Since forming as The Folk Doctors in 2017, John and Ultan have developed a distinctive sound built around one guitar, two voices and a shared love of storytelling. Their songs draw inspiration from people, places, history and everyday life, creating thoughtful and engaging stories that sit comfortably within the contemporary folk tradition.

Musical Style and Songwriting
The Folk Doctors have a unique songwriting partnership, with Ultan primarily writing the lyrics and John composing the music. Their songs often begin with an interesting story, a historical event or an unexpected source of inspiration — sometimes even from the perspective of an inanimate object.
Their debut collaboration, No Place I Call Home, was inspired by a pebble and went on to achieve third place in the Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Competition. This early success helped launch a creative partnership that continues to evolve.
Influenced by a wide range of musical and literary traditions, their songwriting combines strong narratives with memorable melodies. Their work explores stories of people, landscapes and places, with recent inspiration including shipwrecks, lighthouses and historical figures.

Releases
Since forming, The Folk Doctors have released two albums and an EP. Their recordings reflect their preference for keeping things simple and authentic, often recreating the intimacy of their live performances with their signature combination of one guitar and two voices.
Their second album, Edgelands, was released in 2022, and the duo continue to write and record new material.

A chance meeting at a park run, a shared love of music and an album club involving a few pints… sounds like the beginning of a good story, doesn’t it?
This time on Keep Folk Talking, Brian meets John and Ultan — better known as The Folk Doctors — to find out how an unlikely friendship turned into a successful songwriting partnership, two albums, an EP and plenty of stories along the way.
From songs inspired by pebbles and shipwrecks to the art of writing together, this is a brilliant conversation about music, friendship and finding inspiration in unexpected places.