Scottish folk group Fara are set to hit the road at the start of 2017, with upcoming gigs throughout the UK. With vibrant arrangements full of rich harmonies, energetic fiddle playing and driving piano, Fara’s music is an exciting experience. A mixture of self-penned and traditional Orkney tunes as well as stunning vocals, the young women’s combined musical experiences and friendships produce an exciting and individual sound.
Fara brings together four emerging musicians at the forefront of today’s young Scottish folk scene — Jennifer Austin, Kristan Harvey, Jeana Leslie and Catriona Price’s three fiddles and a piano — to produce a fiery sound rooted strongly in their upbringing among the music of Orkney.
“This album,” says the band, “is a culmination of our first couple of years together, and our experiences along the way. We’ve all known each other since we were children, but the process of working together as adults has created a real Fara sisterhood, which has quickly become an important part of all of our musical lives.
“The four contrasting personalities and individual musical voices in Fara make for a colourful melting pot of ideas during arranging sessions – each member brings a different musical pallet to the table. But the strong Orkney fiddle tradition that we all grew up with is the glue that binds us together, being at the heart of all of our musical characters’
‘For me Fara were THE highlight of the 2014 Orkney Folk Festival. I saw every one of their gigs and they were exceptional. Their on-stage banter and musicianship held every audience spellbound. I was thrilled to see them again at this year’s Celtic Connections in Glasgow, and there is an EP too. Sickeningly talented and mad as brushes. A potent combination. A real delight for any festival’ Kevin Macleod
‘These girls will go far. They sing and play like they mean it’ Douglas Montgomery, Saltfishforty, The Chair
‘The debut recording from Fara is perhaps one of the most exciting developments in recent years for music from the Northern Isles. Showcasing fired up instrumental sets as well as the beautiful vocals of Jeana Leslie, this recording is testament to the strength of the traditional music development in Orkney. The Northern Isles and indeed Scotland now have a new fiddle supergroup but this time, with an all female line up. I suspect that stages from near and far will be seeing and hearing a lot from these lasses over the coming months’ Mhari Pottinger, Shetland Folk Festival
Catch them on tour at the following dates:
Fara UK Tour 2017
24th Jan – St Columba’s Church, London
25th Jan – University of Kent, Canterbury
26th Jan – Celtic Connections, Glasgow
27th Jan – Pontio, Bangor
4th Feb – The Tolbooth, Stirling
10th Feb – Borough Theatre, Abergavenny
11th Feb – The Met, Bury
12th Feb – The Fleece Inn, Evesham
13th Feb – Colchester Folk Club
14th Feb – The Wardobe, Bristol
15th Feb – The Welfare, Swansea
16th Feb – The Prince Albert, Stroud
17th Feb – The Ram Folk Club, Surrey
24th Feb – The Dower House, Edinburgh
18th March – McKillop Institute, Lochwinnoch
22nd March – Parish Church, Lochwinnoch
