//Charlie Grey and Joseph Peach//
//Video//
//About//
Charlie Grey and Joseph Peach make music on fiddle and piano.
They are Scottish folk musicians, interested in making music filled with spontaneity, sensitivity and freedom.
Inspiration comes from the past and their surroundings, feeding music that’s rooted in tradition, whilst stretching it’s possibilities through improvisation and imagination.
April 26 2024 sees the release of the duo’s fifth album, entitled A Breaking Sky. Written and recorded over a week in residency at Ardkinglas House, the album is a series of improvisations and meditations on original and traditional melodies. With no advance writing process, the record captures new music from the duo at its point of creation. This is the duo’s most dynamic, free and honest work to-date, providing a true insight into their unique musical connection. The recording was supported by Help Musicians, The Golsoncott Foundation and The Gane Trust.
Together, they have been described by critics as displaying ‘enthralling prowess and attunement’ (The Scotsman). Their journey began in 2016, with their debut release Waves Rise From Quiet Water, which was shortlisted for FATEA Magazine’s Instrumental Album of the Year. The following year, the duo reached the final of BBC Radio 2’s Young Folk Award.
Their next release Air Iomall came in 2019 - a film and suite of new music, written on a voyage aboard the tall ship Wylde Swan to some now uninhabited islands deep in the North Atlantic, some of Scotland’s most remote, and remarkable places. The album was met with warm critical and public acclaim, described as “Excellent” by the The Sunday Times and receiving ★★★★ reviews from Songlines and RnR magazines.
The accompanying film documents the duo on this once in a lifetime voyage, providing a visually stunning, sensitive insight into under-documented and enigmatic landscapes and culminating with a concert of their new music on St Kilda - the most remote part of the UK, on the 88th anniversary of the evacuation of its native population. Air Iomall was first broadcast on BBC Alba in winter 2020, and continues to be shown regularly.
September 2021 saw the release of the duo’s fourth album, titled Spiorachas - A High Place. Stripped back to fiddle and piano, the duo have in a sense returned to their roots, with a series of meditative improvisations on Gaelic melodies drawn from a deep well of tradition. Filled with their characteristic sensitivity and feeling, this was the duo’s most successful release to-date, garnering airtime across BBC Radio 3, Radio Scotland and Scala Radio, as well as featuring in a number of Spotify editorial playlists.
Of their live performances, the Times said “This is a duo to watch”. They have performed across the world at venues and festivals including the Royal Albert Hall, Cambridge Folk Festival, Australia’s National Celtic Festival, Celtic Connections, and Festival Interceltique de Lorient.
★★★★★ “As both composers and players, the duo display enthralling prowess and attunement” - The Scotsman
“This is a duo to watch” - The Times