Rob Heron & Conrad Bird

Rob Heron and Conrad Bird bring their UK tour to The Voodoo Rooms on Friday 20 November, with both playing as solo artists. It's a double bill of two songwriters each promoting a new release, and the Edinburgh date is one stop on a run that takes them across the country.

Heron comes from the Lake District and is now based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. For the last fifteen years he's toured the world with his band, The Tea Pad Orchestra, folding classic country, gypsy-swing, rhythm & blues and rockabilly into his original songs. He's known as much for his live performances as for his dry stage humour, and has shared stages with Americana acts like Pokey LaFarge, The Dead South and Sierra Ferrell. This year he's recording his first solo record since 2008, so this is a look at him working on his own rather than with the full band.

Conrad Bird is from North Yorkshire and spent more than a decade fronting the festival act Holy Moly & The Crackers. He's returning to his roots here with a new solo EP of poetic folk songs and Dylan-inspired balladeering. Between the two of them, you've got Heron's country and swing leaning one way and Bird's folk and Dylan-esque songwriting the other, and both are playing from new material.

The gig is in The Speakeasy at The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, EH2 2AA, starting at 7:30pm. Tickets are £15, and it's an over-18s only show.