Yasmin Williams & Gwenifer Raymond

Yasmin Williams and Gwenifer Raymond are both subverting the predominantly white male canon of solo guitarists.

Williams employs a striking range of techniques, from evocative fingerpicking guitar to using every limb: one hand on the fretboard, the other plucking a kalimba whilst her feet keep rhythm in tap shoes.

Her sophomore record Urban Driftwood highlights her powerful compositional storytelling.

Raymond’s journey started in punk outfits in the Welsh Valleys she grew up in before she delved into Appalachian folk, pre-war blues and American Primitive guitar players. Raymond’s second album Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain showcases her singular potency and fusion of different folk traditions.