Rakish!

Rooted in tradition with an ear to the future, contemporary folk duo Rakish embody profound musical and emotional exploration and infectious playfulness. Fiddler Maura Shawn Scanlin, acclaimed for her deeply expressive playing, was raised in North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains. Her songwriting and clawhammer banjo technique hint at regional old-time ballads. Further north, guitarist Conor Hearn grew up steeped in the venerated Washington, D.C. Irish music scene and developed a keen interest in literature and poetry. His setting of James Joyce’s poetry on the title track of their new album Now, O Now as well as “Lightly Come or Lightly Go” epitomizes the duo’s approach: the dextrous alchemy of old and new into something wholly Rakish. Their intimate connection and unbridled love for pushing traditional sounds forward is striking. Just listen to the fiddling on “765” featuring trancey electronic dance production by Jamie Oshima or the epic tune “The Morning Glory” which is set atop an evocative, melancholic drone. Rakish refuses to be pigeonholed into one genre and are most comfortable occupying the inbetween. On Now, O Now they journey through Celtic and Americana styles, deftly brings forth something new from the bottomless well of tradition.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Cafe Paradiso, 101 N Main St, Fairfield, United States