Rising Folk: George Boomsma

George Boomsma makes his debut at the Glass Studio on Friday 23 October, part of the Rising Folk series at St George's Bristol. It's not a standard gig: alongside the music, Boomsma will be talking with Ant Miles about his creative inspirations, so you'll hear the songs and the stories behind them in the same evening.

Boomsma is a guitarist, songwriter and singer, and the names that come up when people describe his sound — Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, Ron Sexsmith — give you a good sense of where he sits. It's the quiet, melodic end of folk, with the guitar and the voice doing most of the heavy lifting. Mark Radcliffe of BBC Radio 2 has called him a skilled guitarist, a distinctive songwriter and a fine singer, which sums up the three things he brings to the stage.

His writing stays close to home. He writes mostly about personal territory: family, relationships, grief, mental health and the everyday navigation of life in your twenties and thirties. His 2026 album, The Bracken And Tread, grew out of his travel experiences through Nepal, and Lauren Laverne of BBC Radio 6 called it 'gorgeous'. Between the songs and the conversation with Ant Miles, you'll get a look at how those travels and those personal themes end up in the music.

The show is part of the Rising Folk / Rising Stars series at St George's Bristol, runs about two hours and is suitable for ages 14 and over. Tickets are £14, with a 9% booking fee on online and phone orders and a £2.50 postage fee where applicable. It starts at 7.30pm at the Glass Studio, St George's Bristol, Great George Street, BS1 5RR.