The Rollin Drones take Tartan Week by storm

The Rollin Drones, a dynamic bagpipe pop band known for their innovative fusion of traditional Scottish tunes with contemporary music, captivated audiences at Tartan Week events in the US at the beginning of April.

The band were thrilled to travel from their hometown of Glasgow to Washington D.C to play as part of the Washington Tattoo for the second year running, where they joined a roster of global talent including Joy Dunlop, Craig Weir and Seàn Heely.

They then headed to New York City for NYC Tartan Week to walk in the Tartan Day Parade before performing live at the Post Parade Party. Throughout the week they were joined by OzScot, Australia's premier international Highland Dance Team, who choreographed a performance to their music.

The Washington Tattoo was established in 2019 and delivers music programming while creating awareness of and providing outreach for veterans, youths and first responders.

The Rollin Drones at Sony Hall, New York City.

NYC Tartan Week is widely regarded as one of the biggest Tartan Week events globally. The 2024 parade was led by Scottish actor Dougray Scott as Grand Marshal, who introduced the Rollin Drones to the stage and took part in the first ever Post Parade Party conga line with the band in the crowd.

Kyle Dawson, President of NYC Tartan Week, said: “The Rollin Drones electrified the NYC Tartan Week Post Parade Party with their infectious energy, captivating the crowd and turning the celebration into an unforgettable Scottish extravaganza. We can’t wait to have them back!”

Since their inception in 2015, The Rollin Drones have become synonymous with pushing boundaries of Scottish music on the international stage. With each performance, they aim to mesmerise audiences with their unstoppable energy, masterful musicianship, and unwavering commitment to showcasing the rich heritage of Scottish music in a modern context.

Their success at Tartan Week comes at a very exciting time for the Rollin Drones, who will release their second album later this year and perform at Scottish festivals including Feis Ile and Butefest. They are also travelling to Canada and Colorado in September for the Canmore Highland Games and Scotfest.

Mike Farrel, musician and CEO of the Rollin Drones, said: “Playing at Washington Tattoo and NYC Tartan Week is a dream come true for us. We’ve had an intense but exhilarating week and the whole experience has been amazing.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard to get to this stage and it’s a joy to see audiences respond so positively.”

Learn more about the Rollin Drones at www.rollindrones.org or @rollindrones on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.