Liza Mulholland

Description

Born and brought up in Inverness, Liza has been involved in folk music for many years.  Although classically trained in piano, her family background of a big Glasgow-Irish clan of musicians and singers on her father’s side, and the Gaelic song tradition of her mother’s Isle of Lewis heritage, inevitably meant a strong pull towards the folk scene. On her first solo album of original songs and tunes, Fine ‘n’ Rosy, Liza brings together some top players, including cousin, Rua Macmillan, winner of Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Of the Year 2009, Alasdair Taylor of the Folk Award-winning band, The Elephant Sessions, and Robin Abbot of The Mystic Shoes.  This intimate album comprises reflective ballads and uptempo songs with catchy choruses,  complemented by rollicking trad-style tunes and dreamy instrumentals.  All are self-penned except the Gaelic classic, Mi Le M’ Uilinn, composed by her great uncle, Murdo MacFarlane, the Melbost Bard. Having tutored at numerous Feisean, Liza is a regular tutor with Feis Rois’s YMI programme and Artsplay Highland’s early years music project.  In 2001, with husband Bruce MacGregor, she co-founded and managed the Trad Folk Award-winning Blazin’ In Beauly fiddle school, and later went on together to set up Bogbain Farm music venue near Inverness, establishing folk sessions, concerts, gigs, an accordion museum and their Northern Roots Festival.  Alongside this, Liza has also devised and produced many television and radio arts documentaries for BBC Scotland, through her independent production company, Metagama Productions and from 2014 – 2016 has written a regular music-related column for The Highland Times.