Folk singer-songwriter to perform in Leigh this spring

Sarah McQuaid, known for her captivating live shows and atmospheric blend of folk, blues, and contemporary covers, will play at the Leigh Film Factory on May 2, as part of a 67-date UK and EU tour.

Opening her shows with the gentle lyric: "Settle down, and I’ll try to make a soothing sound," Ms McQuaid delivers on that promise with a set shaped by warm vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, floor tom drum, and keys, all layered through looping technology to create an organic soundscape.

Her set is a mix of original songs - ranging from contemplative ballads to playful blues and instrumental pieces - with the occasional folk standard or classic cover.

Born in Spain, raised in Chicago, and now living in rural England after years in Ireland, Ms McQuaid is as multinational as her music.

She said: "I'm so incredibly grateful to all the crowdfunding contributors who helped to make the studio possible.

"There’s no way I could be performing some of the new material live in concert without having had the space to rehearse it in.

"Even with all the generous support I’ve received, the building work has put me into deeper debt than I’ve ever been in before — but I don’t regret the financial outlay for one second, because it’s been life-changing.

"Hopefully this huge tour will help me to recoup some of the costs."

The tour is timed alongside the recording of her new album in a self-built studio in Cornwall, funded by a successful crowdfunding campaign.

The space has allowed Ms McQuaid and her manager and sound engineer, Martin Stansbury, to develop custom stage lighting for each song in the live set.

Mr Stansbury, who has worked with Ms McQuaid since 2008, will record, mix, and produce the new album.

He said: "The idea is to have the Garage Sessions become an ongoing series and to get a few guests in to collaborate with Sarah on future live performance videos from Sarah’s Garage, which we’re going to stick with as the studio name."