Conflict Tourism is the fourth album from award-winning duo Gilmore & Roberts. Following a year of touring in mainland Europe, Canada, and their native Britain, Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts noticed a common thread running through their latest crop of original songs. Conflict, whether an internal struggle between positive and negative, or a healthy body and a disease, is an everyday phenomenon captured perfectly by these 11 tracks.

Previously nominated twice at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Gilmore & Roberts cover a broader and more contemporary genre-spectrum than might be expected from a duo wielding guitar, fiddle and mandolin. Produced by Mark Tucker and featuring Matt Downer (Jamie Smith’s Mabon), Phil Henry (Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin) and James ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt), Conflict Tourism packs a considered punch from start to finish. From the industrial weight of ‘Cecilia’ and the insistent energy of ‘Peggy Airey’ to the hauntingly hypnotic ‘Jack O Lantern’, Gilmore & Roberts’ songwriting inflicts multiple earworms after a single listen.

“Conflict is universal – everyone, everywhere, experiences it every day, in its smallest forms” says Katriona. “We liked the idea of being tour guides through a minefield of different decisions and drama.”
“And good tour guides are passionate about what they’re showing you” adds Jamie. “They’re not detached from the subject. It’s personal – it’s people and stories. That’s the starting point for every song.”

Having already made a name for themselves on the UK acoustic circuit, Gilmore & Roberts are known as much for their exceptionally dynamic live show as they are for their prize-winning songs. With international tours and a formidable new album newly wedged under their belts, the duo are racing from strength to strength. Pay no attention to tour guides who read from the script – these two speak from the heart.