# The Incredible String Band: the folk group who lived in a commune

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-incredible-string-band-the-folk-group-who-lived-in-a-commune/
- Published: 2026-11-05T04:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T04:21:54+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-incredible-string-band-folk-group-who-lived-in-a-commune/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- The Incredible String Band embraced communal living at the height of their career.
- Their third album reached number five in the UK charts.
- Their Scottish commune became a setting for a mixed-media film project.

## Summary

The Incredible String Band became one of Britain’s notable psychedelic folk groups, blending traditional folk with musical influences from around the world. At the height of their success, the musicians embraced countercultural communal living, making their home life part of the creative world that shaped their work.

Robin Williamson and Clive Palmer began performing folk music in Edinburgh in 1963; Mike Heron joined in 1965, after the pair had signed to Elektra Records. The group later included at least 14 members in different line-ups, and their third album, *The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter*, reached number five in the UK charts. In 1969, band members lived first at a farmhouse in Pembrokeshire and later at Glen Row in Innerleithen, Scotland, alongside artists and members of the dance group Stone Monkey; there they worked on the film *Be Glad for the Song Has No Ending*.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.