New Women's Songbook Concert
Isobel Jane Kimberley
Isobel Jane Kimberley is a distinctive and accomplished voice in contemporary folk and alt-folk rock. A songwriter of striking emotional clarity and a musician with rare interpretive depth, she has spent her career shaping songs that resonate with honesty, imagination, and a fearless artistic spirit.
As a founding member, vocalist, and songwriter of the alt-folk-rock band Bruise, Isobel released five acclaimed albums, each showcasing her dynamic range as both a lyricist and performer. Bruise developed a devoted following for their atmospheric songwriting and powerful live presence, taking them from intimate venues to multiple Glastonbury Festival appearances and extensive tours across the UK, Europe, and the United States. Isobel’s writing during this period cemented her reputation for crafting songs that balance poetic nuance with expressive musicality.
Parallel to her work with Bruise, Isobel found a second creative home in traditional and contemporary folk music as half of The Kimberleys, a duo celebrated for their rich vocal harmonies and elegant re-imagining of classic material. Their artistry has been recognised widely, and Isobel’s gift for interpreting traditional song is matched only by her ability to bring freshness and emotional depth to well-loved stories.
Her range as a performer continued to shine in her collaboration with Wolfscoat, contributing to an award-winning album that further affirmed her versatility and standing within the modern folk landscape.
In her latest chapter as a solo artist, Isobel unveiled her new EP, The Broken Bowl, to a sold-out audience at The Harrison in King’s Cross. The EP is a compelling distillation of her artistic strengths—lyrical sensitivity, melodic invention, and a voice that carries both fragility and power. It marks a confident evolution in her career and highlights a songwriter in full command of her craft.
Across every project, Isobel Jane Kimberley brings a rare combination of storytelling, musicianship, and emotional intelligence. Whether on stage or on record, her work invites listeners into a world of beauty, honesty, and luminous songcraft—firmly establishing her as a compelling and enduring presence in British music.
“justly gained a reputation for genre-defying performances which couple intelligent and thought provoking lyrics with top-notch musicianship to produce a unique sound and memorable live performances” Folk.Wales
“Derwentwater’s Farewell is a great platform to show Isobel Kimberley’s vocal chops which she presents with aplomb. It has strength and a powerful potential that gives the song confidence and security.” The Audiophile
“five critically acclaimed albums, and a dedicated underground following, she has built a reputation for fiercely original songwriting and emotionally resonant performance.” Folk and Roots.
Helen McCookerybook
Helen McCookerybook‘s songs cover everything from the social impact of new technology to wry observations about relationships.
Now a solo guitarist/ vocalist influenced by Linda Lewis, Nick Drake and Jake Thackray, her musical journey started as a bass player in a Brighton punk band in the late 1970s. She has been releasing solo albums since 2006, after a 25 year break.
Her previous bands The Chefs (1979-1981) and Helen and the Horns (1982-1986) were regulars on BBC Radio 1’s John Peel show and both recorded numerous sessions for him. Nowadays Radio London’s Gary Crowley and BBC6Music’s Marc Riley and Gideon Coe play her new music. Her most recent album Showtunes from the Shadows was released in 2025. Compilations of releases by both The Chefs can be found on the label Damaged Goods .
Helen has collaborated with Gina Birch as a songwriter and vocal arranger on her two releases on Third Man Records, and also performs with Gina live on occasion. She has also collaborated with Vic Godard, Lester Square, the Austrian artist Robert Rotifer and many more, and has recently released two Scottish Gaelic-language electronica songs with analogue synth artist Willie G
Helen is also an author and film maker. Her books The Lost Women of Rock Music: female musicians of the punk era and She’s at the Controls: sound engineering, production and gender ventriloquism in the 21st century, are both published by Equinox.
The film – Stories from the She-Punks is a documentary about the women who played in punk bands in the first wave of punk between 1976 and 1982. Completed by Gina Birch (The Raincoats) and Helen Reddington (McCookerybook) in 2016, it features interviews with most of the key British punk women guitarists, drummers, bass players and more.
Catherine Hiesiger
Catherine Hiesiger is a singer-songwriter whose Americana-rooted storytelling carries the warmth of memory and the bite of truth. Raised in Oklahoma, she carved her creative path through New York and Santa Fe before finding her current home in the UK—each place leaving its imprint on the voice she brings to the page and the stage.
Her songs draw from the intimate corners of life: the tender, the weathered, the quietly defiant. Known for her lyrical honesty and melodic subtlety, she writes with a clarity that invites listeners in close. Influences such as Janis Ian, Nanci Griffith, Cheryl Wheeler, and other American folk greats echo gently through her work, though her sound remains distinctly her own.
Catherine is currently shaping her debut project, set for release in the summer of 2026—a collection that weaves personal history, lived experience, and a deep emotional intelligence into a single, evolving musical narrative. With each song, she continues to build a body of work dedicated to connection, resonance, and the stories only she can tell.
