Lisa Knapp

Lisa Knapp (born 1974 in Balham)^[1] is an English folk singer, songwriter, fiddle player and multi-instrumentalist. Her singing voice has been described as "crystal clear" and reminiscent of Anne Briggs or Jeannie Robertson.^[1] Two of her three albums have received five-starred reviews in the British national press.

Early life

Lisa Knapp was born in 1974 in Balham in South London^[1] and raised in Tooting, also in South London.^[2]

Albums

Her debut album, Wild and Undaunted, released in 2007, was Mojo 's Folk Album of the Year. It includes a cover version of Lal Waterson's song "Black Horse".^[3]

Colin Irwin gave her 2013 album Hidden Seam, which included contributions by Martin Carthy and Kathryn Williams, five stars in a review for The Observer.^[4] The lyrics of the album's opening track, "Shipping Song", derive from BBC Radio 4's Shipping Forecast.^[5] Another song from the album, "Two Ravens", took the award for Best Original Song at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2014.^[6]

Till April is Dead – A Garland Of May, Knapp's 2017 concept album about the month of May, "twists tradition... mixing in interviews about May Day rituals and samples of birdsong, buzzing flies and cuckoo clocks".^[7] It received a five-starred review in The Guardian from Jude Rogers who described it as "overflowing with warmth, light and waywardness". "Knapp’s voice throughout", she said, "is a revelation, both pure and wild, springing free".^[8] Writing in The Observer, Neil Spencer gave four stars to Till April is Dead – A Garland for May, which he described as completing "a trio of extraordinary albums".^[9] Thomas Blake, for Folk Radio UK, said that the album "seeks to understand old songs and traditions in modern and often highly original ways. It is a real step forward from a genuinely groundbreaking artist".^[10]

Personal life

Knapp is married to musician Gerry Diver, who co-produces her albums.^[11]

Discography

Albums

• Wild and Undaunted (2007), Ear to the Ground Music ETTGCD 001
• Hidden Seam (2013), Navigator Records NAVIGATOR 084
• Till April is Dead – A Garland Of May (2017), Ear to the Ground Music ETTGM 003CD
• Hinterland (with Gerry Diver) (2025), Ear to the Ground Music BODQTSR7S6

EPs

• Hunt the Hare – A Branch Of May (2012), Ear to the Ground Music

Other musical contributions

Knapp sang "The Blacksmith" and "Bonnie at Morn" on Gerry Diver's album, Diversions (2002)^[11] and also performed on two of the tracks on David Rotheray's 2013 album Answer Ballads.^[12] She also sang "A Promise That I Keep" for the theme song for the Wolfblood series 1–3. She is also a member of the trio Hack-Poets Guild; their album Blackletter Garland was named one of the ten best folk albums of 2023 by Jude Rogers of The Guardian.^[13]