Jon Wilks

Jon Wilks is an English singer, songwriter and acclaimed fingerpicking guitarist whose music draws together traditional folk, original songwriting, and a deep fascination with memory and place. His early solo albums explored the songs and musical history of Birmingham and the wider Midlands, while his more recent work has increasingly turned toward personal and autobiographical songwriting.

A former journalist and editor, Jon brings a storyteller’s instinct to both his music and live performances. His 2023 album Before I Knew What Had Begun I Had Already Lost was named Folk Album of the Month by The Guardian, while 2025’s Needless Alley explored memories of Birmingham, relationships, and the fragments of experience we carry with us. In early 2026 he released BONES, a collection of outtakes, demos and live recordings documenting the spaces between those larger projects.

Jon performs both as a solo artist and with his occasional band, The Grizzly Folk, and has collaborated and shared stages with musicians including Martin Carthy, Billy Bragg, Graham Coxon, Eliza Carthy, Jackie Oates and others across the British folk scene. His music is thoughtful, intimate and unmistakably connected to the long tradition of songs being passed from one person to another.