Album Notes

“Their playing displays a great depth of emotional range, from the tragic and plaintive Kathryn’s Castle, to its high-spirited and fiery follow up Lost in the Loop. The pair play with an obvious sense of joy in what they do, and their dedication to their craft is evident in each tune. ” – FOCUS Magazine

“Beautiful Celtic fiddle and guitar work can be found throughout Relative Minors. Qristina and Quinn Bachand are amazingly accomplished musicians, moving easily from one song set to the next.” – Monday Magazine


This young brother and sister duo from Victoria, BC, are quickly carving out a name for themselves. At 18, Qristina Bachand has developed into an expressive fiddler, with a unique style that is both smooth and edgy. At the age of seven, she began her musical journey with classical violin lessons through the Suzuki Violin Method then took an interest in folk fiddle. Though strongly rooted in the Celtic tradition, her versatility and interests also include Old-Time, Appalachian, Swing and contemporary folk music. Thirteen-year old, Quinn Bachand, is a gifted accompanist on guitar. Blessed with an acute ear and an innate sense of rhythm, he continues to astonish fans with his diversity and skill, not just on guitar but also
on fiddle and banjo.

Together, Qristina & Quinn Bachand create music that is challenging yet energetic, refreshing and fun. For their debut CD, “Relative Minors”, they chose to focus on Celtic styles – Irish, Scottish, French, Canadian and Cape Breton. “Relative Minors” is a nod to the rich canon of music that has influenced their young careers” (Penguin Eggs) with tunes chosen from the repertoires of Glenn Graham & Andrea Beaton (Cape Breton), Frank Ferrell & Liz Carroll (USA), Tony Sullivan & Donald Shaw (UK), Jean Blanchard & Gilles Chabenat (France) and more. The CD is rounded out by traditional fiddle tunes and several originals written by Qristina and Quinn. “Relative Minors” is traditional music for the 21st century, always mindful of its origins but fresh and exciting in its ambition and delivery. The album was recorded in their home studio built by their father), with Aaron Scoones engineering, Adrian Dolan mixing & mastering and guests dropping in to add Uillean pipes, flute, whistles, bass and percussion on several tracks.

Qristina & Quinn Bachand have opened and played with many well-known musicians including Ashley MacIsaac, Lunasa, Battlefield Band, Liz Carroll & John Doyle, Buddy McMaster,
Tiller’s Folly, Daniel Lapp & Robin Nolan. Media coverage includes CBC Radio & Clare.FM (Ireland), recent articles in Penguin Eggs magazine and Victoria’s Focus magazine as well as television spots on CHEK TV, ‘A’ TV, CTV, Global Maritimes & Art-TV (Germany)