Acid Croft Has Dance, Rock'n'Roll, Tradition And, Now, A Whole Lotta Soul

There aren't many bands on the planet that can lay claim to their own genre. Scotland's Shooglenifty are one — since 1990, this sextet out of Edinburgh have built a career on melding traditional Scottish music with the more contemporary electronic sounds available today, creating what they call 'acid croft'. It's highly infectious, it's quite left-of-centre, and it's a genre all their own.

Australian audiences are no stranger to these sounds, the band (fronted by enigmatic fiddle player Angus Grant) having spent a lot of time Down Under. "What's not to like?" states drummer James Mackintosh. "Since that first trip over [for] WOMAD many, many moons ago, we seem to have managed a trip out every couple of years. We've certainly paid our dues on the circuit  — we won't talk about that gig in Wollongong — but we always have a fantastic time over there. The fact that our erstwhile mandolin player, the supremely talented musician and producer Luke Plumb, hails from Tasmania, may have a little to do with our regular visits."

"'She's got soul, and she's superbad!' The fact that she and I are married may have something to do with it too, but I'm not quite sure what."

The dynamic group will return once again in March, playing Port Fairy and Bluesfest among others, looking to pick up where they left off. "We will generally hope for a lively, enthused, uninhibited crowd, but we're also happy to play our more introspective material if the occasion demands," MacKintosh reveals. "Friends who attended a recent 'sit down' gig remarked upon how good it was to really listen to the set without being in a frenzied throng. But yes, most of our set is designed to help you move… if everything goes well."

High on the agenda is showcasing material from their latest album, The Untied Knot, released last year. Aside from heralding a quarter-century since the band's formation, this album was important in that it was the first Shooglenifty record to include vocals (aside from samples of field recordings, which is all they'd incorporated previously).

"I guess after nine instrumental albums we thought it was time to up our game a little," MacKintosh muses. "Kaela (Rowan, vocals) was an obvious choice as a vocalist, as not only is she a long standing friend of the band who has sung with us on many special occasions, she's also got the right attitude, soul and energy to kick us all into touch. As our bass player, Quee [MacArthur], remarked many moons ago, 'She's got soul, and she's superbad!' The fact that she and I are married may have something to do with it too, but I'm not quite sure what."

The results add yet another dimension to a group already overflowing with ideas, energy and boundless possibility. "We're a diverse bunch, each with their own style and groove, which seems to come together in a tasty stew," MacKintosh concurs. "There's rock 'n' roll and dance, certainly, but there's also a respect for our tradition, and now with Kaela on vocals, a whole lot more soul too."

The band, understandably, are keen to showcase this new material come their Australian run, the fact they're reuniting with Plumb an added bonus. "We're extremely excited to play with Luke again," he laughs. "His departure was for the best reasons imaginable, a new wife and family on the other side of the world, but I suppose we're getting to have our cake and eat it too… he's a phenomenal musician and an all 'round dude, can't wait."