EXCITING young trio Jaywalkers will be coming to the ARC, Stockton, on Friday, December 8.

These former BBC Young Folk Award finalists are touring their fourth studio release - Songs We Like (EP) - which follows on from the release in 2015 of their third studio album - Weave - and has established them as one of the best bands working on the British Music Scene. Together they effortlessly fuse elements of Americana, Folk, Bluegrass, and Old-Time and the music Jaywalkers create is in ¬novative, rooted deeply in tradition, and exhilarating. This will be the first time the band performs at ARC, but the night promises to be an entertaining, foot stomping evening and is not to be missed

Songs We Like” features a collection of 5 tracks that the band did not write. Their previous album - Weave - is now almost 2 years old and rather than release a full album, the band wanted to release an E.P of non-original music. The idea behind this is to hopefully give an insight into some of the songs and artists that have inspired them throughout their lives as well as demonstrate how they put their own unique blend of Folk and Bluegrass to the songs they like. The covers chosen range from the song “Tainted Love”, made famous by Soft Cell in ’81, to a striking traditional murder ballad called “Delia”, which was brought to popular attention by Johnny Cash.

The band is on tour November and December taking in the length of the country with a live set that touches upon these covers but includes many original songs. Some of these are inspired by stories and poetry from Mike’s home county of Lancashire and are featured predominantly on 2015 release; ‘Weave’ which was funded by Help Musicians UK. As the cherry on the icing, the band litters their set with blistering, foot-stomping, up-tempo instrumentals and more cheerful traditional songs to entertain the soul and cheer the heart.

The music Jaywalkers create live, and on their multiple recordings is innovative, rooted deeply in tradition, and exhilarating. With the release of their new EP and a full year of touring and festivals behind them, the first half of 2017 was a very successful time for the band, things are only looking up in Winter 2017 and on into 2018 for this young trio

Jaywalkers, ARC, Stockton, Friday, December 8, 7.30pm. Tickets £8.50 from the box office at 01642 525199.