Kerfuffle

Kerfuffle
From left to right: Sam, Hannah, Chris, Tom
Background information
Origin	East Midlands/South Yorkshire, England
Genres	Folk
Years active	2001–2010
Labels	RootBeat Records
Website	www.kerfuffleonline.co.uk
Members	Hannah James Sam Sweeney Jamie Roberts
Past members	Chris Thornton-Smith Tom Sweeney

Kerfuffle were a four-piece English folk band, originally formed in 2001 around the East Midlands and South Yorkshire regions of the UK, initially comprising Hannah James (accordion, piano, vocals, step dancing), Sam Sweeney (fiddle, percussion), Chris Thornton-Smith (guitar) and Tom Sweeney (bass guitar). Thornton-Smith was replaced by Jamie Roberts in 2007. Kerfuffle disbanded in August 2010.

The word is originally from Scots carfuffle meaning disturbance, commotion, or fuss.

Kerfuffle formed initially as a three-piece after Sam and Tom Sweeney met Hannah James. James was competing in a traditional music competition, the In The Tradition Award, held at the Derby Assembly Rooms. Sam had previously won this, and was attending the 2001 competition in this capacity. After playing together in the foyer, the trio decided to form a band. After going on to win the under-18 category of the 2002 Wiltshire Folk Association Young Folk Award, another competition that Sam had previously won as a soloist, the band sought a fourth member and Hannah introduced the band to guitarist Chris Thornton-Smith. Having won the WFA competition, the band was given a showcase performance at the 2002 Trowbridge Village Pump Festival.

After a number of appearances at folk clubs, Kerfuffle recorded their first album in the spring of 2003. Produced by multi-instrumentalist Steafan Hannigan and recorded at his Oisín Studios, Not to Scale was released on the newly founded RootBeat Records on 14 June 2003, to coincide with the band's appearance at the first Festival of the Peak, a festival held at Carsington Water in Derbyshire. In the summer of 2003, Kerfuffle appeared at a number of other UK folk/traditional festivals, including Sidmouth Festival and a return to Trowbridge Village Pump Festival.