Edinburgh Tradfest: RANT

“Powerful and evocative music that is invigorating, bewitching and beautiful." – Folk Radio UK

More than a decade on from their first performance, and with five acclaimed albums under their belt, RANT remain at the forefront of the Scottish fiddle scene. The meeting of four of the country’s finest players, the quartet use just their fiddles to weave a tapestry of melodies, textures, layers and sounds. Bethany Reid from Shetland, Anna Massie and Lauren MacColl from the Highland peninsula of the Black Isle, and latest member Gillian Frame from Arran join forces to showcase the combined resonance of their instruments with repertoire unearthed from both old collections and their own contemporary writing. RANT create a sound which is both spacious and lush, yet retaining all the earthy bite and spark synonymous with a Scottish fiddle player.

Their brand new album Live From Glasgow, recorded at Cottiers Theatre, is released in February 2026. It celebrates their decade together with live versions of their most popular tunes. It follows their 2024 release Spin, which is a homage to the music and influences that shaped their early careers. An affectionate 'covers' project, it draws on influences from across the global fiddle scene, meticulously arranged and performed, and awarded the German Critic's Award in spring following its release.

Their previous album The Portage was recorded over four days in the renowned Mackintosh Queen's Cross in Glasgow, a stark and honest reflection of their live sound which was awarded Top of the World status from Songlines Magazine.

Since the release of their debut RANT in 2013, which won them critical acclaim in the form of a Herald Angel Award for outstanding performance across all the Edinburgh Festivals, the band have made major festival and concert appearances across the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia. They provided strings for Julie Fowlis’s Gach Sguel album ,and their music has been used for both BBC and ITV national television programmes.

Their live set reflects years of honing their sound together and their love for the music of their respective home regions through their writing, repertoire and stories.

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