INK & AUDIO: The Music-ian’s Musician - Why Ian Prowse belongs on the Liverpool Mount Rushmore

Ian Prowse, Settle Victoria Hall, 2025 (Image: Damien Wilkinson)

With a new album, No Names, hitting the airwaves in July 2026 it felt like a good time to revisit the career of Ian Prowse, the underrated Liverpool musician, whilst looking forward to his recently announced new tour.

One of the select band of Liverpool singer-songwriter music-ians—sharing a pew with the likes of McCulloch, McNabb, Broudie, and Skelly—he has earned his seat...

The Pele Era (1990–1996)

Prowse burst onto the music scene in 1990 forming band Pele, channelling high-energy, fiddle-led indie pop.

Spanning two studio albums, Fireworks and Sport of Kings (the long-lost 'lost' third album, finally unearthed and released in 2023.), the debut album providing the song Megalomania, which reached Number 1 in South Africa. Whilst UK chart success eluded them, the band remained a strong live pull.

The band split in 1995 following record label wranglings but a number of the band’s songs on live on in Prowse’s ongoing set-lists (Raid the Palace, Fair Blows the Wind for France)

The band had a reunion in 2009 and Prowse also toured the Fireworks album in 2018 as part of it’s 25th anniversary re-release.

Another ongoing legacy is the band’s quad-colour T-shirt, examples of the simple, but visually powerful apparel, frequently popping up at festivals and gatherings!

The famous Pele T-shirt (Image: website)

The Amsterdam Years (1999–Present)

Forming Amsterdam in 1999, Prowse expanded his musical palette with a more mature, expansive sound.

With patronage from Elvis Costello (who Prowse would go on to support solo on a number of tours in future years), the band began to garner both fans and critical acclaim.

Famously, his song Does This Train Stop on Merseyside? gained legendary status when John Peel championed its sentiment, saying "I can't listen to this song without crying".

The song was later covered by Christy Moore, and remains a staple of Prowse’s live set.

Solo & Recent Work

Prowse has operated a hybrid solo/Amsterdam live presence in recent years.

Engaging his signature mix of Celtic-tinged folk, indie rock, and socio-political storytelling, he has recorded across a number of solo albums, plus a couple of excellent career retrospective compilations.

In addition to his musical capabilities, Prowse impressively gained a Master of Arts (MA) in Irish Studies in 2010 from Liverpool University, with his thesis “Locating the role of Christy Moore in Irish folk and traditional music”.

This academic depth shows in albums like Compañeros (2015), which rediscovered lost songs of the British Isles.

Furthermore, Prowse has harnessed his expertise to great effect, hosting tours around his home turf, detailing the musical and historical connections between Liverpool and Ireland.

A keen champion of new and upcoming artists, Prowse hosts a weekly open-mic session at Liverpool’s Cavern Club.

Ian Prowse & Amsterdam, Settle Victoria Hall, 2025 (Image: Damien Wilkinson)

Prowse continues to tour regularly, bringing his high-octane touring band to venues around the UK and beyond. You’re guaranteed a full-on powerhouse band performance across a couple of hours of well crafted entertainment.

Meet and Greet and Mr Prowse’s Tranmere Rovers FC ‘autograph’ memento of Katie’s broken wrist pot (Images: Oscar Flanagan, Damien Wilkinson)

The Big News: No Names (2026)

Prowse’s 12th studio album, No Names is set for release on July 3, 2026.

No Names features collaborations with Elvis Costello, Steve Wickham, Damien Dempsey, and even Prowse's daughter, Rosalita, who he managed to entice to “come out tonight” for her ‘Scouse Springsteen’ father.

In support of the album, he’s hitting the road with a full 6-piece band starting in September 2026 and visiting 16 venues across the UK.

The year will culminate with a massive 14-piece band show at the Liverpool O2 Academy on December 12 (the legendary annual Christmas gig), this year with recently announced guest Mark Chadwick from The Levellers (who have a long history with Prowse and are essentially the two pillars of UK folk-rock activism).

No Names Tour Dates (Image: Ian Prowse website)

As noted earlier, Ian Prowse shares a similar Mersey DNA with the equally excellent Ian McNabb (read about his excellent new album ‘65’ here). Indeed their mutual respect and admiration has extended to playing gigs together over the years, notably earlier this year, with the addition of Brian Nash (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) for “One Night in London Town” at the West Hampstead Arts Club.

Whether he’s leading a 14-piece orchestra in Liverpool or holding a room with just an acoustic guitar and a story, Prowse remains the beating heart of Mersey soul.

Get the new album and get your tickets for the No Names tour—this train definitely doesn't stop.