Congratulations to Kinnaris Quintet who has been nominated in Live Act of the Year in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2024. Vote for Kinnaris Quintet now!. It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 30th November in Inverness Leisure. Why not join us for a brilliant night of music and awards. Buy a ticket here.
We asked Aileen of Kinnaris Quintet the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
We're Kinnaris Quintet, a band proudly based in Glasgow.
Our band consists of:
Aileen Reid (5 string fiddle)
Fiona MacAskill (fiddle)
Jenn Butterworth (guitar)
Laura Beth Salter (mandolin)
Laura Wilkie (fiddle)
Formed in 2017, we still pinch ourselves at the whirlwind of success since the band's inception, and take great pride in delivering entirely live performances which are often described by audiences world-wide as powerful, memorable, embracing, joyful and uplifting.
We released our debut album Free One in 2018, and second album This Too in 2022.
Both studio albums intentionally reflect our focus on authenticity, capturing the energy and essence of our exhilarating live performance by recording both albums live.
Whether in a live setting or recorded, music from Kinnaris Quintet promises to stir the soul, evoke emotions, take you on a journey and (perhaps most importantly) make you smile along the way.
Our music is a melting pot of original tunes and arrangements, with a good dose of traditional Scottish, Irish, Bluegrass, Classical, Scandinavian and Appalachian influences.
Expect to be taken on a musical journey of emotion, to be utterly uplifted with driving harmonies, technically dazzling arrangements, and experience sheer joy in abundance.
This is the powerhouse group forging new attitudes towards traditional and folk music with bold, sparkling arrangements and performances, laced with a contagious on-stage exuberance and joyful enthusiasm, as anyone who has seen this band live will attest.
Renowned for having a style quite like no other – powerful, fresh, euphoric, cinematic, raw, enigmatic and highly emotive – Kinnaris Quintet have quickly become the must-see act on the live music scene, with sold out shows year in, year out.
Why are you involved in Scottish music?
We each hail from different musical backgrounds of the trad/folk/roots family tree, and spent many years colouring other projects with our individual styles. We took our favourite things about music and produced what became Kinnaris Quintet's unique and signature sound.
We met and live in Glasgow, a city of which we are immensely proud to represent in our music-making and performances. Much like Glasgow itself, our music remains faithful to our traditional roots, tradition and culture, and ensures there's a surprisingly uplifting amount of joy along the way.
Our band members have been steeped in traditional music from an early age, and have spent our entire lives devoted to protecting, nurturing, teaching and promoting our music and culture. We believe we have a duty to protect and promote our traditions and culture whilst gently bringing it to the forefront of modern music, and hope to inspire the next generation to do the same.
Kinnaris Quintet members are all passionate educators and purveyors of traditional music and culture. The band comprises of highly sought-after professional educators in both music and Gaelic language.
Any particular career highlights?
Year in, year out we've performed at sold out Celtic Connections concerts, including many of our own headline gigs in some of the most iconic venues.
Recent collaborations have included writing and performing with musical heroes Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis, Dreamers’ Circus, Frigg, and a guest appearance in pop superstar George Ezra’s End to End documentary.
Accolades and awards include:
MG Alba Trad Music Awards 2023 Live Act of the Year (Nominees)
MG Alba Trad Music Awards 2022 Folk Band of the Year (Nominees)
The German Record Critics’ Award 2022 (Longlist)
Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Music 2019 (Winners)
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2019 Horizon Award (Nominees)
SAY Awards 2019 (Shortlist)
MG Alba Trad Music Awards 2019 Album of the Year (Nominees)
MG Alba Trad Music Awards 2018 Folk Band of the Year (Nominees)
Included in the fRoots 5 Star ***** Playlist September 2018
What are your plans for the future?
We're excited to create and release new music, and make sure live gigs remain one of the most special experiences in the world.
We are particularly looking forward to a dream gig coming soon:
KINNARIS QUINTET // FOUR MEN & A DOG // MEC LIR
Friday 17 January 2025
Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow
Celtic Connections
Kinnaris Quintet Social Media
Website: https://www.kinnarisquintet.com/
Facebook: @kinnarisquintet
Twitter: @Kinnaris5
Instagram: @Kinnaris5
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kinnarisquintet
TikTok: N/A
The 2024 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are on the 30th November 2024 in Inverness Leisure Centre! You will be able to watch it live in person (buy a ticket here). Watch it live in the UK at 9pm (GMT) on BBC ALBA and and around the world here. Bands performing on Saturday 30th November include Julie Fowlis, Skipinnish, Laura Wilkie and Ian Carr, Highland Young Musicians and Arc Fiddlers, An Dannsa Dub, BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award winner 2024 Calum McIlroy and more!
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians why not become a friend of Hands Up for Trad. In addition to our high profile events like the Scots Trad Music Awards, we also deliver a less well known, education programme for young people from 8yrs right through to young adults at the start of their careers. Read more here.
