Blending traditional Gaelic song with electronic sounds, Niteworks are one of the most exciting bands on the Scottish music scene. With just a few days to go until they open TradFest 2016 at The Caves, along with Griogair’s Ghettocroft and Dàimh, we spoke to drummer Ruairidh Graham about his influences and inspirations and the band’s … Continued

The clue to the Soundhouse’s origins can be found in its name: this Edinburgh-based organisation dates back to 2002, when singer-songwriter Dean Owens asked his friend Douglas Robertson, a photographer living in a converted shop on the edge of Holyrood Park, if he could host a gig in his house. By 2012, Douglas and his … Continued

Having wowed crowds at last year’s Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival and Edinburgh Mela, Scottish-Iranian band GOL are back with their incredible fusion of traditional Persian arrangements, electronica, jazz and world music. Lead singer Roxana Vilk tells us about the artists who have influenced the group and what tradition means to her. Tell us about … Continued

Folktales have inspired artists of all kinds for centuries, and continue to do so – in the past year alone, films based on the stories of Krampus and Snow White have reached the cinema, and weekly Twitter event #FolkloreThursday has become something of a phenomenon. This year’s TradFest features a number of storytelling events inspired … Continued

Written by broadcaster Fiona Ritchie and Doug Orr (with a foreword by Dolly Parton, no less) Wayfaring Strangers: The Musical Voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia tracks the musical journey of traditional Scots and Irish songs, transported across the sea by generations of emigrants to America, where they blended with the sounds of their … Continued

“At the approach of May, the people assembled and chose some respectable individuals of their number – very grave and reverend citizens perhaps – to act the parts of Robin Hood and Little John, of the Lord of Disobedience or the Abbot of Unreason, and make sports and jocosities of them.” [1] Over the past … Continued

Singer, actress and MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards nominee Gerda Stevenson treats us to a a unique evening of poetry and song as part of this year’s TradFest, accompanied by musicians Seylan Baxter, Rob Macneacail and Kyrre Slind. Here she talks about her influences and recent album, Night Touches Day, songs from which she’ll … Continued

The TradFest programme is full of fantastic events to tickle your traditional tastes. For those unsure where to start, here’s a few picks from some of the TRACS team on events that are at the top of their to-do lists. Daniel Abercrombie – Programme and Events Manager, Scottish Storytelling Centre I’m excited for the opening … Continued

TradFest 2016 is an Edinburgh-wide celebration of culture, with events taking place all over the city. Amongst the highlights of this year’s programme includes Treasure Troves of Scottish Tradition, a series of five events taking place at the National Library of Scotland from Monday 2 – Friday 6 May. Combining storytelling, music and talks, these … Continued

Now entering its second year, Edinburgh’s Folk Film Gathering – the world’s first festival of folk cinema – is a celebration of the myriad ways in which world cinema has engaged with folk culture at different points in space and time. Part of TradFest Edinburgh, the festival’s 2016 edition brings together a series of rare, … Continued