Songwriter behind Mercury Prize-nominated act returns to Barnoldswick

John Bramwell, the extraordinary singer, guitarist and songwriter behind the Mercury Prize-nominated I Am Kloot, is set to return to Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre later this year for an exclusive two-night residency.

Bramwell, who was famously described by the New York Times as "the UK's finest export”, will return to Barnoldswick on Monday, December 28th, and Tuesday, December 29th, and the intimate Music & Arts Centre promises to be the perfect setting to experience one of Britain's greatest living songwriters at the very height of his powers.

For over three decades, Bramwell has quietly become one of the most revered songwriters this country has ever produced. Never one to chase trends or commercial fashions, he has built a catalogue founded on honesty, vulnerability, wit and breathtaking lyrical beauty. The accolades have followed naturally.

Long before I Am Kloot became one of Britain's most beloved alternative bands, Bramwell had already become something of a Manchester legend.

As Johnny Dangerously, he released the now mythical You, Me and the Alarm Clock; he fronted bands; and he presented Granada Television's Express! and became one of the city's most colourful musical characters before forming I Am Kloot in 1999 alongside bassist Peter Jobson and drummer Andy Hargreaves.

What followed was one of the great British success stories.

Albums such as Natural History, Hope Is Important, Gods and Monsters, Play Moolah Rouge, I Am Kloot, The Sky At Night and Let It All In established the trio as one of Britain's most respected bands.

Produced by Guy Garvey and Craig Potter of Elbow, The Sky At Night earned a prestigious Mercury Prize nomination, while the band's final studio album, Let It All In, became their first UK Top Ten album. Yet despite the acclaim, Bramwell's songwriting never lost its humanity. Every lyric still felt deeply personal, painfully honest and beautifully understated.

Since embarking on his solo career, Bramwell has achieved further acclaim. His acclaimed 2024 album The Light Fantastic has been celebrated as one of the finest records of his career. Written following the loss of both his parents, the songs somehow transform grief into hope, warmth and astonishing beauty. Bramwell has explained that many of the lyrics emerged from dreams during that difficult period, creating an album filled with imagination, optimism and emotional honesty.

Tickets are available at https://www.barnoldswickmusicandartscentre.com/john-bramwell-2026