James Hickman and Dan Cassidy

James Hickman and Dan Cassidy are a newly formed transatlantic folk and roots duo. Dan Cassidy (USA), an exciting and virtuosic fiddler, provides the tunes and harmony singing while James Nathan Hickman (UK), brings driving guitar playing and wonderfully unique vocals to their mixture of new and old folk music.

James Hickman was born in Shrewsbury Shropshire where he was raised on a diet of folk and bluegrass music. James’ father (an avid bluegrass musician) taught James guitar, and by the age of thirteen James was already performing with him at sessions and folk clubs. After music college, James travelled with his guitar to Ireland and then to Iceland, where he began work with his lifelong friend Dan Cassidy.


Dan Cassidy grew up in a musical family in Maryland, USA, gaining a solid backround in music after taking up the violin on his tenth birthday. His formative years as a teenager were productive, as
Dan absorbed a broad spectrum of musical styles on the violin, including classical, jazz, bluegrass, country, blues, and rock. While touring professionally in the U.K. in the 1980’s, Dan was introduced to the music of Shetland fiddler Aly Bain, which sparked his keen interest in celtic music, and the U.K. folk scene in general. Dan has spent the last 15 years in Iceland as a successful session musician, and has been returning to the U.K regularly to perform with his own group, The Dan Cassidy Swing Quartet. He appears on several recordings of his sister, the late Eva Cassidy.