Hitting the high notes
62 | CREATIVE
MEET IONA FYFE AND FLORENCE JACK, TWO ABERDEENSHIRE SINGER SONGWRITERS WITH BIG AMBITIONS ION A FY FE Scots Language singer Iona Fyfe was born in Huntly and is now based in Glasgow after graduating from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She’s known for her renditions of Scottish folk songs and now writes her own songs in Scots. It’s a language she’s passionate about, having persuaded Spotify to add Scots to its list of languages and campaigning for Scots, Doric and other dialects to be given protection and promotion. In 2021, she became the first ever singer to win the coveted title of Musician of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards and has been featured on Radio 2, Radio Scotland and on TV. ‘My music is rooted in tradition, especially the traditions of the North East of Scotland, like bothy ballads.’ Iona explained. ‘My first album featured several bothy ballads, but with modern interpretations. I’m really interested in taking the Scots language into new genres and contexts – our native languages don’t need to be tied to our traditional music. There are Welsh language songs performed in several different genres, but with Scots and Gaelic language, it seems to be intrinsically linked with our traditional music. ‘As a performer, the pandemic was difficult to navigate. We’re rescheduling performances and releasing new music. The Blue Lamp is probably my favourite North-east venue.
I’ve been singing there since I was 16. It’s an incredibly welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment. ‘I’m very excited about performing my first US west coast tour in September, so I’m looking forward to an exciting opportunity to bring my music, language, tradition and culture to new audiences. As a musician with no record label or agency, it’s incredibly rewarding to be able to release music on my own and build a following.’ You can find out more about tour dates or buy Iona’s work at ionafyfe.com
