Edinburgh Tradfest: The Fretless with Madeleine Roger

“Transforming string music into intricate, beautiful, high-energy arrangements, Canada’s The Fretless have become flawless musical acrobats” – Progradar

After a breathtaking appearance at Edinburgh Tradfest 19 we are delighted to welcome back The Fretless who are accompanied this time by a very special vocalist Madeleine Roger.

Four ferocious players, masterful composition, and a genre-bending sound, Juno award-winning The Fretless is a Canadian quartet that has firmly taken its place on the map to a progressive form of “trad”.

A supergroup of celebrated solo artists, this extraordinary band has been creating a singular and signature sound that dares to expand the idea of what a string music quartet can be — transforming fiddle tunes and folk melodies into intricate, beautiful, high-energy arrangements that have quickly gained a dedicated following and accolades from around the world.

Within what appears to be a simple and classical construct — two fiddles, a viola, and a cello — The Fretless has created a sound that is distinctly rich, multi-layered, and uniquely percussive. This tonal quality is pushing traditional music to new heights, producing a completely fresh approach to Folk music.

Augmenting The Fretless’s peerless instrumental sound for this very special concert is Madeleine Roger, a folk singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Canada. Her artistry as a songwriter and storyteller can silence a room, uniting her lyrical prowess with breathtaking melodies that linger long after they are sung. Her critically-acclaimed debut album Cottonwoodcombines the elegant storytelling of folk traditions with the grounded vibe of roots music. It is a collection of songs that reflect on femininity and equality, the majesty of the wilderness, and the beautiful awkwardness of trying to love another person. Cottonwood reached the No. 1 spot on the National folk/roots charts in Canada, and also saw Madeleine nominated for both “English Songwriter of the Year” at the 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards and “Producer of the Year” at the 2019 Western Canadian Music Awards.

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The Traverse Theatre is funded by Creative Scotland and The City of Edinburgh Council.

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