Beatha have reached the finals of Battle of The Folk Bands 2025. The competition will be held at Celtic Connections on January 18th in the Drygate Brewery at 1pm. Why not come along and join in the fun?
We asked Iona of Beatha a few questions about the band.
Tell us about your band
Based in Glasgow, Beatha brings together three talented musicians who met while studying Traditional Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The band features Kenneth Macfarlane on whistle, Iona Reid on piano, and Cam Lawson on bodhran. They’ve performed across the UK at prestigious events including Celtic Connections, where they won a Danny Kyle Award. Their festival appearances include Braemar Folk Festival and Birmingham TradFest. The group recently made their international debut in Chédigny, France, ahead of their upcoming EP release.
Who are the band members
Kenneth MacFarlane – Whistle
Cameron Lawson – Bodhran
Iona Reid – Piano
What are you hopes and aspirations for the band?
We’ve had an amazing time playing together over the past few years and are excited to continue writing and creating music this year! Our debut EP is set to release at the end of January, and we can’t wait to share it with you. We’re looking forward to performing across the UK and beyond as we continue to share our music with the world.
Check out the band’s website.
The winners will receive a day in the GloWormRecording Studio and a performance at Celtic Connections 2026. Battle of The Folk Bands is a Hands Up for Trad project. Read about the organisation and join our weekly Scottish music information email here.
If you would like to support the work of Hands Up for Trad you can do here.