Kate Arnold

‘This is magical, magnificent, meticulous music, feeding the head while filling the heart.’   (A Specs)

Now performing as a solo artist, Kate previously fronted ‘punk baroque’ band Fear of the Forest. Classically trained on violin and vocals, most of her work is now based around the hammered dulcimer, often using live-looping and real-time electronic effects. Recently she has performed with Lindy-Fay Hella of Wardruna (‘Vikings’), supported Jo Quail and Thomas Truax, and contributed to albums by Jim Bob (Carter USM), The Monochrome Set and Paul Morricone. She has worked with Lisa KnappDaemonia Nymphe, Rose McDowall and Doudou Cissoko, and with producers Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies etc) and Tony Visconti (David Bowie etc). 

Kate released her two-part electro-medievalist recording project, ROTA FORTUNAE, in 2020 and 2021. She is now working on a new album drawing partly on material encountered during her current PhD research on medieval crusade songs and their Arabic counterparts, anti-Frankish jihad poems.

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Kate is currently based in London, UK.