DKOS Artists for Fri 27th Jan – The Fountaineers. /. Rituala. /. Tern. /. Will Boyld-Wallis/ Silk & Salt

THE FOUNTAINEERS – Glasgow

The Fountaineers is the inevitable collaboration of four individuals living in Glasgow, slowly drawn together through its dedicated Old Time music community. Blending vocal harmonies with buoyant musical improvisation, they are an entertaining outfit to discover through live performance.
An admiration for the innovation of bluegrass and acoustic string band music has seen Michael Wright (guitar), Callum Morton-Teng (mandolin), Jeri Foreman (fiddle) and Rob Hart (banjo) bring traditional classics and contemporary explorations of this music to festivals across UK and Europe including Didmarton Bluegrass Festival, Arisaig Americana Festival, Omagh Bluegrass Festival (England, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively) and, notably, made their European debut at La Roche Bluegrass Festival, France. In 2022 they released their debut EP, a 5-track love- letter to traditional bluegrass classics, recorded and printed in Scotland.Since their participation in the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Official Showcase 2021, the band has continued to maintain a connection to the global Bluegrass community. Earlier this year the band were covered in Bluegrass Today, and further elevated their status as Scottish-based Bluegrass ambassadors

RITUALA – Edinburgh

Rituala are Giulia Drummond (vocals, percussion & shruti box) and Eddy Hanson (violin, viola & vocals). They met in the Captain’s Bar in Edinburgh in 2019 and have been playing together ever since… apart from all those lockdowns, of course.
They are truly a ‘world music’ duo with their songs being drawn from a huge scope of languages, cultures and styles. What links this diverse repertoire are the themes of reconnecting with nature, spirituality, love & beauty, the healing properties of music and our shared humanity. Their performances are therefore rituals of devotion to music where they invite the audience to join them in a more enchanted space.w
Giulia is originally from Brazil. She visited Scotland when she was 16 and immediately fell in love with the country before finally settling here in 2019. Originally classically trained and from Yorkshire, Eddy moved up to Edinburgh in 1990 and has been involved in folk bands, sessions and culture ever since.

TERN – Glasgow

Named after the migrating bird of the Nordic regions, Tern is a 5-piece band composed of Rose Logan (SC – Fiddle), Kristina Leesik (SE – Fiddle), Amy Laurenson (SC – Piano), Lea Søndergaard Larsen (DK – Bodhran), and Miguel Girão (PT – Guitar).
Tern crafts contemporary arrangements of traditional and original material, which draw on the music of Shetland, Mainland Scotland and Scandinavia.
Exploring the connections between the music of their homelands, Tern challenges listeners, inviting audiences on an exciting, cross-cultural journey, deeply rooted in a Nordic soundscape.

WILL BOYD- WALLIS aka Greenshanks – Inverness

Ecologist, woodsman, singer-songwriter Will Boyd-Wallis presents his own songs, featuring his well-travelled ‘guitalele’ and acoustic guitar. His accompaniments are naturally rhythmic, making careful use of rich open tunings, which perfectly underpin his reflective, soulful vocals.
Equally at home playing on mountain crags, in caves, by the campfire and on stage, his songs are inspired by the ebb and flow of nature and reflect life in the Highlands of Scotland – yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Will lives in the Highlands, right in the heart of the native Caledonian pinewoods of Strathspey. His ‘day job’ with the National Trust for Scotland takes him back and forth to the West coast and the Western Isles, including St. Kilda, Iona and Mingulay, where he gains much of his musical inspiration.
There are hints of Ivan Drever and Nick Drake in his guitar work, but his own unique voice resonates with all the wisdom and experience of a man who has spent considerable time in the wilds.This is Will’s first performance at Celtic Connections. He will introduce some of his most recently self-penned songs.

SILK & SALT – Glasgow

Silk and Salt was born of the recent coming together of three Glasgow-based musicians and good friends Grace Morton (vocals/guitar), Katie Allen (fiddle/guitar) and Iona Reid (piano).
With honest songwriting and musicianship that gathers inspiration from the likes of Rachel Sermanni, Karine Polwart and The Staves; Silk and Salt’s songs speak of navigating the transition between city and sea, the tidal flows of the inner world and explore the feeling of finding home in people and places.
Katie, Grace and Iona have been immersed in music throughout their lives. Grace’s playing and songwriting are rooted in her childhood in Trotternish on the North West Coast of Skye. Katie and Iona studied Scottish Traditional Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. This influence weaves its way through the Silk and Salt compositions bringing a trad/folk feel to the band’s work. Katie and Iona have their own original, unique touch that is both grounding and uplifting, complimenting Grace’s contemporary songwriting.
Silk and Salt are especially passionate about bringing their music to life and sharing it in its raw, honest, form that merges and moves with the moment – whether that’s singing to friends in their kitchens, cutting through the raucous rumble of a sweaty pub or dreaming away a sunny festival afternoon.