BIOGRAPHY

Steeped in the folk music of the Shetland Islands from a young age, Arthur was brought up in a house where traditional music was on the menu everyday. At 7 he took his first fiddle lesson and was later offered a place at the prestigious ‘Aberdeen City Music School’ where he studied fiddle and piano.

Realizing his calling for Quebecois traditional music through bands such as La Bottine Souriante. During his teenage years Arthur formed bands ‘The Rowies’ and ‘Tolquhon’ with fellow young musicians, where they enjoyed great local success and performed at festivals across the UK and Europe.

Arthur released his debut album ‘Focus’ in June 2019: a mix of Quebecois traditional tunes like ‘La Belle Catherine’ and ‘Le reel en vielle’ and some original compositions such as ‘Le Cou Casse’ and ‘La Chambre Verte’.

Touring together since their fortuitous crossing of paths in 2018, Arthur plays in a duo with English singer and guitarist Kerran Cotterell. Their one-of-a-kind sound and unique style remains true to their folk music influences while providing the basis for their energetic performances that showcases their versatility and prowess.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Arthur did not let that stop him from continuing to make a name for himself. He competed in numerous fiddle contests during 2021, coming 3rd in the Grand North American fiddle Championships, 1st in the Virtual Canadian Fiddle and Stepdance Contest, and 3rd place in Festival du Voyageur 2021. More recently, Arthur has had the privilege of joining the bands ‘Le Vent du Nord’ and ‘De Temps Antan' on stage.

Building upon his previous work, Arthur’s second album ‘Trapdoor to Hell’ was released in October 2022. As a multi-instrumentalist, Arthur plays fiddle, feetwork,  guitar, bouzouki, and sings on this record. This take on heavy folk music features two of his biggest heroes: Eric Beaudry and Pierre-Luc Dupuis. It has been enjoyed by live audiences across the UK, as Arthur toured it during shows as his duo.

Arthur has a diverse portfolio beyond performing music. From his home in rural Aberdeenshire, he runs Cloudnine Studio where he puts his knowledge of music production to use as he works with local artists.

Arthur has shared his passion for music through tutoring for Scottish Culture & Traditions, The Dee & Don Ceilidh Collective and Youth Music Initiative Scotland. At the start of 2023, Arthur worked with prominent Glasgow theatre company Theatre Gu Leor when he curated and recorded music for a new production called ‘Stornoway Quebec’ that toured all corners of Scotland in April 2023.