WHEN it comes to booking bands for his festival of country, roots and Americana, organiser Will Banks insists on just one thing: “It must be what we like to call ‘good honest music’.”

“That can mean anything really – over the years we’ve had everything from a jazz trio playing the Great American Songbook and a gospel choir, to voodoo blues.”

Launched in 2013, Will’s Halfway to Seventy-Five festival, which takes place beside the Thames at the Isis Farmhouse, in Iffley, has become a highlight of Oxford’s summer musical calendar, attracting a mix of country music buffs, curious onlookers, families and people just attracted by an afternoon of live music, good ale and fun in the sun.

And this year’s event promises to be double the fun as, for the first time, it takes place over two days.

“This one will be the sixth and the big difference is that, for the first time, we’re doing it as a two-day festival,” says Will.

“It’s been one day up until now – so that’s exciting and nerve-wracking. I decided to do two days because it has always sold out and this felt like the obvious way to expand what we do while maintaining its identity as an intimate, boutique festival.

“The new owners at the Isis are really supportive and keen to turn it into a music venue so they were keen to do it too.”

Will, whose day job is Assistant Editor at BBC Radio Oxford, first staged the event to give a platform to the country, blues and roots bands he loved.

“I do it because I love music,” he says. “I love all those genres of music and I just wanted to share that with other people. The first time I did it was to prove to myself that I could and it kind of worked. So far I haven’t stopped.

And why the curious name?

“It seems like an odd name for a festival but it’s actually pretty simple,” he laughs. “When I did first one in 2013 I was 37-and-a-half years old. This year technically it ought to be ‘Halfway to Eighty-Five’ but the name kind of stuck.”

This year features a typically diverse range of local, national and international talent. Will says: “The joy of doing two days is we have twice as much music.

“I’ve had great fun putting together our biggest ever line up and as usual it’s a mix of friends old and new.

“Speedbuggy USA who ripped the place up in 2016 are back from California, and Rachel Laven, who is an incredibly talented country singer from Texas is back with the Rosellys. They played last year in a proper British downpour and we promised them sunshine if they came back; it looks like that promise will come good with sunshine forecast for the weekend!

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“We have some really good bands from the UK Americana scene too. The Goat Roper Rodeo Band, the Vagaband and Carousel are all acts I’m really looking forward to. And I’m very pleased to have secured our local Americana super-group Bennett Wilson Poole for the Sunday – they’re made up of Robin Bennett from the Dreaming Spires, Danny Wilson from Danny & the Champions of World and Tony Poole from Starry Eyed & Laughing.

“Then we’ve got some old friends like Ags Connolly, the August List and the Deadbeat Apostles who have all been brilliant when they’ve played Halfway to Seventy-Five in the past.”

He goes on: “ What I like about the acts we have is the variety. We’ve got several different kinds of country music, we’ve got the beautiful Byrdsian harmonies of Bennett Wilson Poole, we’ve got the raucous energy of the Deadbeat Apostles, and we’ve got the more gentle sounds of Jonas & Jane and the Holy Fools.”

And who is he particularly excited at seeing?

“Well it’s always lovely to see how the kids respond to Nick Cope – he’s such a brilliant songwriter, and actually, you know, it’s not just the kids who love him – all the adults love him too, and they just wish they were the ones stood at the front with glasses and cardboard guitars playing along with him.

“I just loved Speedbuggy USA last time they came too, and I’m really looking forward to having them back. They have got so much energy and they are a fantastic band.”

When it comes to booking the bands, he says the festival sells itself.

“I’m lucky that the festival now has a name for itself so a lot of bands come to me asking to play,” he says. “One of the best jobs is getting to listen to so much great music. I feel spoilt for choice in who I’m able to book. Sometimes it’s a case of ringing up old friends asking if they fancy playing again, and sometimes I’ll hear something and know that I want them at the festival – like the time I heard Ward Thomas before they made it big, and booked them early on the strength of two songs.

“By the time they played the festival, their album was about to go to no. 1 in UK Country charts.”

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And it’s not just artists who are keen to return. Over the past five years the event has built up a loyal clientele of aficionados.

“What make it unique is the way everything comes together – the beautiful setting of the Isis by the river in the countryside together with the mix of music. It all makes sense but it’s still a really broad church.

“I think as well, it’s that combination of local performers and artists who have come from all corners of the UK and America. It’s a really nice mix, with a really relaxed atmosphere.”

The pub itself is a major draw, with music taking place in its back garden – which backs onto meadows.

“It’s a beautiful space for music,” agrees Will. “It’s got a unique atmosphere, it’s really relaxed and I think it’s got a certain charm – not just the venue itself but the walk up the river to get there. And when the sun is setting over the field as the evening draws to a close, it’s always a really special moment.”

And he urged music-lovers to get behind the event – one of the smallest of the county’s many music festivals.

“I wouldn’t say to people they should just come because it’s local; I hope they come because they genuinely love the music,” he says. “But if you do support little festivals like this, it helps keep them running because people like me do it for fun and we can only do it if people buy the tickets and make it what it is.

“I think it’s nice that events like this are done out of a sense of passion; you’re not just coming to a music festival, you’re sharing that passion.”

  • Halfway to Seventy-Five takes place this Saturday and Sunday at the Isis Farmhouse, Iffley, Oxford. Tickets from halfwayto75.com