The Nest Collective - leading London Folk promoters and purveyors of Nu folk, Old Folk, No Folk – are thrilled to present the launch of The Ballina Whalers’ storming debut EP, ‘Lowlands’.

Lowlands explores ballads, shanties and seafaring songs that tell tales of whaling ships, lost loves, roaring storms and hardship out at sea.

The Ballina Whalers are three musical barnacles clinging to the creaking hull of a musical tradition stretching back over hundreds of years. Using just their voices they explore ballads, shanties and seafaring songs that tell tales of whaling ships, lost loves, roaring storms and hardship out at sea. Known as much for their heart-rending three-part harmonies as their lusty approach to singing shanties, St Marks beautiful Church Hall provides the perfect setting for an unamped evening exploring the songs and themes from ‘Lowlands’.

Over two very intense days and nights in a guilders workshop in the English countryside, ‘Lowlands’ was recorded live by the band around a single microphone with no overdubs or edits.

Support comes from leading emerging luminaries of the folk scene: Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker. Both classically trained, Josienne's voice and style has been compared to June Tabor, and Ben's vintage guitar and mandolin lend the perfect musical tact. Reviewers for the NME were already talking about their ‘exceptional talent’ before they won the 2012 Isambard Folk Award and the wider world started to take notice.