In his early teens, Sennen Timcke found his grandparents’ collection of folk cassettes in their attic. Dusting them off, he made his first discovery of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor – as well as his own uncle, who recorded music as a young man. Inspired by the honesty and authenticity of 70s folk artists, Sennen taught himself guitar and piano, and began writing his own music. Today, his work continues to draw on these auspicious roots while incorporating a contemporary folk-pop sensibility entirely his own. In Sennen Timcke, one finds a storyteller’s soaring vocals, compellingly original melodies and subtly political lyrics, all drawn together with the rhythmic assurance of his life-long immersion in classic American and British folk. Throughout his work, Sennen seeks to engage listeners in a quest for human connection, whether that be through the simple clarity of songwriting and singing or by an engagement with the physical space that binds us – a concert hall, a city street, an open plain. With a deft finger-picking and rhythmic guitar playing style, described as “gorgeously atmospheric” (BBC Introducing), Sennen’s work demonstrates his commitment to keeping space for honest and intimate performance in today’s highly-produced music culture.

His debut album, ‘Earthly Delights’, is an enquiry into connection; connection to oneself, to each other and to the world we inhabit. Drawing inspiration from such diverse muses as the art of Hieronymus Bosch, Buddhist philosophy, articles on surfing, the activism of Joanna Macy or the writings of Johann Hari, ‘Earthly Delights’ moves deftly from intimate introspection to vibrant poetic polemic. Across 13 songs, haunting lyrics and timeless vocals lead us on a Homeric journey across ever-shifting landscapes, from the Garden of Eden to visions of dystopian apocalypse. “Bear witness” is Timcke’s personal battle-cry in his search for belonging amongst digital artefacts, ancient worlds and fragmented memories. His songs are signals; the listener is first invited to engage with the honesty of his emotion – be it love, doubt or grief – before discovering that, within the pain, each contains an enquiry or a message, to be ignored at one’s own peril.

‘Earthly Delights’ features electric guitar by Alex Haines and is produced by Chris Hyson (The Magic Lantern, Jordan Rakei, Alison Sudol). Through an instinctive collaboration, Hyson creates a rich soundscape around Timcke’s distinctive guitar and vocals, serving each song in their pursuit of a question that can be at times intimate and isolating, at others grand and universal.