Ashlar

Odds & Ends

Nova Scotia's powerhouse Còig has cemented its status as one of today’s most exciting North American Celtic groups. With a fiery Celtic style as its musical core, Còig offers a fresh and exhilarating mix of traditional tunes, driving instrumentals and contemporary songs performed on over a dozen instruments (vocals, fiddles, piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin, viola, bouzouki, whistles, and more) in a lot of non-traditional ways.

Còig's like no other, thanks to the unique mix of four superb talents. Featuring the fiddling and step-dancing duo of Chrissy Crowley and Rachel Davis, the playful piano of Jason Roach, and the musical musings of multi-instrumentalist Darren McMullen, the quartet’s musical chemistry is unstoppable as they captivate audiences across Canada, the US, Austria and Europe. 

Còig have garnered rave reviews from audiences and media around the world.  Their recording” Rove” was awarded the 2018 East Coast Music Award for Roots Traditional Recording of the Year, alongside a 2018 JUNO Award, Canadian Folk Music Award, Music Nova Scotia Award nomination. Còig are set to release their fourth studio album "Ashlar" in the spring 2019. The best in trad music, in a non-traditional way. That's Còig.

REVIEWS
"...every number is convincing and compellingly delivered. This group's ability to back songs on piano, fiddles, cello, guitars and more gives them enormous scope, and keeps the surprises coming throughout Rove. Slow reels and strathspeys, smooth fiddle and staccato banjo, plenty of their own material as well as the best of three centuries of tradition: there seems to be no end to Còig's talents, and I'm sure their story will continue well beyond this outstanding recording." - Alex Monaghan, FolkWorld 

"—this is a walloping good set from these young lions of East Coast trad. There are five songs and seven instrumental tunes on Rove, all wonderfully engineered and mixed by Dave Gunning. I’m really happy to hear them increase the singing this time around. Rachel Davis and Darren McMullen both have fine voices, and McMullen’s take on Peter Gabriel’s Solsbury Hill was a very pleasant surprise. The purity of Davis’s vocals shines on Down the Road. Instrumentally, few can match these folks. Jason Roach, who is at his thunderous best on the fast and furious numbers, gives fine accompaniment to the superb fiddling of Davis and Chrissie Crowley. McMullen plays guitar, cello, bouzouki, mandolin, mandola, banjo, whistle, and flute—his choices of instrument perfectly complementing the rest of the band on every track. There are plenty of reels, jigs, and strathspeys as you’d expect, as well as a surprise addition of a Dave Brubeck tune. That’s Three To Get Ready played by four, in a band called five in Gaelic. What’s not to like? - Tim Readman, Penguin Eggs 

"Cape Breton Celtic ubergroup Còig realize their sonic potential with their third full-length release Rove, a twelve track treasure trove that will wash over you like the sea upon Nova Scotia shores. Featuring the fiery fiddling duo of Chrissy Crowley and Rachel Davis, the playful piano of Jason Roach, and the musical musings of multi-instrumentalist Darren McMullen, Rove takes listeners back to simpler, gentler times, when Saturday night ceilidhs brought communities together to sing, dance, drink and celebrate their rustic roots. Jigs, reels, ballads – and a brilliant cover of Peter Gabriel’s Solisbury Hill – showcase both the quartet’s strong chemistry, and the region’s rich musical history. Còig are the real deal, folks, and they just might inspire you to set sail for Atlantic Canada." - Celtic Life International