Andy Smythe with Jimmy Van Lin on mandolin/fiddle

As part of Herne Bay Folk we have Andy Smythe, one of the UK’s most prolific and respected songwriters.

Based in Greenwich he’s produced nine studio albums and has played at festivals, theatres and folk clubs across the country.  He has supported Texas and Peggy Seeger on tour and has been signed to various record labels in the UK and USA.  His vocal delivery with his signature vibrato has been compared favourably with Jeff Buckley and Russ Wainwright. 

Andy performs live on guitar/blues harp and stage piano to give a thought-provoking and entertaining set.  He combines poetic storytelling about historical injustice with modern day ‘protest songs’. 

As a songwriter he has earned plaudits from Mike Scott of The Waterboys and national publications such as Record Collector, RnR and Shindig. Record Collector describe his most recent album ‘Quiet Revolution’ (2026) as being  ‘classy and colourful pop’, whereas ‘Get Ready to Rock’ describe him as ‘a songwriter with integrity’.  He’s recently been featured on John Kerr’s ‘The Late Show’ on BBC Radio Ulster.