Serena Smith & Friends - Celtic Fusion Band

Purple fiddle and guitar playing celtic fusion music

Dynamic, inspiring, exciting, sweet, and surprising - experience the journey of a lifetime when traditional fiddle tunes meet rock, jazz, dance, and more!

What is celtic fusion? For us it means combining Irish, Scottish, and English folk tunes with modern styles. Our music is influenced by Eileen Ivers, Elephant Sessions, Talisk, Beoga, Blackbeard's Tea Party, and Face the West. We are completely instrumental, and play music you can dance to with some interesting stories to share along the way!

Lineup

Serena Smith - Fiddle

I have 30 years of experience playing the violin/fiddle. After many years of playing in bands for other people, I decided it's time to start playing my own music. It has been a dream come true for me to form this band and celtic fusion represents a combination of everything I do musically as an individual performer.

It all started with a few ideas and some help from Arts Council England to give me the time, space, and resources to collaborate with everyone and make my band become a reality. I'm also working on an album which includes even more friends and will come out later this year!

Click the about me section to find out more about my experience.

Serena Smith playing fiddle in fog for celtic fusion band

Joss Ward the extraordinary electric guitarist

Joss Ward - Guitar

Since the age of 16, Joss has made a living from music. His parents are also professional musicians.

Over the years Joss has played many different styles of music in all kinds of venues. He has played venues all over the world with award winning tribute bands, function bands, original bands and many more.

Some of the highlights of Joss' career have been performing at the Mercedez 150th anniversary show, Yamaha drum clinics, Hard Rock Hell 7 & 8, working at Pinewood Studios, performing at the DW Stadium in Wigan, working on cruise lines such as Princess Cruises and Fred Olsen, Tribfest and many more.

Crauford Thomson - Bass

Crauford was born into a household of musicians who would run Ceilidh in the front room regularly and in particular at Hogmanay. Steeped in Scottish music Crauford took up violin and singing at an early age, Joined the Glasgow Islay Junior Gaelic Choir and won the national MOD once and runner’s up on a second occasion. He then went to the Royal school of Music and Drama Scotland and to learn classical and Scottish Folk music from a violin perspective.

Later Crauford started to gig as a Bass player in a country rock band, he has toured as a bass and vocalist for years and occasionally playing/working with some big name performers. He then returned to his classical and Scottish folk roots playing fiddle in Ceilidh for various bands and worked as part of a Folk Rock duo playing small theatres. Amongst other things he has directed large scale performances at Lincoln Cathedral and is the Musical Director of the International Bomber Command Choir and Orchestra and worked with composers to bring new works to life. Now teaching, writing, and playing for various Folk based bands, some fusion, some more acoustic and runs a popular folk session based on rediscovering Scottish Folk Music that was published in Scotland from 1680 to the late 1800.

Crauford Thomson on bass playing in celtic fusion band in Lincolnshire

Mark McLaughlan on drums in black and white playing celtic fusion music

Mark McLaughlan - Drums

Mark has been playing drums for over 30 years. As a musician Mark has performed at the Royal Festival Hall in London, the NEC Arena in Birmingham, The 100 Club, The Maltings, and the Birmingham Symphony Hall. Other Headlining performances include The Sound Republic in Leicester Square, West One Four, The Half Moon and Dublin Castle in London. Support slots have included The Sugababes, Liberty X, Kym Marsh, James, The Fine Young Cannibals, The Bluetones, James Taylor Quartet, Hawkwind, UB40, The Beat, Squeeze, Big Country, New Model Army, Barbara Dickson, Bad Manners, Eric Bell, Let Loose, London Beat, Rozzalla, The London Community Gospel Choir and Bob Geldof.

Mark has also recorded and performed with many bands and named artists. He has performed showcases and also recorded music for Sony, Warner Brothers, S2, BMG, Mercury and Polydor records.

Mark currently performs and teaches full time and has written two books to date.