John Dearness of Deep Roots takes inspiration from a wide spectrum of music and enjoys incorporating many styles to set the scene for the stories he tells through his songs.
His Jade albums are very much inspired by Orkney: the place, people, past, present and future. In them he employs folk, country and bluegrass styles he has grown up listening to and playing.
The band for the folk festival comprises of John Dearness (guitar and vocals), Elizabeth Duncan (fiddle, bass and vocals), Erik Laughton (percussion), and Douglas Montgomery (fiddle).