Emily Portman & Friends

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Into the Dominion of Spells: Songs of Midlife, Myth and Wonder

Award-winning folk singer and songwriter Emily Portman and friends take to the road this September, performing material from her acclaimed new album Dominion of Spells, alongside songs from across her celebrated catalogue.

Dominion of Spells charts a heroine's midlife journey through dark woods in search of wonder. Drawing on ballads and folktales, Portman weaves lived experience with rich mythic imagery, exploring motherhood, burnout,  mental health, misogyny, creativity and transformation.

The title derives from a phrase coined by William Harvey, physician to King James I, rooted in the ancient belief that women's ‘wandering wombs’ moved around their bodies, causing illness, hysteria, and witchcraft. Portman transforms it: her Dominion of Spells is a realm of wonder, equality, and liberation, where women’s pain is believed, their bodies understood, and their voices heard. Folk traditions have always carried stories untold by official history. These songs stand in that lineage, telling of women's inner lives, dreams and desires – as artists, as mothers, and wanderers in dark woods. 

Portman tours with acclaimed guitarist Louis Campbell and Lucy Revis (Before Breakfast) on cello and vocals, creating a rich yet understated sound world of unaffected vocals, banjo, piano, crystalline harmonies and strings.

Following the fraudulent release of AI-generated recordings falsely issued under her name, Dominion of Spells stands as a reaffirmation of human creativity. "These are unmistakably human songs, made in collaboration with a hive of creatives," Portman says. "There's nothing more magical than feeling them come alive in the room – and that's something AI will never replace."

Expect deft musicianship, beguiling harmonies, and vivid storytelling: an evening entering a mythic realm where struggle becomes transformation and wonder is found through song.

Short Biography

Emily Portman is an award-winning singer and songwriter with a passion for traditional songs, hailed as “one of the new British folk scene’s most beguiling presences” (Uncut). She has toured widely for over 15 years as a band leader, with The Furrow Collective, and in a duo with Leveret’s Rob Harbron. Emily was awarded a BBC Folk Award for Best Original Song and has released three critically acclaimed albums of original songs that recast old ballads and fairytales into new shapes. Her latest solo album Coracle received accolades and international recognition, taking her to European festival stages with a six-piece band.

With the award-winning band The Furrow Collective, Emily has released four acclaimed traditional song albums, regularly touring the UK and Europe. Her collaborative work has led to two recent releases: a duo debut album with Rob Harbron, and the UK Folk Chart–topping project Sea Song Sessions, featuring Jon Boden and Seth Lakeman. Now, The Dominion of Spells puts Emily’s songwriting back into the spotlight in an album that is sure to delight.

Press Quotes for Dominion of Spells 

"Portman’s sure command of ancient folklore, spellcraft and balladry turns them into living forces and entities.” Songlines 

“A really great listen… sonically full of interesting little details.” Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2

“Of all the singers and songwriters in British folk music, few have the ability to encapsulate what it means to be human in the way that Emily Portman does. Dominion of Spells is a real and vital piece of work, something to be cherished.” Klof Mag

"This is a complex, layered collection in which each listen reveals new depths – magical yet grounded, a work of feminine exploration, resistance and growth. Though it draws on many traditions, the voice at its centre is unmistakably her, supported by musicianship that is atmospheric, apposite and quietly superb.” Folk London 

"Portman has a gift for melding modern times with traditional folk ideals...Portman has given food for thought as well as a terrific set of songs" Americana UK

“After a fake album was released in her name, Emily Portman has returned with an intensely human new release” Financial Times

"the spell it casts is magical indeed" Fatea