Celtic Connections: Inverclyde band to play for first time

Now, this up-and-coming folk-fusion band from Inverclyde are fine-tuning their instruments, ready to perform on the Celtic Connections stage and bring their energetic sound to the Old Fruitmarket next month.

Every year, Glasgow plays host to the winter festival that sees musicians from around the world perform on various stages across the city. This year's event is expected to see around 11,000 people in attendance, featuring musicians from Scotland and beyond.

The Laurettes will be supporting Glasgow-based alternative rock band Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 on Sunday, February 8, to wrap up the 18-day festival with what they say will be “the biggest interactive dance party the Old Fruitmarket shall see''.  

The Inverclyde band comprises best friends Lynette Beaton, 33, on vocals, fiddle and keys, and Lauren O’Donohugh, 30, on vocals and guitar – a duo whose music-making spans over a decade of friendship.

“We love to see Scottish music come alive and this festival is at the heart of the industry," says Lauren.

For the all-female act, this will be their first time performing at the festival.

“To go from being a fan in the audience at Celtic Connections, to getting onto the stage is unbelievable!” adds Lynette.

Both bandmates recall being dropped off at high school by their parents every morning, only a few cars apart, in the dark that a couple of years later, they would collaborate to bring their passion for music to life.

After winning a spot on BT Murrayfield's Scotland’s Playlist in 2021 – leading them to play in front of 60,000 rugby fans – the musicians have put their name all over the map, travelling up and down the country, frequenting offerings such as Tiree Music Festival, Bute Fest and Doune The Rabbit Hole, with many more lined up for this summer, along with the release of a new single. 

Despite the growing success, the pair have stayed close to their Inverclyde roots, often making their way back home to sing a song or two in the pubs of Gourock, where they began their music career.  

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Lynette says: “We are very passionate Scots, we love our nation, our home and the music that comes from it – our time spent touring the Highlands and Islands is what inspired our first single, Home Bird.

“It has been incredible travelling the country, playing in the tiniest pubs and on the biggest stages across Scotland.”

However, the size of the stage does not matter as the girls take any opportunity to get the audience up dancing, as Lauren says: “Every gig is different but ultimately, the love for each performance is the same.

“I am so blessed to have music in my life – after 10 years of gigging, I know the fun has just begun.”

To kick off the new year, the duo – accompanied by three other musicians – performed a vibrant rendition of Auld Lang Syne for STV’s Bringing In The Bells show, putting their Celtic rock twist on the song – an opportunity they have described as a “bucket-list achievement”. 

After the broadcast, the band believed they had “every telly in Inverclyde watching them” as they received overwhelming support for their Hogmanay TV slot.

John McAlinden, frontman of Colonel Mustard and The Dijon 5, is “absolutely delighted” at The Laurettes' success and to be sharing the stage with them at the festival next month, having attended New York Tartan week with the pair in 2023.

“They are really fun collaborators, fantastic musicians and singers with the rare trait of being loved and respected universally from bands in both the trad and alternative music scenes in Scotland," he told us.

Tickets are still available to see The Laurettes at Celtic Connections here – although audiences should be warned they may end up on the floor doing the "Heave Ho" to the song Techno Viking.