Back in 1985, on his 16^th birthday, with his Mum’s cracked old classical guitar and ‘The Beatles Songbook’ in hand, Phil Marshall, his brother Dave and mate Gary, caught the bus from Hull to York to spend the weekend busking. And so began a lifelong passion with music.

Though always a fan of most genres of music, punk was first choice, so he jumped at the chance when the opportunity arose to play bass in his old schoolfriend’s band, ‘Surf Butchers’ in 1990. 

The band dissolved after a fun-packed 4 years, and so did Phil’s involvement in performing music for the next 20.

In 2014, having relocated to Hertfordshire with his wife Debs, the seeds of what would become Wickenwood were sown, when they decided it was ‘now or never’, and started to perform acoustically on the ‘Open Mic’ in Harpenden and St Albans.

After a couple of years they gravitated toward the local folk scene, making appearances at Redbourn Folk Club.

In a collaboration with a local fiddle player, they formed the trio Flibbertigibbet.

Another 3 years passed playing the local folk club and festival scene before Debs and Phil returned to being a duo once more.

They spent the next few years expanding their horizons, travelling and performing further afield and acquiring plenty of song writing inspiration. 

As their profile grew, they decided to return to being a trio, inviting their friend, Mags Layton to join on fiddle.

Mags has been playing violin since she was knee high to a music stand. Starting at the age of four, she quickly accelerated through the Exam boards, whilst playing in classical youth orchestras in East London. 

After a break during her tertiary studies and early adulthood, she returned to the violin, initially still classical, but she longed to branch out musically into other genres. 

She has since played Bluegrass, (co-organising the South Essex Bluegrass Festival), Americana, with the singer-songwriter Bob Collum, and as part of Morris sides at as many outdoor events as possible.

With Wickenwood she has discovered a niche which allows her sensitive playing to communicate to the spellbound audience as a third voice, intertwining additional harmonies to complement the vocal talents of Phil & Debs.