The Albion Band was an English electric folk group formed in April 1971 by musician Ashley Hutchings to accompany his then-wife Shirley Collins on the album No Roses (1971). The backing musicians on the album included Dave Mattacks, Richard Thompson, and Simon Nicol from Fairport Convention. Initially known as the Albion Country Band, the group recorded the album Battle of the Field in 1973, which was shelved and eventually released in 1976 after the group had disbanded. In 1978, the group shortened their name to The Albion Band and released Rise Up Like the Sun under the direction of John Tams. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, they underwent several transformations, releasing albums that include Under the Rose (1984) and Acousticity (1993). Under the leadership of Hutchings's son Blair Dunlop, a reborn lineup of the group released their final studio album, Vice of the People, in 2012, before dissolving in 2014. A separate Christmas-themed project, The Albion Christmas Band, was established in 2005 and released albums that include All Are Safely Gathered In (2022).
