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.
Press Kit
Bio
Elias Alexander is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter whose work swells from the intersection of traditional music, electronic production, and songwriting. Using electronics, he alchemizes tradition into something healing, deeply personal, and of this moment.
Wielding bagpipes, fiddle, guitar, whistles, and keyboards on stage while deftly looping and sampling to build energy, Elias weaves together melodies from the Scottish and American traditions, with catchy beats, and original songs that discuss themes of alienation, belonging, and queerness.
Elias is one of those rare performers who achieves full flight using the power of electronics with live instruments, drawing comparisons to FKJ, Fred again., and Dirtwire, and taking audiences on a mind-blowing journey that elicits everything from wild dancing to tears. The show highlights Elias’s skill as a consummate performer with a unique ability to connect with and move a crowd.
Elias Alexander grew up in Ashland, Oregon, where he studied pipes and fiddle from a young age. Moving to the east coast in 2009, he made a name for himself 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 Scottish legends Old Blind Dogs in North America.
Elias’s latest project, Ramblxr, arose out of the early lockdowns of 2020, when he found himself blending the traditional acoustic music of his youth with house, disco, hip-hop, and lo-fi sounds. Emerging with his new solo electronic show 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.
Elias achieved international attention in Feb. 2024 when his song FIDDLE DISCO! went viral on Instagram, leading to articles in The National Newspaper Scotland and BNN News, and radio play on BBC Scotland.
An album is planned for the spring.
Press
“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
“This isn’t your Nana’s music festival… The night ends with Celtic EDM project Ramblxr, an electronic project of piper/producer/songwriter Elias Alexander, Ramblxr ‘puts fiery dance tunes from the Scottish, Irish, and American traditions in conversation with dance productions influenced by disco, house, and lo-fi hip hop.”
– Lauren Daley, Boston Globe
“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
“Elias Alexander via loops and samples, became something to behold.”
-Nick Spacek, The Pitch
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