Sink or Swim presents Alison Cotton + Alys Rain

Alison Cotton is a London-based composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist whose music centres on viola, harmonium, and layered vocal drones. Originally from Sunderland, she first emerged in the UK underground in bands including Saloon, The Eighteenth Day of May, and more recently, The Left Outsides before beginning her solo career in 2018.

Her debut, All Is Quiet at the Ancient Theatre introduced her long-form, place-inspired approach to composition. This was followed with Only Darkness Now and The Portrait You Painted of Me, both acclaimed for their immersive atmospheres and emotional depth. All three albums appeared in The Quietus’ End of Year lists, with Only Darkness Now topping their New Weird Britain chart and The Portrait You Painted of Me was also Folk Record of the Month in The Guardian. 

In 2024, Cotton released Engelchen, a work inspired by the lives of Ida and Louise Cook and their efforts to help refugees escape Nazi Germany. The album deepened her interest in narrative composition, blending historical research with her distinctive drone-based sound.

Her music has received regular airplay on BBC Radio 3 and BBC 6 Music, and she has recorded sessions for Late Junction, Riley & Coe, and The New Music Show. Cotton tours widely across the UK and Europe and has appeared at festivals including Le Guess Who?, Roadburn, Krankenhaus, Supernormal and Acid Horse. 

Her records have been released by Rocket Recordings, Feeding Tube Records, Cardinal Fuzz, Bloxham Tapes and Clay Pipe Music. 

In 2025, her track “The House of the Famous Poet” was featured in David Mackenzie’s film, Relay.

Cotton continues to explore drone, experimental folk, and narrative forms, establishing herself as a singular voice in contemporary experimental music.

Support from Alys Rain

This event is funded and powered by The National Lottery and Liveline to support and
celebrate a weekend of music in our nation's grassroots music venues!

ALL AGES SHOW