DKOS Artists 22nd January 2026:- Jonni Slater based in Glasgow – So So Sad based in Glasgow – Grainne Brady based in Glasgow  –   Todd Henkin & The Good Grief Band from USA, Sweeden, Croatia and the UK  based in Edinburgh –  Logan McKillop and Caleb Tomlinson from Canada……

FULL CONCERT

Jonni Slater -is a songwriter based in the south side of Glasgow whose music ranges from intimate and heartfelt to uplifting and cinematic, mixing a love of dramatic soundscapes with classic songwriting. He performs live on piano and guitar. His 2023 single with Dora Lachaise, Sign on the Door, was named in The Herald’s top 100 tunes from Scotland that year and described as “a memorable slice of class”. His new album, Between the Shadows, explores the bittersweet nature of memory, as well as empathy and compassion for the experiences of other people and for the fragile natural world around us. It’s “a collection rich in storytelling” with “thoughtful piano and guitar arrangements paired with lyrics that speak with substance and warmth” according to one reviewer.

SO SO SAD

So So Sad is the new musical project from Chris Brambley and Catherine Rudie.
Originally from the very opposite ends of Britain (Rudie from the remote North Coast of Scotland and Chris from the South Coast of England) they bring together equally contrasting musical influences and artistic approaches to create intimate guitar and piano based songs of beauty and strangeness, suffused with electronic textures and closely woven vocal harmonies. 
Chris Brambley is a classical guitarist, pianist and contemporary folk songwriter as well as former member of leading chamber choir Collegium Musicum of London. His intricate guitar work and slow-moving, harmonically rich arrangements bring a grounding warmth to the duo’s sound.
Catherine Rudie was originally a bagpipe player and Gaelic singer. She now writes acutely observed lyrics in English, often with an undercurrent of electronic atmospherics. She is a past recipient of the Scottish Burns Award for songwriting and was named ‘One to Watch’ by BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction in 2019. The same year her debut album ‘The Möbius Kiss’ was released to widespread positive critical attention with radio play on 6MUSIC, BBC Scotland and The Late Junction, BBC Radio 3, amongst many others.

GRAINNE BRADY

Gráinne Brady is a musician, songwriter and composer from Co. Cavan, Ireland, known for her work across traditional and contemporary folk music. While widely recognised as a fiddle player, songwriting has become an increasingly important part of her creative work in recent years.
The Highest Blossom is Gráinne’s contemporary folk song project, featuring original songs and co-writes with Boo Hewerdine and Findlay Napier. The songs were developed through periods of focused writing, mentorship and collaboration, and form a body of work that places strong emphasis on lyric, melody and storytelling.
For this performance, The Highest Blossom is presented solo, with the songs at the centre. The arrangements are simple and direct, allowing space for the words and melodies to speak clearly. Drawing on folk song traditions while addressing modern themes, the material explores ideas of movement, belonging, change and personal experience.
Intimate and attentive in nature, this solo performance is well suited to listening spaces, arts centres and song-focused festivals, and offers a clear insight into Gráinne Brady’s work as a songwriter and storyteller.

TODD KENKIN & THE GOOD GRIEF BAND

Prolific Philadelphian singer-songwriter Todd Henkin brings a new chapter to the stage with The Good Grief Band—a collective of Edinburgh-based folk musicians who reimagine his songs with heart, humour, and unique harmonies.
Henkin’s forthcoming sixth full length album was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, with performances by recent Grammy winner Sierra Ferrell as well as Nate Leath, Heather Gillis, Heather Thomas, and Oliver Bates Craven. When Henkin relocated to Scotland in 2024, a chance late night session with some of Edinburgh’s most dedicated folk musicians sparked the alchemy that became The Good Grief Band: an international line-up united by a passion for original music.
Expect breathtaking four-part harmonies, an intricate intertwining of banjo and violin, lyrics that can hush a room or set it laughing, and the unmistakable joy of musicians creating together. Don’t miss an unforgettable evening of original songs, global influences, and harmony-rich folk from both sides of the Atlantic.
Line up
• Todd Henkin (USA) — guitar, vocals
• Gabriela Machado (UK) — vocals
• Linda Larking (Sweden) — vocals
• Sylvie Nelson (USA) — violin
• Jakov Jandrić (Croatia) — bass
• James Stewart (UK) — banjo, vocals

LOGAN MCKILLOP AND CALEB TOMLINSON

Northern Canadian singer-songwriters Logan McKillop and Caleb Tomlinson are touring their storytelling folk/roots/americana music at venues across England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland this January and February, and are kicking their trip off with their performance at the Danny Kyle Open Stage.
Together, McKillop and Tomlinson represent a new generation of northern Canadian voices working within the folk-roots and Americana traditions, blending thoughtful songwriting with strong musical performance.
McKillop has toured extensively across Canada, the UK, and Europe in support of his previous releases, Prairie Sky and Anchorless, and is touring in advance of his upcoming third full-length album, Prisoner of the Highway, scheduled for release in summer 2026. Tomlinson released his debut EP Solstice in 2024 and has since performed at major festivals and curated events across western and northern Canada, including the Edmonton Fringe Festival, Atlin Arts and Music Festival, Alaska Folk Festival, and Breakout West.

Please remember the DKOS hosted at Celtic Connections is held in the Exhibition Hall at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is still free but is now ticketed>
You can obtain tickets online from 12pm on the day of performance LINK