The Band Of Hope are a multi-instrumental, mixed gender, seven-piece indie-folk-rock sort of group from Wallingford, Oxfordshire. Individually, its members have performed with artists as varied as Mew, Danny & The Champions Of The World, The Rout Ensemble, Amy Winehouse, A1 People and Axwell. Together, their music has been described by struggling journalists as "big-hearted gospel-pop", "Mississippi jazz-folk", "spiritual Americana" and even "emo-folk-country", but it's just good songs played well.

As well as recording their own material, they have recently been working with Neil Halstead as the backing band for his forthcoming long-player.

"Causing a stir on both the BBC Introducing circuit as well as the unnaturally vibrant Oxford scene, Band of Hope are experts of dark, inherently tragic country-folk, in the realms of Villagers and the ballads of Johnny Cash." - thefourohfive.com

(Saturday evening Portcullis Club, Sunday evening Cross Keys Garden Stage)