The name Cantrip is an Old Scots word meaning a charm, magic spell or piece of mischief and it aptly describes the unexpected twists and turns in their musical arrangements, likewise the compelling potency of their musicianship. Swirling border pipes, raging fiddle, thunderous guitar and three rich voices blend to create a sound energetic enough to tear the roof off. Echoes can be heard of trad music from the 1960s and 70s, but the years have slowly infested their music with the sounds of funk, metal, bluegrass, swing, and even klezmer. Cantrip sprung from a local session in Edinburgh nearly twenty years ago. Their driving music immediately caught the attention of the masses, and they were quickly signed to the Foot Stompin' label. With their first album "Silver" (2001) in hand, Cantrip made its way across the water to the United States, where they were received with roars and shouts (of enjoyment). After years of significant touring, the band parted ways with Foot Stompin' and began producing albums on their own. Two albums later ("Boneshaker" in 2005 and "Piping the Fish" in 2008), Cantrip had cemented itself as a perennial figure. After a period of hiatus in which children were born and continents were left for new ones, Cantrip redefined its sound. The band tightened its arrangements while expanding its influence. New inspirations began creeping into the sound, complementing the traditional foundation of the band. This more mature sound debuted on "The Crossing" (2016), to high acclaim. In 2019, the band gathered 50 of its closest friends and fans and returned to its roots, re-recording Silver in a live format (Cantrip Live), re-arranged yet with a more youthful sound than the original. The process inspired a new approach for the band, which they implemented for their fifth studio album "Undark". In late 2019, they spent a week in their original home of Edinburgh creating and recording new music. All of the tracks on this album were captured live in one take by engineer and longtime friend of the band Reuben Taylor. This seminal album shows a new, darker side of the group while preserving the elements that audiences have come to know and love. After 20 years of touring, Cantrip has found a character like no other. Dan Houghton, Jon Bews, Alasdair White and Eric McDonald stir the elements in a witches' cauldron, slowly coalescing into chaotic order.
Dan Houghton
Dan was born in Ghana, but was transported to Scotland shortly thereafter, where he grew up surrounded by traditional music and dance. He began his career with the whistle at age seven and has been fingering the pipes and flute since the early nineties. He has has toured and taught throughout Britain, Ireland, The Continent, The Americas, Asia and the Antipodes. In addition to Edinburgh Dan has lived in Dunedin New Zealand, Toulouse France, Halifax Novia Scotia and Southwestern Vermont in the United States. Exposure to the traditional music communities in all of these places has honed Dan's skills, and introduced him to a plethora of musicians. As a result, he has, at various times, performed with or been a member of groups such as Salsa Celtica, Doolin, Prydein and a Parcel of Rogues. He is a multiple winner of the Scottish Lowland and Border Pipers’ Society Open Borderpipes and New Composition events and the Mâitre de Cornemuse at St. Chartier. In addition to pipes he is an accomplished player on the flute, bouzouki and DADGAD guitar, which can be showcased in his brand new solo album, "Border Pipe Personality Disorder". He is an instructor at the Vermont Institute of Celtic Arts, and can also be seen performing with the duo “If You Must Know” with harpist Rachel Clemente. Outside of music Dan holds a BSc Hons I degree in Applied Mathematics and Geophysics from the University of Otago and an MLitt degree in Gaelic Literature and Language from the University of Edinburgh. When not on the road, in the air or under water Dan spends his time at home with his two children Cian and Freya, perusing the woods surrounding his property, creating independent videos and crafting artisan woodworks.
(pipes, whistles, flutes, guitar, bouzouki, vocals)
Jon Bews
A veteran of the fiddle, having started at age four, Jon came to Scots music from a classical education by way of Goth rock. But it didn't take long for him to entrench himself and carve out a name as a fiddler. A prizewinning graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 1994, he spent seven years with the renowned band Malinky, during which time they released two award winning albums. In 2008, Jon parted ways with the band but continued to maintain a very active schedule, and he has become one of Edinburgh's most in demand fiddlers. A selection of the diverse artists he has performed and recorded with are James Yorkston, Mikel Urdangarin, Ranarim, Deaf Mutes and Samling. In 2019 Jon performed a run of gigs with the legendary group Shooglenifty and his playing appears on their recent single "East West". In addition to Cantrip, Jon is currently active with two other Edinburgh based bands, Storm the Palace and OBT (Oakes/Bews/Thorpe), both of which have recently released albums to great acclaim. The latter was hailed by The Scotsman as being "A journey from strathspey to space and back". Jon is also widely recognised as a composer and arranger. His string arrangements have been sought out by artists including Ewan MacPherson and Fribo and his tunes have won high acclaim across the board. Jon moved to the Scottish Borders in 2003 where he spent two years as Traditional and World Music Development Worker for Scottish Borders Council. He stayed there because the view is nice and only moved back to Edinburgh because the shops are open later. He spends his free time reading, gaming and parenting his three children Sophie, Patrick and Daniel. His wife Willa is also an accomplished piper and bassist. Her playing appears on Cantrip's latest album, and she is also a member of Storm the Palace.
(fiddle, vocals)
Alasdair White
(fiddle)
Alasdair White’s deep rooted yet wide-ranging musicality reflects his Isle of Lewis birthplace, current New York City home, and over 20 years globe-trotting with some of the best known names in Scottish, Irish, and Breton music, including Battlefield Band, Alan Kelly, and Gaelic Super-group, Dàimh. He is an exceptional exponent of West-coast Scottish music and is widely regarded as one of the foremost Scottish fiddler players of his generation. Alasdair was born and brought up on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, a chain of islands of singular importance to Gaelic Scotland’s musical heritage and is perhaps best known as having been a member of Scotland’s seminal Battlefield Band since 2001, touring extensively in that time throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Now resident in New York, Alasdair has performed and recorded as a guest with many of the best-known names in Scottish, Irish and Breton traditional music including Kathleen MacInnis, Julie Fowlis, Eddie Reader, Allan MacDonald, Manus Lunny, Nuala Kennedy, and Arnaud Ciapolino. Alasdair also recently premiered a major commission at the Hebridean Celtic festival in Stornoway, an hour-long original piece entitled An Iuchair. Other current ongoing projects include: a duo with Battlefield Bandmate Mike Katz; Gaelic supergroup, Daimh; Loud Weather; and his own solo projects both in North America and Scotland.
Eric McDonald
Despite being raised in a musical Boston family surrounded by the sounds of modern compositions on the piano, lively klezmer clarinet and songs of the american folk revival, it was formative experiences with organizations such as The Revels and Club Passim that set Eric on his musical path. Eventually he would study at the Berklee College of Music under world renowned musicians John McGann and Eugene Friesen. During the summers, he found his way to fiddle camps in New England, where he discovered a love for DADGAD guitar. A decade after studying, he is now established as one of the USA's premier accompanists in many styles. He is an active session player, regularly recording and traveling with musicians of many stripes. Touring credits include award winning singer/songwriter Connor Garvey, Pan Celtic Supergroup The Outside Track, flute phenom Chris Norman’s Ensemble, Northern Irish Music trio Daymark, and as an accompanist with fiddlers Andrea Beaton, Wendy MacIsaac, Brendan Carey Block and Katie McNally. In addition to Cantrip, he can currently be seen touring with the celtic roots trio Kalos, folk trio Bellwether and Juno Winning Canadian folk legends The McDades. Eric's debut solo album "Rove" features his unique style and approach to tunes on the mandolin, as well as carefully crafted deliveries of traditional ballads on voice and guitar. He currently resides in Montreal, QC with his family.
