Cady Finlayson

Sizzling fiddle, powerful vocals and a driving rhythm section give the Cady Finlayson Band its' unique approach to Irish music. We're based in New York City, and our music includes lively jigs and reels, traditional ballads and world music influences. We enjoy playing for a wide variety of audiences, and find that music is one of those bridges between people.

After playing in several other Irish bands as a side person, I decided to start a group that would reflect my love for both Irish music and world music percussion. I was in Limerick Ireland attending a session where I heard a great bodhran player (Irish drum). I thought how nice it would be to find someone like that in NYC for my group and asked him where he was from. It turned out he (Tim Alworth) was from NJ. So Tim and I were the beginning and we have since added Marika Reisberg on vocals, Kyle Sanna on guitar, and guest artists such as John Redmond on accordian. I also work as a duo with Nashville guitarist Elkin Brown. We play all sorts of venues. A few memorable ones are The Brooklyn Museum of Art, Hofstra University, St. Mark's-in-the Bowery, Fort Tilden National Park, Slainte Irish Festival and the Backstage Gate of Artichoke Music.

I love to play live, and I think my bandmembers would agree. I have had many special moments as a performer. Some are the ones you'd think would be memorable, like the time I got to do a solo in Carnegie Hall with a Police Pipe Band for a Memorial Concert. Other moments include playing at a mental health clinic and having all these very drugged up catatonic people get up and dance, as if the music had said something to them. Then there are those moments that you remember because they were so awful. One was a gig I did in the Enterprise Car Rental Lot in Brooklyn, for a festival that didn't make it down the block due to street closures. I stood in the parking lot next to the barbed wire and played for an hour, just me and the security guard. Someone called to complain about the noise. Looking back, it makes me laugh, although at the time it didn't feel like a special moment.

Traditional Irish fiddle music is a big influence, fiddlers such as Andy McGann, Brian Conway, Martin Hayes, John Carty have always been a pleasure to hear. I also have always loved African percussion, American folk music and early music such as Palestrina and his harmonies.

I use an LR Baggs pickup and preamp, and I also have a wireless system (Seinhauser. My new five-string violin is made by Eric Aceto of Ithica Strings...

I'm always looking for other musicians to collaborate with, in other genres, especially African songs and percussion, hip-hop beats and other folk musicians.