Rura

Rura is a Scottish folk group formed in 2010. The five-piece consists of Steven Blake, Adam Brown, David Foley, Adam Holmes and Jack Smedley. Their music combines fiddle, Highland pipes, whistle, flute, bodhran, guitar and voice, and they are associated with folk, ambient, Celtic and instrumental styles.

Career

The band first gains attention as award-winners at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, a festival where they appear on seven consecutive occasions. In 2015, they receive Live Act of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards. Their second album, Despite the Dark, arrives in 2015 and is followed by extensive touring in the UK and overseas. Their instrumentals and song-writing also feature at major folk festivals including Cambridge, Tønder, Winnipeg, HebCelt and Shetland.

Style

Rura’s sound is described through a mix of ruggedness and refinement, built around acoustic instrumentation and song-led arrangements. Their work centres on powerful folk-based material with both instrumental and vocal elements.