Birmingham's unsigned Conservatoire Folk Ensemble talk tours, festivals and creativity

The rise of the internet has brought all kinds of weird and wonderful styles to our attention. It's fantastic - more artists than ever before are being given a platform and pedestal. But it does mean it is harder and less of a challenge to stumble across something that really speaks to you.

That is where the Conservatoire Folk Ensemble step in. Tellingly linked to the award-winning musical venue of the same name, this collection of Birmingham residents and students based in the Second City have one aim - to create.

Their numbers fluctuate from academic year to year - at the moment, they consist of 67 members - and all are aged between 18 and 22 and study at the Conservatoire.

And the rules are loose. Band leader Joe Broughton, their only real constant member, just wants them to follow the 'folk process' of songwriting, meaning it would be a mistake to think of them as just a traditional folk band.

"I want them to follow the folk process," he tells us, "to tell their own story and pass it on. The music here can be very varied. It could be anything - traditional folk, or we've even used heavy metal before.

"It's not an ultra-traditional folk movement. My roll is to get people to create music by doing something that they want to hear, not anyone else."

It's a role Joe has been orchestrating now for 21 years. And one of his biggest tasks is finding a way to fuse the cultures and styles brought into the practice room each week. Currently he is working with students from places like Bulgaria, Taiwan, Spain and Italy.

"Obviously it influences the music people bring," Joe continues. "People bring ideas and it gets the West Midlands treatment.

"Music is successful when it is genuine. It's not just hap-hazard. We stand 67 in a room this year and there's no music stand or music sheets. People just find the notes to play."

This creative process couldn't be more evident than in their new mini-album - Sleepy Maggie + Remixes Reworkings and Rarities. It was just supposed to be one song laid down. But everyone had different ideas and quickly it became 10 versions of the traditional tune.

"We had everything that turned into 4:20 of craziness. We had Bulgarian groove, a ska bass line and a big break-down in the middle with opera.

"It's a good track to make but it all got out of hand and all of a sudden it's a full-on project.

"There's an incredible amount of imagination on this album. One version could be an Adele Bond song. One is a crazy Chinese thing. And one is heavily drum 'n' bass. It's all different things."

And it obviously works, because people want to hear them play. Not all of them at once mind because of logistical difficulties.

"We go everywhere on a coach so as it is a 50-seater coach we don't ever take more than 50 members. It started as a small club here or an arts centre there and it just grew. Tours became 10-to-15 shows and it just grows gradually which is what interests me. I like building a sustainable audience to keep us going."

They've been to some pretty impressive places along the way, too. King of these is London's Royal Albert Hall where they took part in a special series of performances bringing the Proms to a new, younger audience. They were asked to write a modern and relevant version of Proms anthem Land Of Hope And Glory and it went down a storm, too.

"It was an updated and modern version of the music and it had everyone up on their feet and was joined in by thousands.

"We were also asked to write a Birmingham host city song for the Olympic Games in 2012. As the torch was toured round we played it and received some great messages from the public."

They've also composed their own one-day festival, too. The fifth edition of Power Folk will take place at The Spotted Dog in Digbeth - with tickets already having sold out long ago.

"It's the fifth year of the festival," Joe explains. "It's actually sold out, you always have to get your tickets in early. It suddenly got very popular.

"We can only get about 300 people in there and 100 are musicians. There's a barbecue under cover outside and it's a great atmosphere."

And asked if they had thought about upgrading, Joe replied: "Expanding is not always the answer. The Spotted Dog is so unique and special. We are happy where we are."

It's a busy summer for the band too. They are currently on tour - culminating in Power Folk 5 - and also have slots to perform at Green man Festival in South Wales and Kendal Calling in Cumbria.

"It's a unique band," Joe says. "It's not an orchestra, it's this big ball of energy. It really is a uniquely huge sound and you can always tell from people's faces who hasn't seen us before."

And with the ever-changing line-up of musicians, would Joe ever let it get bigger?

"No, no - God no!" he replies. "Every year in October some leave as they graduate and some join. It means it never gets boring.

"It has a cycle and obviously we have less gigs after October as the newbies bed in. I spend my time cutting everything down to a workable size.

"When someone joins my favourite part is seeing them at their first practice and their eyes just light up and they start dancing when they get it. That's the point of the band."

For gig listings and future festival announcements click here.