Neo-trad quintet Aerialists alchemizes Scottish, Irish, and Nordic folk traditions and post rock influences into a sound with striking clarity. It’s ethereal yet precise, technical yet visceral. Aerialists emerged from the new acoustic scene at Berklee College of Music nearly a decade ago, born from the creative affinity between harpist Màiri Chaimbeul, fiddler Elise Boeur, and guitarist Adam Iredale-Gray. Now with three albums, a JUNO nomination, and a Canadian Folk Music Award under their belt, Aerialists have staked their claim on the leading edge of the neo-folk world. Asserting the belief that a harp can groove like a drum kit, that a fiddle can be as ferocious as a distorted electric guitar, and that traditional tunes are sturdy and flexible enough to thrive in the landscape of indie-rock instrumentation, their music is a celebration of their deep personal roots in folk traditions, seen through an expansive lens.
Áine Schryer-O’Gorman learned to play fiddle primarily through osmosis, being surrounded by the many musicians in their family (parents, brothers, uncles). As they grew up, Áine built the foundation of their playing through touring, playing for dances, and competing. Though their fiddle roots are in Ottawa Valley and French Canadian traditions, their focus has more recently been on learning Irish traditions, with mentorship from Patrick Ourceau. Áine is continually inspired to play through their perennial relationship to the oeuvres of Brian Pickell and Oliver Schroer.
Originally from Smithers, BC, Emilyn Stam was mentored by fiddle innovator Oliver Schroer and has toured and recorded extensively in North America and Europe with Eastern European party-punk-super-band The Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Italian accordionist Filipo Gambetta, clarinettist John Williams, and Dutch balfolk band Té. She co-founded Balfolk Toronto, a new movement of social folk dancing in Toronto which hosts weekly drop-in dance evenings with live music.
Alan Mackie is a fiddle player from PEI living in Toronto, truly charmed by all the different ways that people dance to fiddle music in this world. He's spent the last bunch of years traipsing around Scandinavia, France, Appalachia, and the Baltics playing fiddle at dances and house parties - sometimes he's popping grape juice at the traditional music awards gala in a country he doesn't live in, sometimes he's digging Clif bars out of his backpack and falling asleep in the rental car, but he's usually doing it with Vinta (Canada), Porch Couch (Canada), Duo Mackie/Hendrix (Belgium) or Hypnosis Negative (Estonia).
