Possessing a voice like no other and stories and songs that other songwriters would beg borrow and steal to get remotely close to, Malcolm Holcombe has had a battle with cancer, come out the other side and thankfully we have new music from the Western North Carolina artist.

Gritty, earthy folk music and a side serving of of bruised and weary country music is the order of the day when it comes to Holcombe – yet beneath the roughed-up surface there are melodic gems aplenty, both in his voice and his sublime guitar playing.

Have a listen to ‘Fill Those Shoes‘ and you’ll hear why comparisons to Dylan, Guy Clark, John Prine and other luminaries of roots music are wholly deserved. The new album Bits & Pieces is out June 23rd.