Tiller’s Folly

Tiller's Folly was formed in 1997 by Bruce Coughlin as a six-piece group with eight Irish dancers to honour his Celtic heritage. Coughlin is a sixth-generation Canadian of Irish descent from Maple Ridge, BC. For over twenty-five years, Tiller's Folly have been uniting the past with the present as modern-day storytellers of lore, singing the West's pioneer history to life. The band's first album, The View from Here, blended traditional Irish music with original compositions, including a number of historically inspired ballads. The band's evolution took a significant turn in 1999 when Nolan Murray, known as the Fiddling Fury, joined the lineup. By 2000, Tiller's Folly had fully embraced Americana, touring extensively throughout the United States and Canada. The current lineup features guitarist Bruce Coughlan, bassist Laurence Knight and mandolinist Nolan Murray, performing as a powerhouse trio. Tiller's Folly performs high-energy acoustic roots music with Pacific Northwest flair, with their unique blend of Celtic/Folk/Rock/Pop/Bluegrass gaining popularity far and wide. Coughlin's most enduring achievement is Stirring Up Ghosts, an initiative to preserve Pacific Canadian history through music. In 1997, they began the Stirring Up Ghosts project around preserving a portion of that fascinating history in songs and stories of Pacific Canadian history. Tours were marked by many unforgettable moments, including a 2008 Canada Day performance before a crowd of over 250,000 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. They won Independent Music Awards Social Action Song of the Year. Tiller's Folly's commitment to preserving Pacific Northwest history through music has made them important cultural ambassadors.

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