FOLK-pop band Stornoway have been added to the line-up of this year's Towersey Festival.

The Cowley-based band will also be joined on the bill by singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, who plays the date as part of what she has called her "last major world tour", organisers have revealed.

They join previously announced acts Bellowhead and Show Of Hands for the 51st installment of the independently-run festival, which this year moves to a new location away from its traditional home in Towersey village, to Thame Showground.

Other names added to the expanded festival line-up today, include multi-award nominated duo Chris While and Julie Matthews, Kizzy Crawford, Lisbee Stainton and Luke Daniels.

"We’ve very pleased to be adding Joan Armatrading and Stornoway to an already great Towersey bill,” says Festival Director Joe Heap. “Stornoway are one of the biggest, and most original, bands to come out of Oxfordshire over the last decade, while Joan is a phenomenal singer-songwriter whose work spans pop, jazz, blues and acoustic."

He added: "They’re both great additions to a four-day festival line-up that features some of the best acoustic acts from across the UK and further afield.

"After our Golden Jubilee last year, 2015’s festival is already shaping up to be one of our best ever!”

Formed at Oxford Brookes University and a familiar fixture at local venues and festivals, Stornoway went on to find international success with their 2010 debut album Beachcomber’s Windowsill (featuring the hit track, Zorbing - which name-checks Cowley). It went on to sell 100,000 copies.

They were boosted by an appearance on BBC TV's Later...With Jools Holland - teh only unsigned act to do have played the show, at the time.

Oxford Mail:

Towersey bound: Joan Armatrading

The four-piece - Brian Briggs, Jonathan Ouin, Oli Steadman and Rob Steadman - have since made acclaimed appearances at Glastonbury, Womad, Truck, Wilderness, The Big Feastival, London’s Barbican Centre and Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre.

Their third full-length studio album, Bonxie will be released on April 13. It takes its name from a Hebridean seabird, also known as the great skua, and was produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters, Twin Atlantic). 

* The festival runs from Friday 28 to Monday 31 August. Tickets start at £120 for the weekend. Youth and child tickets are also available. Go to towerseyfestival.com

More on Stornoway and new album Bonxie here...