Photo by James Westlake
Combining rhythmic fingerstyle guitar, 'refreshingly bold' storytelling and a voice that ‘evokes Joni Mitchell at her very best’ according to Folk Radio UK, Zoë Wren puts a contemporary twist on her folk influences. Since starting out as a London Underground busker, Zoë has played on stages from Cambridge Folk Festival to Glastonbury, to opening for Ralph McTell, and she now livestreams on Twitch to thousands of viewers worldwide each week. Her songs have been heard on BBC Radio 2 and London Live and featured in Clash Magazine, and her debut album Reckless River was named Fatea's Debut Album of the Year 2020.
Zoë has also appeared on The One Show, BBC One, promoting her work with music and dementia for charity Live Music Now. A previous winner of the PRS Lynsey de Paul Prize, Zoë’s album was supported by grants from the Alan Surtees Trust and the Drake YolanDa Award, as well as the generous contributions of her community on Twitch. Performing a range of acoustic and looped music, Zoë is a Twitch Partner, and has hosted a panel on music livestreaming at TwitchCon Amsterdam. Zoë also performs with Jasmine Watkiss as duo Roswell, winners of Purbeck Rising 2018 and Celtic Connections Danny Kyle finalists 2021.
REVIEWS of debut album reckless river
“Zoë is now standing shoulder to shoulder with the best singer songwriters around. This is a debut album of astonishing quality ... Fantastic from start to finish, this is a record you’ll want to listen to again and again.”
“Zoë has produced a mature, exquisitely well-crafted album of great beauty and listening pleasure, deserving of a wide audience. [Reckless River] confirms her place at the high table of the current crop of the country’s young singer-songwriters.”
“Steeped in the very best of classic contemporary and traditional folk from both sides of the Atlantic, blessed with a pure, emotive voice that flows across her melodies like a clear stream”
“A showcase for Zoë’s songwriting credentials, her distinctive voice and her classy fretboard mastery”
“Hearing the opening track Smoky Sunrise transported me back to my first hearing of Joni Mitchell’s album Song To A Seagull even before I picked out the line “Only Joni knows how blue I’m feeling now.””
“Wren’s crystal clear but warming vocals are simply outstanding ... When listening to Wren sing it seems that no one else matters.”
“An excellent musician and an inspiring songwriter”
