True to its name, the Staffordshire Moorlands district is home to some of the most beautiful moors in the country. The moorlands are known for locations like Axe Edge and the Peak District, which attract tourists near and far. Stretching back centuries, sites like Thor’s Cave and the Roaches have inspired local artists—and perhaps none more so than musicians.
Though not created within the Staffordshire Moorlands boundaries, moorlands-inspired music has contributed to the development of the country music scenes in Great Britain and Ireland. In fact, these influences can still be felt around the world, including the folk traditions common in North America that focus on the violin and banjo.
In homage to these lasting traditions, we break down two of the top moorlands-inspired artists creating country music today. First, we cover the obsession with folk traditions, then cover two unique musical groups: Sarah Copus and Moorland Songs.
The Country Music Obsession
Both groups covered below, Moorland Winds and Moorland Songs, continue centuries-old country music traditions. These involve certain instruments, such as the fiddle, bodhrán, violin, and whistle. They draw on stories and traditions from places like the Hebrides and from periods like the early Baroque music in England.
In fact, even in the most unlikely of places, these types of country-folk influences can still be felt. For example, not many would think casino gaming holds any intersection with folk tunes and old-time traditions. However, specialized online platforms with daily picks and titles focus on folk themes with games like Dublin Up and Merlin’s Revenge.
Both include symbols, characters, and settings reminiscent of Great Britain and Ireland—and each has a catchy folk tune playing in the background. In other words, the theme wouldn’t be complete without a relaxing song that features string instruments, flutes, harps, and the haunting crooning associated with folk music from the moors.
Moorland Winds, Sarah Copus
In 2017, Irish composer Sarah Copus (of 2002 fame) released Moorland Winds. The 14-track project was released by Galactic Playground Music, and featured a mashup of some of the artist’s favourite songs. Some, like ‘Gleanntáin Ghlas’ Ghoath Dobhair’ were borrowed (with permission) from other folk artists, while others, like ‘Fields of Gold’, came from major artists like Sting.
Copus sticks to vocals and harp, working with other artists who play the fiddle, bodhrán, violin, whistle, and guitar to put a folk stamp on songs of all stripes. In addition to the songs mentioned above, Copus’ Moorland Winds also takes on folk songs from Hebrides (‘Wind on the Moor’) and traditional hornpipes (‘Rights of Man / Off to California’).
Some of Copus’ strongest ballads stretch back centuries in origin. For example, ‘Buttercup Spree’ is inspired by jigs dating back to the late 1800s, while ‘Dawning of the Day’ was originally composed by Thomas Connellan back in the mid-to-late 1600s.
Return Home, Moorland Songs
Back in 2021, Moorland Songs hit the scene with three separate releases: The White Birch, Return Home, and Farewell to Ennerdale Water. The releases have been positively received by fans of folk music and included in various public playlists. The artist works independently, without a representing label. To date, the group has contributed songs like ‘Runaway Reel’ and ‘Dancing Ted’ on compilations that feature other artists, such as the Crates (Ingrid Addition) compilation album.
The compilation album comes from Epidemic Sound, which creates public playlists. Here, Moorland Songs is highlighted as the folk voice amid an 18-track sample platter of traditional music. However, there’s little known about Moorland Songs as an artist. Unlike Sarah Copus and legends like Clannad, The McCalmans, and Vashti Bunyan, Moorland Songs is a new and largely unknown quantity in the industry.
So far, the artist has released music on Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, and Deezer—to name a few. But with limited follows and no profile information, fans are now waiting for a new release. To date, Moorland Songs’ three albums include only seven tracks. The most popular, ‘Mountain Solitude’, now has over 150,000 plays on Spotify.
