Kari Macleod

Kari Macleod first picked up a fiddle at the age of eight and now, aged 21, is beginning to make her mark on the traditional music scene as a talented musician, singer and song-writer. Growing up in Tain in the Highlands of Scotland, Kari's early musical influences seen her focus mainly on traditional Scottish music but during her time in secondary school, she was introduced to other genres of traditional music and developed an strong interest in bluegrass and Americana, in which Alison Krauss was a particular influence. During this time she also began to sing more, mainly Robert Burns songs, before progressing along with her fiddling, onto a more Americana style of songs.
Kari Macleod has been a past participant in the local music charity Feis Rois and during the summer of 2010, herself and three other members of the International ceilidh trail played at festivals across the UK and Ireland including Hebridean Celtic Festival, Galway Art's Festival, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival and Cambridge Folk Festival among others.
Kari is currently in her third year of the Folk and Traditional Music course at Newcastle University. Since joining the course, she has started working on her own compositions and is currently working on numerous self-penned songs drawing inspiration from all aspects of her life from personal experiences, stories told to her from people in old folk's homes, failed art projects, conversations overheard, to the confusing nature of mother-nature. When not performing her own songs, Kari's process of choosing material starts with the lyrical content. Whether it be a Child ballad, traditional bluegrass or contemporary folk song, Kari seeks to find lyrics in which the themes and subject matters translate through generations, and in which people from all walks of life can relate to. She lists payers such as Casey Driessen, Hanneke Cassel and Darol Anger as her main fiddling influences. Her singing and song-writing influences are a more eclectic group with American singer/songwriter Patty Griffin playing a significant role. Others include Karen Dalton, Barbara Dane, Adele, Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Sandy Denny and country singer Martina McBride. Her admiration of bluegrass super-band Alison Kruass and Union Station is still the biggest on-going influence in Kari's music but she has developed a deep appreciation for other bands in the past couple of years such as The Steel Drivers and The Civil Wars.

Kari also currently plays in various musical ensembles including the Scottish Ceilidh band 'Whisky Kiss' http://www.whiskykiss.com , an all-female vocal trio 'Chesapeake Bay'.