Liz and Dan Faiella bring to life the traditional music of their roots, with crisp vocals, mesmerizing fingerstyle guitar, lyrical fiddling, and exhilarating rhythmic drive. Their music calls to mind the convivial grange hall contradances of their youth in New Hampshire, while conveying a wistfulness for their ancestral Ireland.
Liz and Dan have taken the main stage at premier folk venues throughout New England, including Club Passim, the Acadia Trad Festival, Maine Celtic Celebration, Little Sea Folk Festival, the Seacoast Irish Festival, and the Boston Celtic Music Festival. They are sought-after teachers, sharing their craft with students at camps, festivals, and community music schools.
Their debut album, At Long Last (2018), explores heartache, wonder, and joy, expressed through the traditional music they love.
Liz’s study of Irish fiddling, training in classical violin, and love of social dancing have shaped her musical approach. When she’s not gigging, Liz spends her days teaching fiddlers and folk groups at the Concord Community Music School in Concord, NH, where she is chair of the Folk Department and organizes the Music School’s annual Fall Fiddle Festival. She also is active as a YouTube creator, sharing fiddle tunes, tutorials, and techniques far and wide.
Dan has been building a reputation throughout New England’s traditional music communities for his sensitive and innovative interpretations of traditional tunes and songs from the Celtic traditions. His harp- and banjo-inspired approach to fingerstyle guitar playing brings grace and energy to the music, and his skill as an accompanist for traditional melody players is increasingly in demand. He studied with folk musician David Surette and classical guitarist David Newsam and he has performed with some of the Northeast’s premier fiddlers including Dan Foster, Alden Robinson, and Winifred Horan, among many others.
“a chill Irish vibe and a ‘going-places’ groove”
New Hampshire Magazine
Header photo by Allegra Boverman