I  write, sing, perform and produce songs about magic & folklore. I lead seasonal rituals and run the South East London Folklore Society, a monthly meeting with talks on a variety of weird subjects.

I have played bass guitar in bands including Circulus, Erland & the Carnival & Gay Dad.  I have played & sung with the Freelance Hellraiser, Freeform Five & I am member of Cage & Aviary and Maurice & Charles. I play live bass for Stick In The Wheel.

“A Casual Invocation” an album of magical workings is out now. It was one of Songlines top 10 folk albums of 2020.

The 2018 album, “Constant Companion” was Folk Radio UK’s Album of the month for December 2018: “It is rare for an album of predominantly traditional material to sound fresh and inspired all the way through. It is even less common for such an album to feel both thrillingly contemporary and utterly timeless. With Constant Companion Hoyle somehow managed it. As Cunning Folk, he is making some of the finest acoustic music to come out of this country in years.”

You can follow this link to buy it.

The 2017 album, “Ritual Land, Uncommon Ground” has been described as

“a quietly huge endeavour, a labour of love, full of valuable knowledge, surprising stylistic breadth and exquisite songwriting.” Folk Radio UK

“beautifully-rendered pastoral and Pagan acoustic folk-pop.” fRoots

” a record that manages to demonstrate integrity without affectation. A breath of fresh air.” Shindig

Cunning Folk has previously performed as GentleFolk, whose 2015 album, “Into the Greenwood” was described as

“Charming & mesmeric” Guardian

“Engagingly idiosyncratic” Prog

“One of the most intelligently written & interesting albums of 2015” Liverpool Sound & Vision

“Genuinely & gently joyeous” Fatea Records

“Calls to mind the Incredible String Band” R2

“Perfectly epitomises folk music in principle & execution” Sonic Bandwagon

I put on regular folk & roots music & spoken word events & talks in interesting places in a mission to bring wonderful interesting music, storytelling,history & poetry to like minded souls. In 2014 I put on events in Tudor houses, old barges & magical bookshops. In 2015 I put on events in woodlands, edgelands & forgotten corners & organised the Bermondsey Folk Festival. In 2016 & 2017 & 2019 I organised the Bermondsey Folk Festival.

I organise the South East London Folklore Society a monthly meeting with speakers talking on subjects ranging from Wicca to Shakespeare, from Robin Hood to The Transports.