Emily Portman is an award-winning singer and songwriter with a passion for traditional songs, hailed as “one of the new British folk scene’s most beguiling presences” (Uncut).

She has toured widely for over 15 years as a bandleader, with The Furrow Collective, the folk chart-topping Sea Song Sessions, and in a duo with Leveret’s Rob Harbron. Emily was awarded a BBC Folk Award for Best Original Song and has released three critically acclaimed albums of original material that recast old ballads and fairytales into new shapes.

In 2026, Emily returns to the road with an inspired new live show previewing songs from her forthcoming solo album, Dominion of Spells, due for release in May 2026, alongside selected material from across her acclaimed catalogue. Her March tour will coincide with the release of “Fox’s Song,” a single from the new album. The song explores midlife transformation in a contemporary retelling of the Siberian folktale The One-Eyed Man and the Woman-Vixen.

Dominion of Spells marks a bold new chapter in Emily’s songwriting. Drawing on ballads and folktales, the album weaves lived experience with rich mythic imagery, charting a journey through dark woods at midlife in search of transformation and wonder. Shape-shifting selkies, fairy queens, foxes, and owl goddesses thread through contemporary story-songs exploring parenthood, home, burnout, grief, and the transformative power of creativity.

The new songs are brought vividly to life with a fresh live line-up featuring sought-after guitarist Louis Campbell and acclaimed cellist Lucy Revis (Before Breakfast). Together they create a richly layered yet understated sound world, with Emily’s luminous vocals, banjo, and piano at the centre, woven through crystalline harmonies, lush strings, and interweaving electric and acoustic guitars.

Audiences can expect an intimate, spellbinding performance where traditional influences meet contemporary storytelling. This preview tour offers an early glimpse into Dominion of Spells, an evening of vivid, songs steeped in mythic imagination.

Praise for Coracle:
‘Entrancing and unsettling. A marvellous, original work’ Observer
‘A tribute to her powerful imagination’ Living Tradition
‘Spooky and surreal’ Guardian
‘Together with her previous two albums The Glamoury and Hatchlings, Emily has created an immaculate triptych of darkly brilliant songs. Make sure to be a completist and get this in your life.’ English Dance and Song Magazine
“An intensely luminous collection of songs whose articulate lyrics, virtuoso performances and intricate arrangements never overshadow the very real humanity which is at the heart of it all.” Folk Radio UK
“Intense and alluring” Fatea

photo credit: Camilla Greenwell

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