Capercaillie

Widely respected innovators of Celtic music, Capercaillie are credited with being a major force in bringing traditional folk, roots & Gaelic song to the world stage, and inspiring the great resurgence so evident today. From their homeland roots of Argyll in the highlands of Scotland, the band’s musical journey has seen them tour over 30 countries, sell over a million albums, perform in the Hollywood movie Rob Roy, and enter the pop charts with their adaption of Coisich a Ruin, a 400-year-old work song - the first Gaelic single to chart in the UK Top 40.
In celebrating their 40th anniversary, Capercaillie released the album “Reloved” - realising a long-held dream of creating full symphonic arrangements for their music. Comprising material from their much-loved repertoire it encapsulates the spirit of the band with strident waulkings songs from the Hebrides, hypnotic groove infused instrumentals and epic modern ballads and love songs.
Capercaillie’s line-up comprises some of the world’s most sought-after Celtic musicians:
Lead vocalist Karen Matheson – once famously hailed by Sean Connery as possessing “a throat touched by God” – is unanimously rated among Scotland’s finest singers in any language, having stretched her stylistic wings in a series of highly-praised solo albums and world music collaborations since 1996.
Donald Shaw (accordion & keyboards) is continually in demand as a producer and composer, most recently winning acclaim for his soundtrack to the BBC documentary series Hebrides – Islands on the Edge.
Charlie McKerron, the band’s longstanding east coast fiddler is also revered for his compositional skills and side projects, including the fiddle-led supergroup Session A9.
With his Gaeltacht Irish background guitarist Manus Lunny has been a rhythmic lynchpin of the band since their seminal recording Sidewaulk, and devotes much of his time to collaborative projects in his studio in Donegal.
Michael McGoldrick (flutes & pipes) has been integral to Capercaillie’s sound since joining the band in 1998 and is acclaimed as one of the UK’s finest traditional musicians and composers having collaborated with Mark Knopfler, Ben Howard, Kate Rusby, and Transatlantic Sessions.
Regular touring and recording musicians with the band include David Robertson (percussion), James Mackintosh (drums) and Ewen Vernal (bass).

“The most vibrant and exciting band in the field of Celtic music” (Billboard)

“Securely ranked among the Celtic world’s top live bands. . . Capercaillie walk the trad/contemporary line with admirable poise” (Songlines)