So near, so FARA: Scots band to visit folk club
Nettlebed Folk Club has returned following lockdown, and one of the first acts on the bill is Orkney-based four-piece FARA. LAURA SCARDARELLA finds out how the group are preparing for their forthcoming show
ASCOTTISH folk band is coming to Nettlebed as part of its upcoming tour next week.
FARA, a four-piece music group from Orkney, Scotland, will perform at the Nettlebed
Folk Club, on the High Street, on Monday, October 8.
The band comprises Kristan Harvey, Jeana Leslie and Catriona Price’s three fiddles combined with new member
Rory Matheson’s piano.
Focused on their upbringing on the music of Orkney and Assynt, FARA produce a mixture of selfpenned and traditional Orkney tunes with their vocals.
With arrangements full of harmonies, fiddle playing and piano, band member Jeana Leslie said audience members can expect “a whole handful of things” at their upcoming gig.
After returning to the stage at Edinburgh International Festival in August, Jeana said the band is eager to get back on the road again after so long.
“Excitement has been growing for a long time at the prospect of this autumn tour, and we’re fired up and ready to get back to doing what we love.”
She said it feels good to be getting back on stage to live audiences again.
“It’s so exciting and nervewracking at the same time,” she said.
Though the band haven’t had any live performances for a while, Jeana and Kristan kept themselves busy in lockdown creating The Orkney Series online.
The collection of short films showcased their homeland of Orkney and the music that continues to inspire their sound.
Jeana said they both had lots of fun taking it on as a project.
“We moved in together at the start of the pandemic, and we were originally going to do just a couple of episodes,” she said.
“But we got really into it and ended up researching loads, and we learnt so much from it, and it was great to give to the world, as we couldn’t go out and perform anywhere.
“We’ve been away from the stage since February last year, and we’ve all missed the sheer enjoyment of playing.”
Nominees for Scots Trad Music Awards Live Act of the Year, BBC Radio 2’s Horizon Awards and winners of the German Critics’ Choice Award, FARA have entertained crowds with their unique music since 2014.
“I love being able to play and speak to the folk in the audience, and I’ve definitely missed the contact and interaction between band and audience,” Jeana added.
She explained that her most memorable experience in the band so far was getting the chance to perform at the BBC Folk Awards.
“We had the great honour of being asked to perform there, and it was such a buzz for all of us,” she said.
“We’re so lucky to be able to travel and get to do what we love together, and it’s great we’re now able to do it again this year.”
Performing a mixture of songs, the band are looking forward to showcasing some of their new hits from their upcoming album, due to be released next February.