I’ve just sent my second ‘secret song’ to my Patreon membership group – a song that has never been released on an album or performed in public.

Some songs fall out of my head in a day, others don’t get completed for years. I started this song in January 2008 but didn’t finish it until April 2020 when we were back living in the Australian bush and the world was in lockdown. The fear and anxiety I shared with millions of others triggered a bipolar manic episode during which I wrote 32 new songs (some of which ended up on my album ‘A Light To Follow’ and the new album I’m currently working on). Suddenly the initial words I’d written for this song all those years ago made sense to me and I was able to finish the rest of the lyrics. I then arranged and orchestrated it at home (writing string arrangements for my songs is one of my favourite things to do).

If you would like to hear and download my secret songs, please visit www.patreon.com/EmilyMaguire to subscribe to my Patreon membership.  It costs just £3 a month (or $4.50 – it is an American site) for a new secret song in your inbox each month.  You can also gift membership to family or friends.  Your support of my music would be much appreciated.

I had a fantastic time playing Sandy Hill Arts in Corfe Castle last weekend.  It was sold out and there were some wonderfully familiar faces in the crowd.  Jody Prewett played a great set (he has a new album coming out very soon).  Thanks to Melissa Viney and her team for organising the gig and to Buzz (pictured) for the lovely sound.  You can watch a video of me singing my song ‘Dreaming’ on the night here.

Next up is the Red Lion Folk Club in Kings Heath, Birmingham on Wednesday 1 April then a matinee show in Camden Town with violinist Sue Lord on Saturday 11 April.  More info and tickets for all my upcoming gigs can be found on my gigs page.

I’m writing this time to let you know about my new membership group on the Patreon website.  Patreon is a well-established way for fans to become patrons and help support creators (musicians, artists, writers, podcasters etc).

Each month, for the cost of a coffee, you will be able to hear and download a song which I’ve written and recorded as a demo but have never released on an album or performed in public.  I was songwriting for 7 years before I made my first album and I’ve only made 7 albums so I’ve got so many songs that have never been heard.

I’m thrilled at the idea of being able to share with you some of these secret songs I’ve been writing over the past 25 years.  And as one of my patrons, you’ll be helping me fund the recording and release of my new albums and the costs of touring.

My first secret song is now available to hear and download.  If you would like to join my Patreon membership and become one of my patrons for £3 +VAT per month, please follow this link:

www.patreon.com/EmilyMaguire

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thanks to everyone who came to my gig at Twickfolk in London – it was so lovely to be back there again.  You can watch a video on my YouTube channel of me performing my song ‘Back Home’ there – click here to see it.

Tickets are now on sale for my next gig which will be at Cambridge Folk Club on Friday 20 February.  You can book your place here.  This is a hometown gig for me!  The next night I’m playing a last minute show at the very intimate and quirky Drawing Room in Chesham – tickets are now on sale here.

Then it’s my first gig with violinist Sue Lord at The Small Space in Barry – the smallest theatre in the UK!  If you want to be there, please book here.  After that we’re playing the wonderful room at the Dog & Fox Inn in Bradford on Avon – bookings can be made here.

If you’re not on my mailing list and would like me to let you know about my upcoming gigs and my next album release, please just enter your email address on this site and I’ll keep you posted.

I hope all’s well in your world.

xx

It’s nearly the end of the year and I’ve done my final gig of 2025 at The Old Stables in Cricklade.

After all the gigs I’ve done this year it’s extraordinary to think now that when I came back from Australia on my own in 2023 I thought my career as a singer-songwriter was over.  Dealing with a 20 year break-up at the same time as a bipolar breakdown totally floored me.  Even if I’d been mentally well enough I had no confidence I could perform on my own.

But then I started singing to friends in my sitting room and found that my songs could be performed solo.  Then I had the amazing good fortune to meet Jody Prewett, a fantastic singer-songwriter who lives in a flat upstairs from me here in Bath.  Jody has a car and a PA so we did a few small gigs before my kidney operation last December, then once I’d recovered we started touring together this year.

I have to say a huge thank you to Jody for making it possible for me to start performing again.  It has been such a pleasure touring with him and hearing his beautiful songs night after night.  You can hear him at https://jodyprewett.bandcamp.com.

I also have to say a huge thank you to all of you who have come out to support me at my gigs this year.  It’s been so lovely to see old friends and new faces and get such warm feedback.  It means the world to me and has hugely encouraged me to keep going on this road.  I also want to say a special thank you to all of you who have hosted house concerts for me this year.

Next year I’ll be doing more gigs with Jody but I’m also going to be touring with my old friend Sue Lord who is a fantastic violinist and viola player.  Dates booked so far are all on my upcoming gigs page so please save the date or book tickets now if you’d like to see us.

I’m also going to be releasing a new album which is being mixed right now by David Lord.  David is 81 years old and is renowned in the music business as a producer and composer.  I can’t quite believe my luck in meeting him here in Bath and having the opportunity to work with him.  I am really excited about how the new songs are sounding and can’t wait for you to hear them.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and hope to see you at another gig somewhere along the road…

xx`

I’m so excited to be touring next year with Sue Lord, a wonderful violinist and viola player and a very dear friend of mine.

As the first violinist of the Red Carousel string quartet, Sue has played and recorded with artists such as Peter Gabriel, Newton Faulkner, The Unthanks, The Bookshop Band, This Is The Kit, Jim Moray and The Heavy. The quartet focusses on original compositions and recording projects.

Thanks to everyone who came to my concert at Heddington Village Hall last night – Jody and I had such a great time.  Thanks to Carolyn and Chris for organising it and their friends from the village for helping out on the night.

If you would like me to come and perform in your local village hall, all you need to do is book the venue and spread the word in your community – we’ll supply the PA and the music.  Just get in touch with me to find out more.  Next year, in addition to solo gigs, I will also be touring with the wonderful violinist and viola player Sue Lord.  You can hear some of the songs here.

In the meantime, Jody and I are really looking forward to performing at the renowned Green Note venue in Camden Town, London on Monday 3 November.  If you can make it, it would be great to see you there.  You can book your tickets here.

Thanks to everyone who came to my gig at the Square and Compass pub in the Isle of Purbeck on Saturday night (and thanks to Anthony Paine for the photo).  It’s always such a special night there and a bit of a homecoming gig for me as I’ve known Worth Matravers my whole life and the pub is where I performed one of my songs in public for the very first time nearly 30 years ago.

My friend and neighbour Jody Prewett played a fantastic opening set and a particularly magical moment in the night was when my cousin Melissa Viney sang the backing vocal for my song ‘Back Home’ from the middle of the room (she’d had enough Guinness by then!).  The next day we did a house concert in Corfe Castle for some very lovely locals which was a great end to a great weekend.

My last public gigs of 2025 are at Green Note in London (Monday 3 November), Kingsmead House Concerts in High Wycombe (Sunday 23 November), and The Old Stables in Cricklade near Swindon (Thursday 11 December).  Ticket links can be found here.  Please spread the word…

I hope all’s well in your world.

xx

I’ve just made a space on my website for some of my poems – ones from my collections ‘Words With Wings’ and ‘Meditation Mind’, plus more recent ones that haven’t been published yet.  They are all stream-of-consciousness, written after my meditation practice each morning.  I seem to have this habit now of writing them – if I write something I’m happy with, I feel like I’ve done something creative to start the day.  Click here to read them.

You can also now hear me reading all the poems from ‘Words With Wings’ with their piano accompaniments.  Click here to listen.  You can download the album for free here.