“Unstoppable… When Our Atlantic Roots play, you listen” - BBC Radio Cornwall // “An emerging folk act who certainly have our attention.” - Ear To The Ground Music
Cornwall based transatlantic duo ‘Our Atlantic Roots’ fuse together poetic lyrics and cinematic instrumentation, creatively presenting a blend of the cultures they are individually from, by merging genres characterized by their country and folk roots. Audiences consistently praise the duo for their tight vocal harmonies, honest storytelling and for Mac’s impressive guitar performance.
The couple met in Asheboro, North Carolina in 2012 and immediately connected over a shared love of various bands. When they sat down to write their first song together, little did they know what it would turn into! Just 18 months after meeting, Mac and Laura married and relocated to England, working multiple jobs whilst building a music career; performing in bars, pubs and other venues alongside writing and crowd-funding to release their first two EPs.
In recent years, the duo has seen playlisting success with millions of streams under their belts, BBC Radio 2 airplay, regular BBC Introducing features, TV appearances and a very full tour calendar! They’ve shared the line up with the likes of Ward Thomas, Passenger and Tom Odell, and have performed on the main stages of festivals such as Between The Trees, Cornwall Folk Festival and Beardy Folk Festival as well as making appearances at The Americana Music Week, The British Country Music Festival and more. The fully independent and self-managed duo have taken sonic inspiration from artists such as The Civil Wars, The Hollow Coves, The Paper Kites, Novo Amor and The Oh Hellos.
Our Atlantic Roots have steadily been building a catalogue of songs that have been praised by the likes of Nashville-based hit songwriter Mark Cawley (Tina Turner, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack) who called their work “a sonic reflection of their passion for each other and their roots”, stating that he loves the blend of their voices and everything he’s heard them do!
The duo’s latest EP ‘Memories Live On’ is a project that leans more into the traditional, with string instrumentation by highly praised folk musicians such as Sam Sweeney and Ben Nicholls. It was recorded with BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winning producer, Andy Bell (Bellowhead, Martin Simpson, Spell Songs) and celebrates the wild Cornish coast where the couple currently reside.
As for what’s next … a debut album and UK headline tour are on the cards among some other very exciting next steps in their career. There’s one thing for sure, Our Atlantic Roots are gaining momentum and have no plans to slow down anytime soon! As folk musician Geoff Lakeman stated after seeing them perform at Cornwall Folk Festival, “expect to hear more of them!”
