Congratulations to Valtos who has been nominated in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2025. Vote now! It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 6th December in Aberdeen Music Hall. Why not join us for a brilliant night of music and awards. Buy a ticket here.
We asked Martyn of Valtos the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
“It is a real skill to make tracks sound so light and airy like the Scottish skies and mountains, that they’re inspired by, and yet still make the same tracks sound club ready”
BBC Introducing
“They incorporate an array of exciting features on tracks that sound like nothing you have heard before”
Folk Radio UK
Valtos are Skye natives Daniel Docherty and Martyn MacDonald, and they have taken the Trad and Electronic music worlds by storm. Since their debut shows in December 2021, they have entertained audiences at festivals and sold-out venues nationwide.
Their music has been described by Folk Radio UK as “like nothing you’ve heard before,” blending influences from electronic and folk music. Inspired by artists like Martyn Bennett, Peatbog Faeries, Odesza, Madeon, and Bicep, Valtos creates a unique and genre-defying sound.
Valtos’ self-titled debut album, released in June 2022, features collaborations with Donnie Munro (Runrig), Lana Pheutan, Eilidh Cormack (Sian), Gary Innes (Mànran) and Euan McLaughlin (An Dannsa Dub).
Throughout 2023 and 2024 their ambitious project, “Valtos and Friends,” saw them releasing 12 new singles, collaborating with a diverse range of artists including Elephant Sessions, Julie Fowlis, Gnoss, Project Smok, Siiga, Lewis McLaughlin and more. This project started with a sold-out Celtic Connections show at Oran Mor in 2023 and finished with a massive 1300 cap show at SWG3, which sold out in just a couple of weeks. The culmination of the singles was a second album ‘Valtos & Friends’ which was released in early 2025.
Prior to their album, Valtos released a variety of remixes, featuring Peatbog Faeries, Project Smok, Niteworks, and Mec Lir. These remixes paved the way for their debut, fueling anticipation and setting the stage for their meteoric rise.
Valtos draws inspiration from the breathtaking beauty of their home, add a sense of place to their recordings and live performances. Joined onstage by a full live band, including Lana Pheutan, Eilidh Cormack, Finn MacPherson, and Euan McLaughlin, Valtos deliver energetic and unforgettable live experiences.
Valtos’ talent and innovation has garnered recognition, seeing them getting to the finals of BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year, earning a spot on The List’s 2024 Hot 100, the title of Up and Coming Artist of the Year award in 2022 and a nomination for Best Live Act 2023 at The Scots Trad Awards. Their dedication and boundary-pushing artistry continue to impress critics and fans alike.
Why are you involved in Scottish music?
We got into Scottish music because it lets us celebrate where we come from while still experimenting and pushing things forward. Blending traditional sounds with modern influences just feels natural to us, and it’s a way of keeping our heritage alive in a way that speaks to who we are now.
Any particular career highlights?
2025 itself has been a highlight. It started with a mad night at Inn Deep and somehow ended with us playing to 14,000 people in Bilbao, which still doesn’t feel real. We’ve been really lucky, with sold-out shows all over, two nights in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Fort William, Floors Castle with Skerryvore and Faithless, plus a whole load of festivals (and more than a few distilleries) in between. Finishing things off by supporting Talisk at the O2 Academy in Glasgow was the perfect way to round it all off.
We’ve also spent a lot of time writing and recording, working with some of Scotland’s biggest artists on our next album, which we’re hoping to release in 2026. Every step with Valtos has felt special, but this one’s been something else. We’re just really grateful to everyone who’s come out, listened, danced, and kept us going.
What are your plans for the future?
Looking ahead, we’ve got some of our biggest shows to date lined up, and we honestly can’t wait to get back out there. We’ve also been hard at work on our next album, which we’re planning to release in 2026. It’s been amazing watching the new songs take shape, and we’re really excited for people to hear how our sound’s developed. Mostly though, we just want to keep growing and keep playing.
Valtos Social Media
Website: https://www.valtosband.co.uk/
Facebook: @valtosband
Instagram: @valtosband
YouTube: @valtosband
TikTok: @valtosband
The 2025 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are on the 6th December 2025 in Aberdeen Music Hall! 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. Hosted by Scottish personalities Alistair Heather and Mary Ann Kennedy, the night in the Granite City will also welcome live performances from some of the brightest lights on the thriving trad scene today including beloved singer Hannah Rarity, UK folk legends The Poozies, trad pop band Mec Lir and BBC Radio scotland Young Traditional Musician and Scots Performer o the Year Ellie Beaton and many 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.