Folkesound – Mini music festivals for Folkestone

Folkesound are a duo of musicians who have created mini music festivals across the year in Folkestone.  Their next event is on Saturday 18th July 2026 at Folkestone Harbour Arm with a line up of five bands playing across the day.  Roman Gronkowski and Sean Kitchin met at a jam session in town and hit it off.  Roman formed a band and then Sean and he decided more people needed to hear their music, so set up Folkesound.  Their first event in February 2026 had four other bands in the line up and was well attended by over 400 people at the Grand Burstin.  Now, having set a following, they’re running more events to reach more people.  Folkelife met up with the musical men to find out more.

Roman: “I come from a musical family, my dad was in the Royal Marines, and I grew up in Deal.  Folkestone was actually closer for to live for work so when I moved here, I started to discover the Jam sessions held in the Red Cow pub on Foord Road.  That’s where I first met Sean.”

Sean: “I’m Folkestone born and bred, with a little gap when I went away.  My wife and I came back for a wedding in 2007 and decided to move here.  We loved the feel of the town, even though the harbour area was still derelict.  There hadn’t been much development at the time.

“I’ve been practicing to be the world’s second worst guitarist for the last 40 years now, and am some of the way there.  But Roman and I got on immediately because we both love the same type of music.”

Fertile cultural scene

Sean: “We noticed that Folkestone has an extremely fertile cultural scene.  It punches above its weight in terms of what it offers in culture and the people that are here. There are so many really good musicians here, and so many people wanting to come to the town to see what’s going on.  The other weekend I was waiting to get on the train and it was like getting on the train in London there were so many people coming here to see what we have to offer.”

Roman: “We wanted to give the musicians we have met some form of platform where we could all support each other.  If you are in a band, it’s difficult to build a following, as pubs are always asking how big an audience you will bring with you when you play.  Yet you need to play to build that audience.  If we were to put on a mini festival which includes some small and some better-known bands, we can help build that awareness of who is out there and what they are playing.”

musical line-up

Roman: “The bands we are showing at Folkestone Harbour Arm are some of the original line-up and some new additions.  Katie Bradley and the Snooks are one, and a special shout out for Dr Bob, her bassist, who’s a really good sound man and has helped us all put on our previous shows.  They play really good blues music which is lovely and also bring quite a following. 

“Jimmy & The Riddles are another which has a following in Folkestone, and helps to build that audience to see some other smaller bands we show.  What we want is for people to think, ‘Ah, I like what Folkesound did, I like their choice of music’, and to come along even if they don’t know the bands on the list.  It’s about building a brand that you can trust.  We’ll put on good bands, trust us!  Lucy May Walker is also singing.  I heard her in Dover and thought she was good not realising it was her!”

not the day job

Sean: “Doozle’s Trio will be kicking things off, and then Watermoor, that’s Roman’s band, will be playing at the end.  We love music and are putting these events on because we want people to hear more of the bands we have in Folkestone.  By day, I have a quite boring job – I’m in IT and I try not to tell people so I don’t have to end up fixing their computers. 

“Roman also loves doing this outside of his day job and it’s our love of music that gives us the energy and drive to put on these events.  The first one went really well, we took a punt on filling The Ballroom at the Grand Burstin, and managed a pretty good job. That was in February, and so these next events are going to be even better!”

not a backing track in sight

Roman: “We make one stipulation for all of our bands and musicians, that you don’t use a backing track.  You need to be able to play the music you want to perform, and it can be someone else’s music, that’s fine.  When we play a popular tune, it’s always a new way of hearing that piece of music, and that’s important to reach a new audience.  But we want bands and performers who can play it in front of you, not use a backing track as part of the act.”

Sean: “There are some fantastic people in Folkestone who have worked so hard to build this music scene.  And we’re all friends or related really.  It’s great to be part of the community that is building on what’s happening here.  And, when things go well, we need to think of a bigger space to put events on.  That’s a nice problem to have. 

“Our next focus after July at the Harbour Arm is at St Mary and St Eanswythes church.  In September, we’ll be putting on Folkesound: The Grand Italian Session – Francesco at the Grand Piano & Organ.  He’s a fantastic musician, and that will be great hearing him play.   Then in October we are back at The Ballroom at the Grand Burstin. We have put a call out for bands and acts to come and play. The line-up is a wonderful mixture of soul, blues, funk and rock and it means we’re just building Folkesound, a series of events, that we love to share.”