NEW ALBUM: Laurel Canyon Meets the West Country: Craig Osment’s Stunning Debut ‘Under The Snow Moon’
Craig Osment (Image: Craig Osment)
A Sanctuary in Song: The Sound of Craig Osment
Originating from Torquay, England, Craig Osment is a UK-based singer-songwriter with an alternative acoustic and indie-folk style to his music.
Osment's acoustic, alt-folk sound relies heavily on introspective storytelling and rich melodic landscapes. Influenced by legendary folk and country icons, Nick Drake, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and Johnny Cash there is a strong LA/Laurel Canyon vibe permeating his work.
But Osment is no newcomer to the scene. In the 1990s and noughties, he played guitar in indie rock bands, working as a busy gigging musician touring pubs and clubs across the UK, Ireland, and mainland Europe. Along the way, he collaborated on recording and producing projects with Steve Bush (best known for his work with Stereophonics) and worked alongside session drummers associated with Ronnie Wood and Reef.
Honing the Craft: Devon’s Grassroots Acoustic Scene (2019–2025)
From around 2019 Osment was operating strictly as a DIY, independent artist establishing his craft on the South Coast acoustic circuit and releasing ambient or acoustic pieces like the single Short Interlude 'Going Home'.
The period between 2021 and 2022 saw a string of self-produced single releases including Honey Bird, Driving To The Ocean, and Buses. By 2023, his creative output became more structured, yielding a steady succession of annual single releases: Breakfast Epiphanies (2023), Home and Dry (2024), and Saving Grace (2025).
The Breakthrough: How ‘Bolberry’ Caught the Ear of BBC Radio 2
Osment began generating serious industry momentum following the 2026 release of his self-penned single Bolberry. But as is often the case with independent breakthroughs, a massive wave of national exposure came down to a stroke of pure, unadulterated luck.
As a regular listener of broadcaster Shaun Keaveny’s Community Garden Radio show, Osment had sent over a few tracks on the off chance, expecting very little. By a twist of fate, Keaveny was called in to cover Jo Whiley’s evening slot on BBC Radio 2 while she was away on holiday.
"I was sat having a cup of tea when my wife called me in and asked, 'Are you on Radio 2?'" Osment recalls. "I said, 'No, I don't think so—maybe Radio Devon!' because, by complete coincidence, I had been picked up by BBC Introducing that exact same day. Then her friend texted to say 'Bolberry' was playing on Radio 2, much to my surprise! Shaun messaged me shortly after to say, 'It’s a bit mad but I’m playing it now, sounds ace!'"
That single, unexpected spin quickly snowballed. Backed by the dual weight of a BBC Radio 2 playlist spot and the localised support of BBC Introducing, "Bolberry" gained widespread national attention. This sudden spotlight cleared a path for follow-up singles like "Southern Skies" and "Pedn Men Du", culminating in celebratory, packed-out hometown live sets at coastal hotspots like The Cove in Hope Cove in late May 2026.
Capitalising on his success, Osment has released his debut 10 track album, entitled Under The Snow Moon (released via 1007302 Records DK).
Under The Snow Moon: A Devon/Cornwall Oasis
Under The Snow Moon, Craig Osment (Cover Art: Frazer Osment)
Including some of the aforementioned singles (Home and Dry, Bolberry, Southern Skies, Pedn Men Du) Osment adds a further six new songs to provide a comprehensive view of his alt-folk style on his album debut, released on 14th June 2026.
Summer 75 starts with the sounds of a field recording of the river Yeo in North Devon, where Osment played as a child, setting the scene for a suite of songs heavily influenced by love, nature and his West Country base of tranquility.
With the artistic influences mentioned earlier providing a touchstone for the album there are strong echoes of Crosby, Stills & Nash, especially so on the beautiful sweeping chorus harmonies of Bolberry, and the wider early 70s Laurel Canyon scene frequently underpins this mature and impressive album.
Some of the standout tracks, in addition to Bolberry, featured on what is a cohesive and atmospheric album include Oh My Island, the uplifting orchestral swirls of Southern Skies, and Under The Snow Moon, which tells the story of Osment and his brother pretending to be Cowboys in their youth on an old railway line following one of the harshest winter blizzards on record in North Devon.
The album’s overarching concept is deeply personal. Osment set out to write about his childhood and the places in Devon and Cornwall that shaped his life. The resulting collection split cleanly into a mirror-image structure: five tracks carrying a winter theme, and five carrying a summer theme. The stunning cover art—painted by Craig's brother, Frazer Osment—beautifully reflects this duality, depicting the exact same pine trees captured at different times of the year.
Osment’s weathered, conversational voice is perfectly suited to the gentle country-folk vibe of the instrumentation. His songwriting remains sharply on point, capturing moving lifescapes in tracks like Lanny Bridge and 2 Trees.
Having started with a river, the album meanders its way to a uplifting cinematic conclusion with the sounds of the ocean at Sennen Cove, Cornwall for Pedn Men Du. Its laid-back percussion cleverly bookends the record, providing a fitting grandeur to this really enjoyable body of work. You can almost feel the closing credits rolling in time with the ocean waves.
“I tried to approach this album quite old school and decided I wanted every track to be one continuous live performance...”
What makes the sweeping cinematic grandeur of Under The Snow Moon even more remarkable is its pure, unadulterated DIY creation process. Rather than recruiting a massive studio backing band, Osment plays virtually every single instrument himself. Tracking entirely from a home studio setup in his garden shed, he meticulously wove a multi-instrumental tapestry using Fender electrics, Sonor drums, and his trusty Martin 000-15SM acoustic guitar.
"This turned out to be more difficult than it sounded, as the slightest mistake meant starting from scratch," Osment admits regarding the recording process. "Most of the songs are recorded with just one microphone in front of the guitar, singing at the same time. I had to purchase and learn several instruments to make this album, including mandolin, lap steel guitar, and various pieces of percussion—including a drum fashioned out of leather from an old sofa."
While the core is fiercely independent, he does invite a few brilliant textures into the shed. Notably, violinist Catherine Robinson (who has worked with the likes of Brian Eno and Elbow) lends gorgeous, authentic string work to both Home and Dry and the title track.
Overall, Osment’s album excels in both capturing his recent strong single output, whilst also adding to his growing songwriter canon, with some equally impressive new songs over the course of its 45 minutes.
Just as Crosby, Stills & Nash let the warmth of their surroundings dictate their acoustic harmonies, Osment lets the tranquility of the coast breathe directly into his arrangements, giving this mature debut a timeless, biophilic beauty.
The Trickle of the River to the Ocean
Craig Osment (Image: Craig Osment)
In keeping with the laid back, thoughtful and tranquil vibe of his songs, Osment isn't an overnight sensation, but rather a long-time South Devon grass-roots musician who spent years honing his craft in a home shed.
With the momentum from BBC Introducing and BBC Radio 2, it is hoped that this can catapult his exposure far beyond Devon and Cornwall, carrying these West Country field recordings all the way across the Atlantic to the spiritual home that inspired them in Laurel Canyon.
Give it a swirl.
Track listing:
Summer 75
Home and Dry
Bolberry
Southern Skies
Lanny Bridge
Blackthorn Winter
2 Trees
Oh My Island
Under The Snow Moon
Pedn Men Du
The closing track of the album, Pedn men du, offers a beautifully cinematic conclusion to the record's natural journey. You can check out Craig Osment's Pedn men du on YouTube to hear how he uses the natural sounds of the ocean to gracefully bring the album's thematic journey to a close.
