Here is the gorgeous, richly layered new single from Scottish fiddler, vocalist and visual artist Louise Bichan. Her latest release features the clear, pure voice of Aoife O’Donovan, who brings such a timeless quality and breathtaking beauty to an old, traditional and much-loved song. Bichan collaborated with artist Mike Cox to make the crankie box that is central to the accompanying video. It’s an inventive way to create a brilliantly illustrated animation, mirroring the lyrical narrative of Binnorie-o as it unfolds over sonorous strings and sweet fiddle. Towards the end, the instruments fall away, and the pace slows, leaving just the haunted, haunting vocal for the final couple of lines, the culmination of a dark tale: “And he made a fiddle bow of her long yellow hair // He made fiddle pegs of her long finger bones // And he made a little fiddle of her old breast bone // Whose sound could melt a heart of stone // The only tune that the fiddle would play // Was binnorie-o and binnorie-o.”
Bichan says of the song: “This was a hugely ambitious project, which I enjoyed every minute of. I collaborated with my neighbour, artist Mike Cox, to build the crankie box, which is adorned with bits of old fiddles, thanks to Eva Broadway. The song is my interpretation of an old folk song, of which there are many versions. I took the melody and much of the lyrics from a recording made by fieldworker Alan J Bruford, for the School of Scottish Studies. “
Aside from O’Donovan, the song benefits from delicate instrumentation and some exceptional talents, including Conor Hearn on guitar, Signy Jakobsdóttir on percussion, and multi-instrumentalist Ethan Setiawan on mandola, bouzouki, and electric tenor guitar. Bichan’s fiddle is supported by Brendan Hearn’s resonant cello and Noah Fishman’s double bass; those luscious strings were arranged by Ben Knorr, and the result is quietly, subtly magical.
This is the second single from the forthcoming album Binnorie, which is due out on 30th of October 2026 via Adhyâropa Records. Binnorie will be the USA-based Scottish fiddler’s third album, a timeless collection that explores the stories, myths, folklore, traditions, and landscapes of Scotland. Beautiful stuff – check it out.
