Catherine Pestano

Catherine Pestano draws on her Northern Irish and Guyanese roots to recreate and reinterpret traditional folk music to address contemporary themes.  She composes and performs in small folk clubs as Poacher’s Granddaughter, collaborating with harp, flute and mandolin playing friends and sound producer Felix Macintosh.

Catherine enjoys cross cultural collaborations and has been a member of several Bands including menopausal dyke punk band The Change, African Carribean singing trio Afrikcarib, and alt-pop band Gigantic Station. She also repurposes familiar songs for activism on occasion. She developed as a musician first from hearing her mother sing, and singing in church choirs, then through the inspirational work of Frankie Armstrong and Phil Mullen.