Elias Alexander is a rare performer who combines live looping and electronics with a wide variety of instruments from bagpipes to fiddle, guitar, whistle and keys. With deep roots in traditional Scottish and American music, but a boundless appetite for possibility, rhythm, and expression, Elias takes audiences on a mind blowing journey through traditional tunes, original songs, and danceable fun.
Neither a DJ nor a band, Elias's latest project is called Ramblxr (pronounced “rambler”) and his live shows highlights his skill as a consummate performer with a unique ability to connect with and move a crowd. Perfect for Shetland's late night and standing events!
Elias Alexander made a name for himself in the pre-pandemic days as one of the foremost exponents of traditional Scottish music in America, touring with numerous groups and playing many of the top celtic festivals including Celtic Connections (2017 with Gillebride MacMillan) and Celtic Colours (2019 with Farsan). He currently tours as the pipes and whistle player with Old Blind Dogs in North America.
Ramblxr arose out of the early lockdowns of 2020, when Elias found himself blending the traditional acoustic music of his youth with house, disco, hip-hop, and lo-fi sounds. Emerging with this new music in hand in 2021, he has taken festival stages by storm, with standout performances at Oregon Country Fair, BlissFest, Sisters Folk Fest, Portland Pride, Bellingham Folk Festival, and many others.
With a number of singles already released, Elias continues to expand on the journey that began with Ramblxr, with more releases planned that bring in wider influences from pop to latin to hip-hop. He's even contemplating doing a recording of Up Da Stroods, a Shetland tune he learned from Kevin Henderson. We definitely think he should.....but it's not a condition of the booking! Welcome to Shetland Elias.
The performance was wildly successful and he developed a sound that…people connect with almost instantly. By bringing forth the age-old, moving experience of listening to live traditional music, and adding a contemporary twist, Elias is appealing to a new generation of listeners.
Alana Loftus, Irish Star
The overwhelming positive response to his latest video on social media underscores a growing interest among listeners in genre-blending music, and Alexander is at the forefront of this movement, pushing the boundaries of traditional music forms.
BNN news
The multi-instrumentalist musician recently went viral with his track Fiddle Disco – a uniquecombination of Scottish trad and pop which now has more than one million views.
Adam Robertson, The National
Find out more at www.eliasalexander.com.
Find them on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud and YouTube.
