Jon Cleave and Billy Hawkins are members of the famous Port Isaac sea shanty group “Fisherman’s Friends”. They both grew up in the village listening to the stories of the old fishermen and sailors. Stories which are a rich history of characters and events. This music is a combination of Jon’s lyrics and Billy’s music, produced by the third member of the group, Mick Dolan, who also performs as part of “Roscarrock”.

Roscarrock formed in 2004 with the intention of making music that was rooted in the heart of their community, both as it was and as it is. Port Isaac lies at the edge of the Atlantic, on the North coast of Cornwall, still geographically isolated and at times wild and unyielding.
The area has a fascinating and varied musical tradition. From the sankey based hymnals of the Methodist chapels [of which were two in the village], with their ‘by ear’ harmonies and sets, through a period where fishermen’s choirs performed to raise funds to build the harbour walls, to the thriving contemporary folk scene of today, marks an era maybe lasting two centuries.
It is still common for people here to stand together in a large circle and ‘strike sound.’ Music, especially singing, is part of community, and in an age where the C word is glibly overused and misunderstood, here its symbiosis with music has prevailed despite other undeniable 21st century cultural attractions. Combining the musical traditions of the region with a penchant for story telling and the marking of notable events, you get some idea of where Roscarrock come from.

The three members of the group all bring different talents to the table. Mick Dolan has worked in the music industry for 30 years, performing, recording and working with Fairpoint Convention, Steve Winwood, Jonny Coppin and Show of Hands. He got together with Billy Hawkins and Jon Cleave, who had been busy writing songs together for some time, as well as being members of the infamous sea shanty group, The Fishermen's Friends. Together Jon and Bill had composed and written a raft of nearly thirty new songs about the area in which they grew up, live and work. Though there are some exceptions, in general Jon has provided the lyric, and Bill the melody. The musical arrangement and development has then been taken on by Mick and Bill, and all three perform together on 'First and Last', the album by Roscarrock.