The traditional music of England is a dark art-form. Study the words of a traditional English ballad, and it won't take you long to find murder, incest, love, death and betrayal - often all within the same song. The English people sung about the hard nature of their lives, but often their songs are lightened by an equally hard humor. Cruel Folk write, record and perform original music in the English tradition. Consisting of singer and multi-instrumentalist Sean Holden, and virtuoso guitarist Paul Holden their songs tell stories both of real events, such as the Battle of Towton Field, and of imagined events where good people take on the evils of the world, but don't always prevail. Cruel Folk are devoted to the continuing renewal of the English tradition, using instruments including mandocello, mandolin, guitar, bouzouki and whistle, and in addition to their original material perform both modern and ancient folk songs written by others. "This band is one to be reckoned with... A treat of an album." Maverick Magazine ****1/2, 2009. "Vital original songs with a keen sense of English tradition... a strongly individual voice..." fRoots Magazine, 2008. '...may well be destined for classic status.' Folk and Roots, 2009.