Wilton's

Following their acclaimed performances at this year’s South By South West festival, Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear announce their debut UK show.

At home, Madisen and Ruth Ward are family members. Onstage, they're the leading members of Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear, a soulful folk band whose sound is anchored by twin guitars and two big, booming voices.

The music started in Kansas City, where Madisen grew up watching his mom perform cover songs at local coffeeshops. Before long, he was writing his own tunes, mixing the old-world influence of his family's folk records with the unchained, energetic stomp of modern-day rock & roll. The two began playing entire shows together, ditching the cover songs in favor of Madisen's original material. Both sang, both played guitar, and both watched as their band's audience slowly grew.

Madisen Ward & Mama Bear's songs spin tall tales (and a few biographical truths) about life in the Midwest. They unfold like short stories, with Madisen — who grew up writing fiction — preferring to cut things off before any sort of ending can be reached. Produced by Jim Abbiss, known for his award winning work with Arctic Monkeys and Adele, Skeleton Crew captures Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear in their most natural setting. With help from a handful of session musicians, the two Wards captured the sound they'd been making since those coffeeshop days — a mix of folk, rock and driving roots music that nods to the past while still pushing forward.

The family connection may be unique, but this is a duo that is purely about the music.