Tradition Meets Disruption In A Culture That Refused To Fade - Ashley MacIsaac Interview

A fiddle can carry a life. Ashley MacIsaac joins us for a remarkable journey from Gaelic lullabies and Cape Breton kitchens to rock radio, EDM mashups, and back again. He shares the real origin story: a grandfather who sang in Gaelic, childhood on stages, and a family lottery win that bought the violin that changed everything. We talk “Sleepy Maggie,” Mary Jane Lamond, traditional roots, and fearless crossover.

Ashley also shares the story of a 19th-century violin linked to a musician who played for Abraham Lincoln—and why a $69 fiddle can still tear it up. We explore writing tunes, streaming, the importance of physical records, and how communities from Cape Breton to Windsor, Detroit, and Boston keep Celtic culture alive.
He opens up about his new project, Country Pride—a country record from a gay Celtic fiddler who sees Cape Breton and country music as branches of the same tree. Expect live snippets, Burns Night stories, and a reminder that tradition survives by moving.