Aerialists, the JUNO nominated neo-folk quintet from Toronto, Canada will be appearing at the Eyemouth Hippodrome on 21 January..
Their music combines a love for folk tradition with a deep desire to experiment with form. With one album under their belt, the band has already made a name for themselves with a distinctive hybrid approach to traditional music; their songs carry historical weight without ever being stale or tired.
Aerialists was formed when Adam Iredale-Gray (guitar), Elise Boeur (fiddle) & Mairi Chaimbeul (Scottish harp) were studying at Berklee College of Music. Each player had a unique musical background – Boeur had completed an intensive study in folk music at a Norwegian college, Chaimbeul had established herself as an acclaimed Scottish harpist steeped in her native Gaelic tradition, and Iredale-Gray had spent years touring North America with acclaimed folk band Fish & Bird. Joined live by top Canadian rhythm section players Steven Foster (drums) and Alan MacKie (bass), the project became their musical meeting point – where each was able to synthesize their influences into an entirely unique whole.
Aerialists are ethereal yet precise, technical yet visceral, and every song feels like a new beginning. With a second album Dear Sienna slated for release in 2020, the band adds vocals in English, Swedish, and Scottish Gaelic, winning over audiences with their graceful musicianship and restless experimentation.
It is no small feat to synthesize a massive array of cultural influences into something that feels effortless, but here is Dear Sienna. A testament to their craftsmanship and attention to detail, Dear Sienna doubles down on the band’s established folk / prog hybrid. In composing and interpreting songs of love and loss from different backgrounds and times (listen for the album’s 300 year old love song An Gille Dubh Ciar Dubh), Aerialists have created a love letter to those who have come before us, and those who will come after. At turns both melancholy and bright, Dear Sienna cements Aerialists reputation as one of contemporary music’s most innovative projects.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
