An evening with Pavey Ark at Cafe No9

Event information

Pavey Ark are cinematic indie-folk band from East Yorkshire. Atmospheric vocals, strings and horns glide over finger-picked guitar, melodic bass and complex percussion. The result is a beautiful orchestral-folk sound that evades immediate comparison. Upon further listening, the band’s wide range of influences start to reveal themselves – from the laid back ’60s and ’70s’ sound of Jackson C. Frank, Rodriguez and Love through to more modern comparisons like, Nick Drake, Andrew Bird, Radiohead and Laura Marling.

Known for their sublime live shows, Pavey Ark played at SXSW Texas 2025, the Glastonbury Acoustic Stage 2022 and closed Cambridge Folk Festival (Stage 3) in 2023 – huge achievements for an independent act. The band have also supported This Is The Kit, Badly Drawn Boy, Willy Mason and Billie Marten.

Pavey Ark’s debut album, Close Your Eyes and Think of Nothing received excellent reviews from UNCUT, Record Collector, Folk Radio and BBC Radio 6 Music airplay. It was chosen by the BBC Radio as one of their picks for National Album Day in 2022.
The band are built around singer-songwriter Neil Thomas. UNCUT magazine described him as one of the most promising song-writers to emerge from Humberside. A claim all too clear on the new album as songs twist and turn often arriving at unexpected conclusions. Beautiful, uplifting and meticulously crafted, More Time, More Speed explores the theme of time and is an album for those who truly love to listen.

The album was almost entirely self-recorded. Captured in a make-shift studio in a converted farm building near Hull. The changing seasons and landscape on the working farm weaving its way into the fabric of the album. The backbone of the album was mixed by Paul Butler, frontman of English indie band The Bees. Now based in Los Angeles Paul has produced albums for Michael Kiwanuka, Andrew Bird and Teskey Brothers. Pavey Ark also worked with composer and producer Adrian McNally (The Unthanks) who led the live string quartet studio session and co-produced and mixed three songs on the new album. More Time, More Speed, is due for release 21st November 2025.

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Please note this ticket price DOES include a BYOB fee should you wish to bring alcohol to the venue.

All additional purchases of drinks and sweet treats from the cafe counter are always very much appreciated.