Yoshika Colwell + Caitlin Gilligan
Schedule
Sat, 06 Dec, 2025 at 07:00 pm
UTC+00:00Location
Low Four Studio | Manchester, EN
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On The Wing is the debut album from Yoshika Colwell, released in July by Blue Flowers (Rosie Lowe, Gotts Street Park, Puma Blue). A captivating and sophisticated collection of eleven songs that traverse the outer regions of folk, it is a record of acceptance and self-discovery, rooted in solitude and personal healing, from one of the UK’s most exciting new singer-songwriters.Previous singles Last Night and Fighting On The Wing both feature on the album, as well as There’s Got To Be A Loser Babe, which features a perfect visual accompaniment from Tilly Wace, who has collaborated with Yoshika on all the album’s creative.
Life, for us all, comes in seasons: the bitter frosts and balmy awakenings that herald the literal passing of time, but also the periods of retreat and re-emergence that bookmark our own individual paths along this mortal coil. For Yoshika, the last decade has found her existing at both ends of the spectrum. Following a period of complete dislocation fuelled by a move to a new town, lockdown and a traumatic break-up all striking in quick succession, it would take a stretch of restorative isolation to bring her back to full creative and personal health. Now, however, all of that sadness and pain, acceptance and slow-dawning hope has been channeled into On The Wing.
Speaking about the album, she says:
‘This album is a bit of a shrine I suppose to all of the pivotal experiences that shaped me during my twenties and it’s also, I feel, a tentative lean towards hopefulness for the future.
‘It is, at its core, an album about acceptance and release, and freedom from old binds. It was an extremely emotional and cathartic record to make. It was a challenge to put all of the things I was scared to say into these songs, to finally let them out of my head without shying away from the ugly or unpalatable emotions, but it felt like the only thing to do.
‘The process felt quite ritualistic, akin to writing down the things you know you need to let go of on a piece of paper and burning it.'
Produced by Oli Bayston (Barry Can’t Swim, Rachel Chinouriri), the album was recorded at Studio Orbb, where Yoshika recorded her critically acclaimed debut EP There’s A Time. Since then, a string of releases have seen support from The New Cue, BBC 6 Music, Paste, The Line of Best Fit and Stereogum, to name a few, whilst Yoshika has played her first shows in the US at SxSW and a sold-out London headline at the Moth Club. This summer she played The Great Escape, Moseley Folk Festival and End of the Road.
Special guest is Caitlin Gilligan. Scottish folk musician Caitlin Gilligan hails from the rolling hills of rural Galloway. Though now based in Liverpool, her songs still echo the wildness of her youth. Weaving age-old folk songs into sets of bare-boned and poetically-crafted originals, she demonstrates refreshing insight whilst simultaneously summoning the voices of times gone by. She draws much inspiration from folk giants such as Anne Briggs, Nick Drake and Lankum as well as traditional vocal music of Scotland, Ireland and America.
This show takes place at Low Four – a recording studio situated on Deansgate Mews in the Great Northern warehouse. This intimate venue features a fully stocked Cloudwater bar.
This is a 14+ show. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Price: £14 adv
Info/tickets: https://www.heymanchester.com/yoshika-colwell#info
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Where is it happening?
Low Four Studio, Municipal Bar, 265 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 4, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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