since this time Nico has played extensively throughout Europe and in Scotland, winning a ‘Danny’ at the Danny Kyle Open Stage Competition at Celtic Connections in January 2020.

Buy tickets for Nico G at The Monks Retreat Bar at Belhaven Brewery

Met.Office have been playing Cool Jazz for 3 years.

Based near The Borders, we have played at the last 3 Berwick and Horncliffe Festivals.

This will be our third appearance at the Dunbar Festival.

Dunbar favourites Rollin’ Sky are back to play a mix of Americana, Rock ’n’ Roll, Blues, Folk and some original songs too.

Jazz pianist and composer Tim Richards first came to national attention when he formed the modern jazz group SPIRIT LEVEL in 1979, a band which toured in almost every European country, playing opposite names such as Joe Henderson, Miles Davis and Horace Silver. In 1999 the band expanded into the nine-piece GREAT SPIRIT, performing and recording with some of London’s best jazz musicians such as Pete King, Dick Pearce, Tony Kofi and Ed Jones. A few years later this transformed into the six-piece HEXTET, whose 2015 album ‘Telegraph Hill’ was described in The Observer as “A joy from beginning to end”.

Tim recently released his fourth TRIO album ‘Four Aces’, selected on the Jazzviews website as “One of the best albums of 2025”. He is also well-known as one of Britain’s most experienced jazz educators, and the author of eight books including ‘Improvising Blues Piano’, published by Schott Music in 1997 to universal acclaim. Blues is a subject close to his heart, and he has also played, toured and recorded with award-winning British blues musicians Otis Grand and Dana Gillespie and US guitarists Larry Garner and Joe Louis Walker.

“Exuberantly swinging… gospel-tinged bop, freshly served.” JAZZWISE Magazine

Tim will be accompanied by Tom Lyne on Double Bass and Tom Bancroft on drums

Tom Lyne

Tom is a leading figure on the Scottish jazz scene with an impressively diverse portfolio featuring double and electric bass, studio production and sound design, and composition and arrangement. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Lyne, who played violin at the age of three and went on to study double bass at McGill University in Montreal, has been living in Scotland since 1998.

He has played with the country’s leading jazz artists such as Dave Milligan, Brian Kellock, Tom Bancroft and Kevin MacKenzie. Lyne’s new solo album ‘Well Mixed Blue’ is a celebration of his longstanding musical partnership with pianist Dave Milligan, which is built on the strong, intuitive chemistry between the two men as well as their strengths as individuals.

Tom Bancroft

Tom Bancroft is a drummer, bodhran player, composer and educator who has played with musicians ranging from Sun Ra, Bill Wells & Martyn Bennett to Geri Allen and the Playtime collective, which has played live for 12 years in a venue in Edinburgh. Playtime also makes podcasts about the Scottish scene and streams video concerts online.

Tom composes for and leads the occasional big band Orchestra Interrupto, In Common - merging Indian and Scottish music and the group Motion and Me with his twin brother and three leading young musicians from the Scottish Scene. Tom is a jazz musician who has extensive experience of working with musicians from other traditions and cultures, including Scottish and Irish traditional music, and traditional and creative musicians from India, Ghana, Vietnam and Taiwan. 

Tom used to run the record label Caber Music,which released 40 albums of Scottish Jazz between 1999 and 2004, and now runs ABC Creative Music with his twin brother Phil, developing creative music education resources for schools. He is drum tutor at Edinburgh Napier University and plays the bodhran in a unique way!

Tom has recently finished a PhD on improvisation, creativity and pedagogy.

This performance is part of Eileen Hunter’s Jazz Afternoon at The Harbour Chapel.