Mal Waite has been well-known on the folk scene since winning two major singing prizes in 1986 – firstly at Rothbury Traditional Music Festival and then just a month later being named Sidmouth Singer.  She has appeared solo at clubs and festivals around the country, performing an intelligent mix of traditional and contemporary folk songs interspersed with a few original compositions.  Her rich and distinctive voice is put to good use on a variety of styles; Mal can reduce her audience to tears of emotion one minute, laughter the next, and soon after have them singing along with gusto.

Mal enjoys collaborating with other people and over the years has worked alongside Alison Younger (Bryony and Mrs Ackroyd Band) and Chris Pollington (Strawhead and Mrs Ackroyd Band) in First Principles; Roy and Mary Clinging in Filigree; and Dave Hytch and Ian Holmes in Espionage.  (Have we noticed a ‘trio trend’ here?)  Lately most of her harmony singing has been directed towards singing with her two daughters in The Waite Collective.