Chris While & Julie Matthews

Chris While and Julie Matthews are the longest-lasting female duo in Britain and have played more than 3,000 gigs, appeared on over 100 albums, written hundreds of original songs and reached millions of people around the world. Now, 30 years after their debut, they sound as fresh and vital as ever. Chris & Julie are generally regarded as folk/singer-songwriters but their outlook is more akin to the DIY philosophy of punk. Their story is remarkable, one of two empowered women doing it their way, without compromise. They run their own label and publishing company; record and produce their albums from their own studio; perform all their own material, and have always valued their complete autonomy and creative freedom. And all from a small village near Sheffield, nearly 200 miles north of the London-centric UK music industry. Their songs are varied and colourful and draw inspiration from the overtly political to key social issues and real-life human stories.