Snow Show Tomorrow, + Mini Folk Fest in NC

Hey, it’s snowing here and our show tomorrow has been cancelled. You can still catch us next week (27th) at Boxyard RTP for the last night of our residency there.

In the meantime stay safe and warm y’all! Our next North Carolina show will be a mini folk festival in Hillsborough at the Eno House on the 6th March featuring four great acts: Alicia’s brother Alan (Tan & Sober Gentlemen) will be performing with Lagomorph Quartet, Liana Gabel is back in town with Earthwarm, singer songwriter Ashley Virginia, and yours truly! The venue has amazing acoustics, it’s a seated show, and it’s going to be a very special show, GET TICKETS HERE and watch the video by clicking the image below.

Click to watch promo reel on youtube

The new album vinyl order is in! Really can’t wait to hear the test press on wax and share that with you. Thank you to all our Kickstarter backers for making this possible! We’re also working on the marketing for the first single (Come on Home Molly) which drops on Tuesday May 6th, and we’ll celebrate the new single on Friday May 9th with a show at Durham’s Blue Note Grill. That’s going to be a full band show, so mark your calendars and get tickets here!

Yesterday and today we went into James Phillips (drummer from Bombadil) studio in East Durham to record on a friend’s song. Check out Lauren Soverign on Instagram and stay tuned for her new song ‘Trusting in the Seasons’. Working with them was such a treat, and the snow through the round windows today was icing on the cake!

Hope you’re all well out there, thanks for being on this journey with us!

Your fan,

A Different Thread

All upcoming concerts (click venue links for info and tickets)

FEB 27

Boxyard RTP

Durham County, NC

MAR 06

Eno House - A Campus of Union Grove UMC

Hillsborough, NC

APR 13

Chatt Hills Presents: A Different Thread + The Wilder Flower

Asheville, NC

APR 22

Flat Iron

Greensboro, NC

APR 25

MerleFest 2025

Wilkesboro, NC

MAY 01— 05

Shakori Hills 2025

Pittsboro, NC

MAY 03

Haw River Fest 2025

Graham, NC

MAY 22

Lewes Con Club (support from Erika Olson)

Lewes, United Kingdom

MAY 24

A Different Thread LIVE in Lichfield

Lichfield, United Kingdom

MAY 28

A DIfferent Thread at What's Cookin'

London, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

MAY 29

A Different Thread Live at Fishery Warf

Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom

JUN 06

The King Arthur

Glastonbury, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUN 07

Tangled Roots 2024

Timsbury, United Kingdom

JUN 11

Llantrisant Folk Club

Pontyclun, United Kingdom
(Cash only on the door)

JUN 13

Magic Lantern - Llusern Hud

Tywyn, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUN 14

STORI Beer and Wine Cyf

Bala, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUN 15

The Nest Cafe Bar Restaurant

Thurstaston, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUN 17

The Bell Inn

Bath, United Kingdom
FREE ENTRY! Limited space

JUN 21

Stonehenge Solstice Festival 2025

Winterbourne Stoke, United Kingdom

JUL 02

Biddulph Up In Arms

Biddulph, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 03

Cafe#9

Sheffield, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 04

Cafe#9

Sheffield, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon, yes we are playing twice due to complaints from those who couldn’t get a ticket!)

JUL 05- 06

Not a Cult Festival 2025

Malvern, United Kingdom

JUL 08

The Crooked Billet Inn & Kitchen

Owston Ferry, United Kingdom
(Hosted by Peet Jackson, donations based show)

JUL 09

The New Adelphi Club

Hull, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 10

The F Word

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 12

Eccles Town Hall

Eccles, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 18

Green Note

London, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 21

Flower Pot

Derby, United Kingdom
(Donation based show)

JUL 25

The Hub at St Mary's

Lichfield, United Kingdom
(Farewell Lichfield hometown show)

JUL 26

Roman Lakes

Cheshire West and Chester, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 27

Kitchen Garden Cafe

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Mayan ruins, Tiny Desk, UK tour, Merlefest!

With Guatemalan volcanoes in the rear-view and English shores on the horizon, we arrive back home, to North Carolina where the pines are still green and outside it’s pouring cats and dogs.

It’s been a while since we reached out, we’ve been so busy, as usual. We miss you!

Our month in Guatemala and Mexico, was filled with connection, seeing old friends and familiar places was amazing. We shot two official music videos, played a handful of shows, and booked our upcoming UK tour. Oh and we did get some traveling in! We made it to the Caribbean coast and back, and even got to see some new (to us) Mayan Ruins Yaxha.

We can’t wait to share these official music videos with you, the shoots were epic, and creating with these incredibly talented people was such an honor!

Here’s a sneek peek at some of the vibe.

On Monday, we entered the NPR Tiny Desk contest for a chance to win a session on their beloved channel (10.8 Million followers) it was down to the wire, with about an hour to spare before applications closed…

Watch our video here and wish us luck in the comments! (And make sure to like and subscribe, thanks!)

More exciting news! By special invitation, we will be competing in the MerleFest band competition (gasp) here in North Carolina! Our slot is on Saturday 26th April, get tickets here. AND our very own Mike Seal will be flying in from the UK to join us for the competition along with a string of NC shows before we all hop back over the pond for a UK tour late May - late July.

Full dates below, more to be added. We’ll be announcing to the public soon, catch us while you can!

We know there is quite a storm brewing, we hope that you are all finding ways to take care of yourselves and each other as it rages. It’s a tricky time for a lot of people and we have to keep on moving through it. Our music is here for healing, our music is calling out for a brighter future, together. And when moments of calm are hard to come by, music is a great medicine.

See you down the line,

Alicia and Robert
A Different Thread

All upcoming concerts (click venue links for info and tickets)

FEB 13

Boxyard RTP

Durham County, NC

FEB 14

Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe

Chapel Hill, NC

FEB 20

Boxyard RTP

Durham County, NC

FEB 27

Boxyard RTP

Durham County, NC

MAR 06

Eno House - A Campus of Union Grove UMC

Hillsborough, NC

APR 13

Chatt Hills Presents: A Different Thread + The Wilder Flower

Asheville, NC

APR 22

Flat Iron

Greensboro, NC

APR 25

MerleFest 2025

Wilkesboro, NC

MAY 01— 05

Shakori Hills 2025

Pittsboro, NC

MAY 03

Haw River Fest 2025

Graham, NC

MAY 22

Lewes Con Club (support from Erika Olson)

Lewes, United Kingdom

MAY 24

A Different Thread LIVE in Lichfield

Lichfield, United Kingdom

MAY 28

A DIfferent Thread at What's Cookin'

London, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

MAY 29

A Different Thread Live at Fishery Warf

Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom

JUN 06

The King Arthur

Glastonbury, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUN 07

Tangled Roots 2024

Timsbury, United Kingdom

JUN 11

Llantrisant Folk Club

Pontyclun, United Kingdom
(Cash only on the door)

JUN 13

Magic Lantern - Llusern Hud

Tywyn, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUN 14

STORI Beer and Wine Cyf

Bala, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUN 15

The Nest Cafe Bar Restaurant

Thurstaston, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUN 17

The Bell Inn

Bath, United Kingdom
FREE ENTRY! Limited space

JUN 21

Stonehenge Solstice Festival 2025

Winterbourne Stoke, United Kingdom

JUL 02

Biddulph Up In Arms

Biddulph, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 03

Cafe#9

Sheffield, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 04

Cafe#9

Sheffield, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon, yes we are playing twice due to complaints from those who couldn’t get a ticket!)

JUL 05- 06

Not a Cult Festival 2025

Malvern, United Kingdom

JUL 08

The Crooked Billet Inn & Kitchen

Owston Ferry, United Kingdom
(Hosted by Peet Jackson, donations based show)

JUL 09

The New Adelphi Club

Hull, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 10

The F Word

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 12

Eccles Town Hall

Eccles, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 18

Green Note

London, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 21

Flower Pot

Derby, United Kingdom
(Donation based show)

JUL 25

The Hub at St Mary's

Lichfield, United Kingdom
(Farewell Lichfield hometown show)

JUL 26

Roman Lakes

Cheshire West and Chester, United Kingdom
(Tickets coming soon)

JUL 27

Kitchen Garden Cafe

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Back in North Carolina

As we entered the subway on Vernon boulevard, a cheer rang out in the street. The New York Marathon is today. There’s a party in the streets but we’re headed down to the greyhound station, deep underground in Manhattan. The UK tour is over. We’re southward bound for Raleigh, North Carolina and then home to our tiny house in Chapel Hill.

We’re tired and sore, and road-weary, yet our hearts are filled with gratitude. The Patchwork Tour was an epic three month slog of over 35 gigs! Simultaneously we finished recording our new album, shot a music video, and raised $20k through our kickstarter camping. Yeah it’s been a helluva trip.

As we make the long trek south it’s hard to think of anything other than the loss and devastation in western North Carolinas. The loss of lives and livelihoods, homes and businesses, is heartbreaking. It’s going to be a long road to recovery and we are seeking ways to use some of our shows as fundraisers. If you know of anyone looking to have some live music at their fundraiser please put us in touch! Our next gig is this Friday at Cane Creek Farm, near Saxapahaw, NC, it’s a pass the hat and we’re donating all our profits to Beloved Asheville.

Please join us and give what you can! RSVP here.

Although this is a homecoming of sorts, we’ll be in and out of NC for the next few months. Throughout all this we are hard at work on the new album, booking shows for 2025 (US and UK) and laying down the groundwork for fulfilling our Kickstarter rewards!

If you’re in NYC you can catch us selling Christmas trees in Fort Greene, Brooklyn from the 24th of November, right up to Christmas Eve! We’ll be on the corner of Myrtle and Vanderbilt in Brooklyn, and would love a hot drink and a chat! And if you’re in Mexico City or Guatemala in January, rumour has it we’ll be hanging out, shooting some music videos, playing some shows, and catching up with old friends down that way in the New Year.

Autumn is often a time of reflection, and as we come up on the anniversary of Robert entering the USA with his Green Card there’s a lot to be grateful for. Here’s to many more years of adventure together! And spending more and more time in our beloved NC.

Ho

Kickstarter complete!

Our UK tour is winding down, how wild is that? The time has flown by. As the autumn winds set in, our first weekend in the UK back at Green Gathering in August feels like a distant dream.

We have had so many incredible shows this time around, some of our favourite gigs are the ones we got to share the stage with other talented artists! From the The Old England in Bristol with Holly Carter back in August, to The New Adelphi in Hull with Curtis Eller’s American Circus (shout out to NC musicians!) to all the ones in between it has been such an honour! And for all of you who have supported the tour by coming out to gigs, sending us words of encouragement, helping us reach our Kickstarter goal, and sharing our music far and wide: THANK YOU!

We only have a few more gigs before we head stateside, catch us while you can:

OCT 18 BRIGHTON/HOVE, The Bee’s Mouth

OCT 20 CAMDEN, LONDON, Green Note

OCT 25 LICHFIELD, The Hub St. Mary’s (this is our official Lichfield show)

OCT 26 ECCLES, MANCHESTER, Eccle’s Town Hall with support from Casey Ridley-Birks

We are in the mixing stage for the new album and these songs are sounding epic y’all! We have so much to be grateful for, everyone who has put us up, all the talented acts we have played with, and every act of kindness along the way! We are already daydreaming about our return in late May. If there is a UK town/venue you are hoping we will come to in 2025, please get in touch soon, the bookings are already rolling in! And if you are in the UK and planning a party that needs live music between late May and late July, let us know.

As excited as we are to be returning to North Carolina, we know that there will be work to be done when we get back. As many of you may know Western North Carolina was struck by a category 4 hurricane a few weeks ago. This was in the mountains, 300 miles inland at over 2,000 ft altitude.

Flooding and landslides of this caliber (of anywhere near this caliber) are unheard of for this area. They were not prepared, and they had no way of knowing that they had to prepare for anything of this magnitude. Our hearts have been aching for Western NC and we have already donated to several organizations as well as individuals (including my cousin William who has lost his livelihood/farm and is in the difficult process of rebuilding) and we are urging you to do the same if you are able.

Here’s a list of organizations we know and trust: Day One Relief, BeLoved Asheville, PODER Emma, Asheville Survival Program / Mutual Aid Disaster Relief.

If you feel inclined to give directly to cousin William and his wife Marie to get their organic farm Bluebird Farm back up and running, here’s their gofundme.

Alicia & Robert

FINAL WEEK of ALBUM KICKSTARTER!

We are 62% funded and the love keeps rolling in! Thanks to everyone who has already backed us! And if you haven’t yet, now is a great time - help us cross that finish line and make this album a reality!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE KICKSTARTER PAGE

Photo by Chloe Noblit

We still have one more day of recording (today) and these songs are sounding so good! We can’t wait to share them with you all..

The outpouring of support that we’ve received so far is amazing, from people sharing the campaign across social media to No Depression featuring us on their “Crowdfunding Radar” column - We would not be here without you all! Thank you!

New Music Video
On the 22nd Sep, we’re releasing the official music video for our song “The Devil You Don’t” from our last album. Everyone who donates to our Kickstarter gets access to the video private link, before it goes live. We had a lot of fun with this one and the devil mask we used is even up for grabs as one of the Kickstarter rewards.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE KICKSTARTER PAGE

Kickstarter Countdown Party
Join us for a livestream on the 25th of September as we close out the Kickstarter live on Facebook from 7pm BST. Visit the Facebook event here. We also plan to stream on Instagram at the same time (if technology permits). We’ll be sharing songs and stories, doing another denim jacket prize draw, and chatting about the new album late into the evening! Tune in for the final push! (for a chance to win the denim jacket, share the Kickstarter link on Facebook, or in an Instagram story to be put into the hat).

Patchwork Tour UK
We’re half way through our UK tour and we’ve still got some exciting shows lined up. London last night was a great crowd, we had to cancel our York gig due to low ticket sales, apologies to anyone who was hoping to make that one. We’ll be live-streaming instead so do join us on the 25th September for that (see above).

Once again, thanks for all the Kickstarter support, and if you’ve not yet checked it out, go and leave a donation and/or choose a reward. Every dollar (or pound) counts! Help us make this album a reality.

Your fans,

Alicia and Robert

UPCOMING SHOWS

SEP 21 NEWCASTLE, Belta Blues Dance Fest

SEP 24 DONCASTER, The Crooked Billet

SEP 27 SHEFFIELD, Cafe#9

SEP 29 WORCESTER, The Marr’s Bar

SEP 30 BRISTOL, Blue Monday’s

OCT 02 BRISTOL, Folk Tales on The JS

OCT 03 FROME, 23 Bath St.

OCT 05 OSWESTRY, Hermon Arts

OCT 07 HEREFORD, The Left Bank Speakeasy

OCT 10 LIVERPOOL, Kazimier Stockrooms

OCT 11 LICHFIELD, The Hub (songwriter showcase featuring Alicia Best)

OCT 13 HULL, The New Adelphi

OCT 18 BRIGHTON/HOVE, The Bee’s Mouth

OCT 20 LONDON, Green Note

OCT 25 LICHFIELD, The Hub St. Mary’s (this is our official Lichfield show)

OCT 26 MANCHESTER, Eccle’s Town Hall

Album Kickstarter Now Live!!

We are LIVE folks! We have 30 days to reach our $20k goal and with your help we know we can do it!
(Click here to view and join the Kickstarter campaign page)

As an independent band we have been hands-on with every aspect of bringing this album to life, so far, and yet we know that saying ‘DIY’ is an oversimplification.

The truth is, we rely on the support of so many people along the way, and it is because of each of YOU that we are able to bring this album to life!

From the musicians and engineers, to our family, friends, and fans, we are so grateful to have you all raising us up!

Share the project on Facebook/Instagram and/or donate TODAY and you’ll be entered to win a bespoke denim jacket!

Join us on Facebook livestream tomorrow (Wednesday the 28th) at 4pm GMT (9pm EDT) for the first prize drawing and a few live songs as we keep the momentum going.

Keep an eye on our Facebook and instagram for more prize draws, livestreams, and other updates and join the Kickstarter campaign here.

Alicia and Robert

Raising $20k in 30 days! Album Kickstarter launches on Tuesday!

The countdown has begun! Our album crowd-funder will launch this Tuesday the 27th of Aug when all the rewards, story, and video GO LIVE. We have 30 days to reach the $20k target and it’s all or nothing!

Out-the-gate-momentum is crucial and will increase our success, as well as boost our chances of being featured on Kickstarter's home-page.

EVERYONE who donates/shares on launch day will be entered into a special prize draw that we will livestreamed on Aug 28th!

VIEW THE PRE-LAUNCH PAGE HERE, click the 'Notify me on launch' button to be reminded and get ready to donate and share on day 1. 

The funds raised will go towards making physical copies (CD and vinyl), paying for the studio time and equipment, promotion, videos, and distribution.

We have a bunch of rewards on offer, including custom band-made mugs, bespoke masks, cassette tapes, and even a hot-air-balloon concert at 1,000 feet! Click here to view the pre-launch page and get a reminder!

Thanks to all who took part in our last two campaigns. The feeling of holding a record that was made through crowdfunding is powerful, freeing, and humbling.

We’re so excited to get this one out there and into your hands. Stay tuned for more updates, sneak peeks, and previews to come!

Alicia and Robert