Our Story

One voice in two bodies.

Igloo Hearts are a married folk-pop duo from North Wales, crafting music that is cinematic, emotionally raw and rich in harmony.

Their journey into songwriting began later in life, and from an unexpected place. After a long and painful experience of unsuccessful IVF and miscarriage, Katie and James found themselves turning to music as a way of processing grief, making sense of what had happened and holding onto hope.

They began writing songs together, never imagining where it would lead. Somewhere in that quiet period of grief, something unexpected emerged: a shared musical voice. Two people, two very different musical backgrounds, but a vocal blend that seemed to become something of its own.

Audiences have since described their sound as “like one voice in two bodies.”

Katie is a classically trained pianist who achieved Distinction in Grade 8 piano and was featured on Channel 4’s The Piano. James began his career as a solo roots artist, supporting artists including Oysterband and Nick Harper. When they met at an open mic, they discovered not only love, but an uncanny musical connection that would eventually become Igloo Hearts.

Their music is a tapestry of sweeping piano, intricate guitar and haunting harmonies, creating songs that explore love, loss, hope, change and the complicated spaces in between. Their sound has drawn comparisons to artists including Kate Bush, Mitski, Radiohead and Katherine Priddy, while their live performances have been described as “goosebump-inducing,” “sonic poetry” and “a masterclass in harmony.”

From the Liverpool Philharmonic and Focus Wales to Green Note London, Café #9 and St Giles’ Church in Wrexham, Igloo Hearts create an intimate and immersive live experience, whether performing for a packed room or a handful of listeners gathered close.

More than music

Igloo Hearts are also the curators and hosts of Blue Lantern Sessions, a monthly acoustic night in Chester which they have built into a much-loved live music community. The project has now grown to include a second Blue Lantern event in Oswestry, creating spaces for both established and emerging artists to share their music.

Over the years, they have collaborated with and shared stages with artists including Michele Stodart of The Magic Numbers, Mark Radcliffe and The Gentle Good. Their own music has featured on BBC Introducing and at Focus Wales International Festival, while they were also runners-up in the Purbeck Valley Folk Festival Rising Competition.

A new chapter

Following their appearance on S4C’s Y Llais, Igloo Hearts are now taking their songwriting in a new direction, exploring what it means to create music in the Welsh language as learners themselves.

They are currently working with NEW Sinfonia on an Arts Council of Wales-backed project, bringing Welsh learners and musicians together to create new songs and orchestral arrangements. The project explores the idea of transition: from English to Welsh, from learner to speaker, and from one stage of life to another.

It feels like a natural progression for a duo whose music has always been about connection, change and finding a voice.

Life In Cycles

Their new album, Life In Cycles, is the next chapter in that journey.

Written from the experiences of the last few years, the album explores the cycles we find ourselves living through: love and loss, beginnings and endings, grief and healing, and the possibility of finding beauty in the middle of it all.

Due for release in Spring 2027, Life In Cycles brings together everything that has become central to the Igloo Hearts sound: intimate songwriting, cinematic piano, intricate guitar and two voices that somehow become one.

At a time when technology can create music at the click of a button, Igloo Hearts believe there is still something irreplaceable about two people standing in a room, breathing together and making music.

Something real. Something human. Something shared.