Based on a deeply felt musical friendship, The Magpies work collaboratively, arranging material led by powerful vocals and glittering instrumental ornamentation. They each draw on their wide-ranging influences to create a unique blend of transatlantic folk, transporting audiences to distant lands and capturing imaginations with their enthralling live show.

Three accomplished musicians in their own right, The Magpies is a combination far greater than the sum of its parts. Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Award winning guitarist, banjo-player and singer Bella Gaffney is known for her folk inspired songs which she performs along with her own original arrangements of traditional pieces. Said to be ‘one of the best banjo players in the country’ (Dan Walsh), clawhammer banjo player and singer Kate Griffin’s compositions fuse influences from the British Isles, America and India. And acclaimed fiddle-player Holly Brandon is an ‘ingenious tunesmith’ (Living Tradition), with roots in traditional English music, but with influences from Eastern Europe to Quebec, she creates a distinctly borderless and progressive sound.