THERE seemed a time when the only people playing traditional Scottish folk music were old men in kilts at gimmicky highlands festivals. Thank god, that’s changed.
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Over the past month two of Scotland’s best contemporary trad bands, in Elephant Sessions and Breabach, have showcased to Newcastle audiences the renewed vibrancy that is flowing through the scene back in the UK.
Elephant Sessions, who performed at the Stag and Hunter Hotel on March 15, offer a fusion of traditional, rock and electronic sounds. That inventiveness has been rewarded with the album of the year at the BBC Scots Trad awards in February.
Breabach, which means “kicking” in Scottish Gaelic, take a more traditional path. The acoustic five-piece performed in Civic Park’s Spiegeltent on Tuesday in their first visit to Newcastle.
“It [trad scene] seems to be growing all the time all over the UK,” Breabach double bassist James Lindsay says.
“It’s amazing how folk music has become so much more popular in the last 20 years. We feel lucky to be able to ride off that.”
Breabach – Calum MacCrimmon (pipes, whistles), Megan Henderson (fiddle), Ewan Robertson (guitar, cajon), James Mackenzie (pipes, bouzouki) and Lindsay – formed in 2005 after they moved to Glasgow from various parts of Scotland to study.
The band’s five albums have delivered a swag of accolades. Most recently their 2017 album Astar was the Scots Trad Music Awards’ album of the year and they won folk band of the year for the second time.
Lindsay explains there’s a variety of reasons why trad music has undergone a revival in Scotland.
“Back home there’s been a big drive for education, so a lot of people are seeing they can get educated in traditional music and there is scope to make a career out of it,” he says. “There’s also the social aspect of it. We all live in Glasgow and it’s quite a hub for musicians who like to meet up and jam and party and that all inter-weaves with each other.
“There’s definitely the career side of it, but the fun side. Because the music is mostly acoustic, it’s very sociable. You can just meet up and jam.”
Breabach are in the midst of their seventh Australian tour.
Their engaging performances at the National Folk Festival in Canberra and Port Fairy Folk Festival in Victoria has built a strong local following.
Lindsay believes much of Breabach’s appeal arises from a rejection of the proliferation of electronic music. Many music listeners are seeking something more authentic and pure.
“I think everyone is so engrossed with technology all the time, so it’s kind of nice to have a bit of nostalgia for something more simple,” Lindsay says.
Josh Leeson
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
