ALBERT’S SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE

Jack Goodall

Jack Goodall is a contemporary singer-songwriter whose music blends sharp songwriting with a diverse range of grooves, drawing from traditional blues, Afrobeat, synth-pop, and art-rock. Having honed his craft under blues artists Ian Siegal and Aynsley Lister, as well as Afrobeat pioneer Dele Sosimi, Goodall has toured across the UK, Ireland, and Canada both as a solo artist and with his Canadian-formed band, The Hoop. His latest solo album, Ort, channels influences as varied as Fela Kuti, Curtis Mayfield, and the Eurythmics. Beyond his solo work and fronting his live band The Kick, Goodall is an active producer and theatre composer, earning praise from Elbow’s Guy Garvey on BBC 6 Music.

Balaban and the Bald Illeagles

Balaban and the Bald Illeagles are a Black Country-based outfit fusing late-’70s post-punk, ’80s alternative rock, and ’90s grunge. Originally formed in 2016 by frontman Roscoe Balaban following the split of cult Birmingham band Miss Halliwell, the group built a reputation around their 2019 debut album, Going Clear, and fan-favorite tracks like “Dronehead” and “Lucid Dream.” Following an indefinite hiatus in 2022, the band reformed in 2025 with a revamped, energized lineup featuring members of local acts Mistrusted and Shotgun Marmalade. Now back with a sharper, more urgent edge, the four-piece is currently preparing to record their second album, Post-Truth Apocalypse Blues.