Brighton has always been a breeding ground for new bands and exploratory music. With Willkommen Collective – a loose-knit community of musicians and bands turned record label (sharing lo-fi, nu-folk, alt-country roots) – the city now has a bona fide scene to rival Fife’s much-touted Fence Collective.

The Leisure Society

The Leisure Society is the brain child of Nick Hemming and Christian Hardy. Hemming has written and recorded music for the films Dead Man's Shoes and A Room for Romeo Brass by This Is England director Shane Meadows. He was the guitarist with Creation Records shoegazers The Telescopesas well as She Talks To Angels alongside Meadows and actor Paddy Considine (24 Hour Party People; Hot Fuzz). Championed by Mark Radcliffe ('absolutely heavenly’), their wistful chamber folk was recently voted landslide Record of the Week on Radcliffe and Maconie’s BBC Radio 2 show.

**** "Wonderful" - OBSERVER MUSIC MONTHLY

**** "An autumnal mist of British Bank Holiday ennui surrounds Nick Hemming's literate meditations." - THE TIMES

**** "Beautifully pastoral debut." - MOJO

**** "As intimate as Leonard Cohen and as mysterious as Love. Resets the goal posts." - ARTROCKER

"Magical... shimmers with loveliness" - WORD

"Wondrous debut. Our Singer/Songwriter Album of The Year." - iTunes

"Unflinching clarity and a sense of longing...a uniquely British take on Americana; almost as if Scott Walker or Nick Drake had 'gone country', making music for coalminers rather than cowboys." - INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

"Fragile, beautifully orchestrated and restrained." - THE GUARDIAN

"Album of the week : A perfect and timeless album of wintry romanticism that will warm your soul." - ROUGH TRADE


Sons Of Noel and Adrian

The Willkommen’s post-folk orchestra, Sons of Noel and Adrian, originally hail from the Midlands. This ever-evolving troupe of like-minded musical folk ventured southwards two years ago, gathering reinforcements en route, before settling in the city by the sea. Their music ranges from shanty to Schoenberg, from deep underground to just above the surface.