Swinging on Birches

Swinging on Birches is an innovative new female-led trio consisting of cellist Juliette Lemoine (Scottish Album of the Year Award Longlist 2023), fiddler Madeleine Stewart (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year finalist 2022) and guitarist & vocalist Heather Cartwright (Supporting Kris Driver UK Solo Tour 2024).  The band weave songs, tunes and harmonies across cello, fiddle and guitar, creating lush and intricate pieces rooted in Scottish traditional music which draw influence from their diverse musical backgrounds. They have collectively performed at prestigious festivals including Celtic Connections, London Jazz Festival, Celtic Colours, Rudolstadt Festival, and Orkney Folk Festival among others and are delighted to now be joining forces in this exciting new collaboration.

Swinging on Birches launched in September 2025, bringing their autumn tour to audiences across Scotland and England – as far flung from their Glasgow hometown as London. Their programme includes self-penned tunes from Juliette and Madeleine as well as original songs from Heather, interspersed with some of their favourite tunes and songs which they have been collecting over the years. This first burst of music was written in the excitement of finally working together officially, and much of the music has been percolating in the background for years. Their sets include everything from “banging reels” to thoughtfully-composed pieces to songs from women’s perspective, and they bring the audience in with their stories and jokes.