Formed in 2017, The Silver Darlings began after Captain Darling had a thought… “Can women sing shanties?” The answer is most definitely, YES! Their hometown of Southend-on-Sea in Essex is steeped in fishing and cockling industries, which drew them naturally to sea shanties, the sailors’ working songs. They love the storytelling aspect of shanty-singing, and are committed to ensuring that these songs remain in the public domain and not lost at sea! Their debut album Maiden Voyage, released September 2021, was very well received, obtaining a four-star review in Folk London Magazine. and their second album Whaling Women released in May 2025 is already making waves in the shanty scene. “Lady shanty singers really belting it out as good as any shanty group anywhere” (Gary Hazlehurst).“The women’s voices are all crystal clear, and their harmonies are impressive. Their personalities really shine through in The Maid of Amsterdam, and their souls carry in Shallow Brown. This is a great addition to anyone’s maritime music library.” (Dean Calin). The Silver Darlings will row up on Kingfisher stage on Saturday afternoon.
The Silver Darlings
