North Riding bring Americana roots to Pilgrim Newcastle

North Riding Pilgrim Newcastle brings a distinctly North East take on Americana and folk to the city on Friday 6 November 2026. Doors open at 7.30pm, with Sam Shields supporting, and the show gives the Durham-based project a compact city-centre room for music that has already travelled well beyond the region.

North Riding centre on singer-songwriter Hayley McKay and multi-instrumentalist and producer David Neil Crabtree. Their work draws on Americana, country and folk, but the regional connection remains part of the identity rather than something hidden behind the style. North Riding blend Americana roots with Tees Valley soul. That combination is also what has helped the band find listeners through BBC Radio 2 and on both sides of the Atlantic.

North Riding Pilgrim Newcastle brings the North East roots home

The band is led by Hayley McKay and David Neil Crabtree. McKay brings the vocal and songwriting focus, while Crabtree adds the multi-instrumental and production side that gives the material more depth than a simple acoustic duo setup. Their current catalogue includes the Frio River EP alongside songs such as Hopetown, Awendaw Green and You Gave Up On Us.

Pilgrim is a useful fit for that material because the venue regularly moves between soul, jazz, roots and songwriter-led shows. In a smaller room, the detail in the harmonies and acoustic arrangements can stay at the front, while the fuller Americana elements still have enough space to build around them.

Sam Shields adds another songwriter to the bill, making this more than a single-act evening. The pairing should suit listeners who prefer songs and musicianship at the centre of a show rather than a production-heavy setup.

The 6 November date also gives North Riding a Newcastle appearance close to home without turning the night into a generic local showcase. Their music has a wider reach, but the Tees Valley and Durham connection gives this stop extra relevance for a North East audience.

North Riding play Pilgrim Newcastle on Friday 6 November 2026. Doors are at 7.30pm. The event is 14+, with under-18s accompanied by an adult. Check Pilgrim and the artists before travelling in case timings or entry details change.

More local dates are listed in SoundBite North East’s Upcoming Gigs, while the venue programme is on our Pilgrim Newcastle page.