SOPHIE is a singer and songwriter with a unique blend of jazz and folk influences. She has released nine CDs to date including Songs which was listed as one of The Herald’s top 50 Scottish albums of 2015. Monday Nights, the most recent release from her duo Bancroft & Lyne was listed in Jazzviews top jazz albums of 2020. Her music has been used on HBO’s award winning TV series Six Feet Under and recorded by top jazz vocalists including Liane Carroll with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Sophie also co-leads The Pathhead Choir, is a founder member of the award-winning Pathhead Music Collective, and of Jazz Forward, a collective music organisation representing and showcasing some of the original jazz being written in Scotland.
In 2019 she was awarded a Masters with distinction in Creative Writing and more recently she has expanded her creative practice to include creative writing, photography and film-making. Her first short film (S)kin about a mother’s hands won best documentary short at the
8&HalFilm Awards and was screened at the Women Over Fifty Film Festival – WOFFF in 2021 and Italian film festival Cinema D’Idea in 2022. Her following short film, Old Mother Blackbird, is a story about maternal love and empty nests inspired by a brave and loyal blackbird who nested in Sophie’s own garden. The music and words are written and performed by Sophie, and her hand-made collage is used to illustrate the story. It was first screened at the Women Over Fifty Film Festival (WOFFF) in 2023 and is now available to watch as part of Virgin Atlantic’s inflight entertainment package until the end of March 2025. The film has also been made into a children’s book and a series of greeting cards.
Sophie’s creative work has often reflected her own personal story. Her current work is inspired by the perspectives of middle age. She has recently collaborated on creative ageing projects with her local choir and with arts organisation Deepness Dementia Media. In 2024 Sophie was music director and composer for Dementia The Musical written by Ron Coleman, which was funded by Creative Scotland to tour around the major theatres in Scotland in autumn 2024.
“A Scottish singer-songwriter with jazz and folk roots: Over the years she’s drawn comparison to several world-class artists, including Peggy Lee, Alison Krauss and Norah Jones. That sort of information comes as no great surprise once you’ve had the chance to hear Bancroft sing. Her voice is a perfect instrument.” Leicester Bangs
Sophie’s website – www.sophiebancroft.co.uk
TOM, originally from Edmonton, Canada, moved to Europe after graduating from McGill University with distinction on jazz bass. His diverse roots, including old school R+B, psychedelic rock, experimental fusion and an early initiation in jazz and improvised music has created a melodic sensitivity and interpretive power in his playing. He capitalises on the unique colours and ranges of the double bass and electric 5 string in the sparse setting of the duo. Aside from working with Sophie he is the bassist in the Dave Milligan Trio, The Unusual Suspects and this own group The Band Lyne. Previous work has included Martha Reeves and The Vandelas, Charlie Hunter, Kevin MacKenzie, Karine Polwart and Brian Kellock.
Tom Lyne’s website – http://tomlyne.co.uk/