Cahalen Morrison & Eli West

Cahalen Morrison and Eli West play the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday 16 January 2027, as part of the Americana section of Celtic Connections. They're billed as Cahalen Morrison & Eli West and Support, with the main set starting at 8:00pm in the Strathclyde Suite.

They're two roots musicians who work from old folk sources, though the result sounds vibrantly alive rather than like a museum piece. Morrison writes songs that read like a Cormac McCarthy novel — simple and beautifully crafted, as if formed from raw natural elements. West brings jagged, angular arrangements rooted in bluegrass and old-time, refracted through a 21st-century lens. Together they tap the root of the old country and bluegrass duet, with the sparse landscapes of Morrison's vocals reflecting the warm glow of West's voice.

There's a comparison to Ansel Adams' photography that fits here: music instantly accessible and built from the simplest materials, yet transcending its base fundamentals. It's that kind of stripped-back, textural approach that puts them in the Americana section of the festival, rather than the more traditional folk side. The show is part of the wider Celtic Connections programme, which takes over the city every January.

Tickets are £23.90, which includes the booking fee. The gig is on Saturday 16 January at 8:00pm in the Strathclyde Suite at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3NY.