Àirdan have reached the finals of Battle of The Folk Bands 2026. 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? You can buy tickets here.
We asked Paul of Àirdan a few questions about the band.
Tell us about your band
Àirdan are a rising voice in the world of Scottish traditional music. Their high energy grooves and dynamic arrangements see melodies and riffs juggled between fiddle (Paul Sinclair), accordion (Coll Williamson), guitar (David Lennon), and drums (Ewa Adamiec). Formed in 2021, Àirdan’s journey began in the heart of Edinburgh’s thriving live music and session scene, where their shared passion for traditional music – and for pushing its boundaries – brought them together. Their sound is shaped by the acoustic energy of late night Celtic sessions, enriched by influences from their diverse roots and travels to far flung corners of the globe.
Who are the band members
Paul Sinclair: fiddle
Coll Williamson: accordion
David Lennon: guitar
Ewa Adamiec: drum kit
What are you hopes and aspirations for the band?
– To keep pushing ourselves musically, both as individuals and as a group, writing and arranging more sets that we love to play together, and that hopefully other people enjoy listening and dancing to as well!
– To further explore our unique expression of traditional music, diving deeper into the Scottish tradition while also bringing in additional influences from our diverse roots and branches
– To record a new album that brings together all of the above, as part of which we also want to bring in some of our amazing friends and colleagues from the wider trad world to guest and contribute their own unique magic to each track
– To share the joy of traditional music with more people across Scotland, the UK, and the world, through concerts, sessions, workshops, festivals, and camps.
– To grow our active audience, including aiming to reach those who have not connected with a wide range of traditional music before.
Check out the band’s website.
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.