Ryan Young + Ellie Gowers - Autumn Trad Festival 2023

2022 MG ALBA Musician of The Year nominee Ryan Young brings new and exciting ideas to traditional Scottish music, receiving international praise for his spell-binding interpretations on the fiddle. His debut album was recorded with four time GRAMMY winner Jesse Lewis (who has worked with the likes of Bela Fleck and Yo Yo Ma) and launched at Feakle Traditional Music Festival in County Clare, accompanied by renowned guitarist, Dennis Cahill (Martin Hayes; The Gloaming). 

Focussing on traditional Scottish music, Ryan brings new life to very old, often forgotten tunes by playing them in his own unique way. His fiddle playing is brimming with fresh melodic ideas, an uplifting rhythmic drive and a great depth of dynamics and precision. His sound is very distinctive and takes the listener on an emotional and adventurous journey in any performance.

Ryan holds both a first class honours and a Masters degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He was twice a finalist in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards and twice a finalist in the prestigious BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of The Year. He was awarded ‘Up And Coming Artist Of The Year’ at the Scots Trad Awards in 2017, nominated for the Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2018 and awarded Folking.com's Musician Of The Year title, also in 2018.

Further MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards nominations include Album Of the Year, and Folk Band Of The Year. Ryan Young was also the only UK artist selected to perform at the prestigious World Music conference, WOMEX, in 2019.

“…a force of nature” ***** (5 STARS) The Scotsman

“He has created his own unique way of playing and is finding great emotional depth in his native Scottish Music. Ryan Young is an up and coming musician who is gaining more and more well deserved recognition. I feel that he has the potential to make a very significant contribution to the Scottish tradition.” – Martin Hayes

‘…Young’s playing is so richly expressive, channelling such deep emotion, that it feels like a dramatic performance in a theatre…one feels that here we have a potential heir to Duncan Chisholm for sheer emotional intensity.  It’s a remarkably mature debut album from one so young.’ – Paul Matheson

‘…the man makes the fiddle articulate the widest range of emotions and illustrations – and listening to him play you realise he is surely in possession of a magnificent gift’ – FolkWords 

‘….leading the ‘New Wave’ of traditional Scottish fiddlers, virtuoso Ryan Young’ – BBC World on 3 

‘Nuance, wit, risk-taking, contrast and above all a real sense of joy in making music were all there in abundance and Young’s solo feature, where he appeared to have been truly possessed by the melodies, was as exciting as it was uplifting’ – Rob Adams, The Herald

‘Uniquely graceful and expressive playing.  A future star of the Scottish fiddle world’ – Aidan O’Rourke (Lau)

‘….His self-titled debut album simply brims over with originality and talent’ – www.folking.com 

‘…..they complement Ryan’s inventive and inspiring violin mastery so that the wonderful sound just takes flight, soars and swoops’

– Folk Wales Magazine

‘…the man makes the fiddle articulate the widest range of emotions and illustrations – and listening to him play you realise he is surely in possession of a magnificent gift’ – FolkWords 

www.ryanyoung.scot

Ellie Gowers

Ellie is a songwriter and guitarist from Warwickshire. What grew from a childhood love of literature and traditional folk song is a carefully crafted and emotionally mature catalogue of original material, with references to artists including Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake.

Bringing to the stage a strong voice full of expression and maturity, her songs are written with sociological, ecological, and personal themes in mind. These songs at times are sensitive and tender, but are not without the fiery and darker discourse that have labelled Ellie as dynamic and one to watch.

Towards the end of 2022, her highly anticipated debut album Dwelling by the Weir was released. An album that weaves the past, present, and future together. It is an exploration of the folklore, stories, and people that made her pastoral home county of Warwickshire what it is today.

With success already from the single release Against the Tide and a TEDx Talk that followed, Ellie entered 2021 with a brand new EP Parting Breath, The EP pays homage to Robert Burns ’Auld Lang Syne, and received rave reviews and extensive radio play.

In 2022, Ellie was involved in the composing of music for a BBC Radio 3 production in March, and toured the UK as Blair Dunlop’s special guest on his 20 date UK spring tour. Her highly anticipated debut album Dwelling by the Weir was released in September alongside a successful UK launch tour.

Ellie can also be found nestled in ‘Birmingham’s premier folk supergroup’, Filkin’s Ensemble. Forged at the end of 2020 after a successful video release of their ‘Arthur McBride ’rendition, this folk-meets-classical ensemble are set for an exciting 2023.

Quotes

“Full of delicacy, precision and gentle delight”

The Guardian

“An affectionate paean to her home country but one with themes and sto-ries that will strike resonances wherever your roots may have formed”

Folk Radio UK

“Her voice is full of warmth and intimacy, and when it really soars you quickly find yourself swept away with it.”

FATEA

“A strong, crystal clear voice...an act to watch”

Bristol 24/7

Links

elliegowersmusic.com

facebook.com/elliegowersmusic

twitter.com/ellie_gowers instagram.com/elliegowersmusic

youtube.com/c/elliegowers