Robb Johnson

Possibly the most accessible “folkish” album Robb has released this century, Minimum Wages is an album of acoustic guitar-based songs, with guest musicians adding some very lovely deft acoustic embellishments too.

The album features songs about the 2020 Tolpuddle Festival, Hartlepool ASDA, the battle of Orgreave, Robb’s mum’s care worker, Robb’s bolshie great-aunt Gladys, the state of the nation, foxes, love - My Quiet Flame surely one of Robb’s finest straightforward no-nonsense love songs - & friendship. Boff Whalley, Fae Simon & John Forrester add beautiful vocal harmonies, Jude Abbott provides trumpet & flugelhorn magic, Jason Pegg on accordion & Jenny Carr on piano add some more perfect moments, & Ali Gavan contributes supporting tasteful samples. The cover photo is of Lorraine Tillbrook at last year’s Tolpuddle Festival, & you can hear her leading the procession of 6 local key workers, at the end of the first track Fiddler in the Rain.