But still, even with the rave reviews and the award recognition, Rachel Davis and Darren McMullen weren’t sure how this new configuration was going to go over. “When folks know you as a four-piece band, it can be very scary to hit the road as a duo!” Davis admits. “We were nervous to play a run of concerts in the UK earlier this year, as some of the venues were places Còig played on our UK tours. But the response from the crowds quickly put our minds at ease. They were all so great to us.”

“I think that people want to hear music they can connect with,” muses McMullen. “Regardless of whether it comes from a solo act, a duo, trio, big band … whatever. The audiences in the UK gave us a massive boost in our confidence to get on stage and connect with the listeners.”

Rachel Davis and Darren McMullen connect so well with audiences because they have such a tight connection themselves, musically and personally. And a deep respect and admiration for each other’s musicality. “Before Còig really got going, both Rachel and I did solo records, and played a large role in each other’s records,” says McMullen. “We hung out a lot just listening to music and found that we shared a lot of favourite singers, writers, bands, etc. So we knew we had a strong starting point musically, as we were mostly on the same page when it came to what music we connected with.”

“Musically, I just really like Rachel’s drive when she’s playing tunes,” McMullen continues. “She also branches out into playing fiddle on songs which is not very common in the Cape Breton fiddle community. And I love to hear her sing and to sing with her.”—“Darren’s just a phenomenal musician in every way,” counters Davis who considers herself lucky to get to watch him play every day. “He’s so skilled at any instrument he puts his hand to. He still amazes me with the melodies he’ll come up with. He has such great ideas for arrangements and is always striving to make things better. He can basically read my mind when we’re playing tunes, and we seem to fall into a wicked groove together in both tunes and songs.” They’ve also fallen into a groove of sorts in life as the pair got married in 2022.

“Touring as a husband/wife duo is one of the greatest things we’ve been able to do,” McMullen continues. “On one hand, it streamlines the details of being on the road, in terms of travel, hotels etc. But more importantly, it allows us to focus more on what we want to do musically.”—“And the fact that we just happen to love each other makes all of this better again,” says Davis. “We’re partners on the stage, and partners in life. I like to think that comes across in the writing, the music, and how we perform. In the shows we’ve done since the record was released, we’ve heard so many listeners tell us they notice all those things, and that it really adds another layer to the concerts for the audience.”—“It’s quite the gift for us to be able to make music together, and we don’t take that for granted,” McMullen adds.

Rachel Davis and Darren McMullen are looking forward to getting back in the studio and releasing a new album in 2026 with tours in the works for the UK, Belgium, and Denmark. “We are very excited to bring the duo over to Europe and reconnect with those fans,” says McMullen. “European listeners seem to have a special appreciation for traditional Eastern Canadian Celtic and folk music. To be able to have our duo record to build upon Còig’s successes in Europe is a particularly exciting prospect in the years to come!”

www.rachelanddarren.com

About the author: Dave Mahalik has worked in Canada’s East Coast music industry since the early 1990s as a writer, editor, publisher, publicist, and performer. He founded Cape Breton arts magazine What’s Goin On (1995-1999) and local entertainment guide WGO weekly (1997-2003), before taking on his current job of Communications Manager for Celtic Colours International Festival in 1999. He has worked in the Press Office of Glasgow’s Celtic Connections festival, composed album liner notes and artist biographies, and written a book about Celtic Colours, 10 Nights Without Sleep. Mahalik has also performed, recorded, and toured internationally with award-winning Cape Breton band the Tom Fun Orchestra for almost twenty years.