WE ARE CÚPLA MÓR

Two musicians, two musical paths, and a whole lot of common ground. Michelle MacGregor and Leslie Rich bring decades of playing, writing, performing, and a shared love of Scottish and Irish music to CÚPLA MÓR. Fiddle and song sit at the center, surrounded by strings, rhythm, stories, and whatever else they decide to bring along for the ride.

Leslie Rich

Singer · Songwriter · Multi-Instrumentalist
Belfast-born singer-songwriter Leslie Rich grew up in Northern Ireland with traditional Celtic music in one ear and punk, indie rock and acoustic songwriters in the other. That collision has shaped his music ever since.
Leslie began writing and performing in Northern Ireland and founded the Rocket Soul Choir in 1994, going on to front, write and record with projects including Emily Ryder, A Little Of The Ready, Hounds of Finn, and Leslie Rich and the Rocket Soul Choir. After relocating to Minneapolis, he continued building a body of work rooted in strong melodies, sharp observation and songs that move easily between Celtic influences, folk, Americana and rock.
CÚPLA MÓR brings Leslie back into conversation with the traditional music he grew up around — not by leaving his songwriting behind, but by putting the two side by side. Old tunes, new songs and a Northern Irish musical upbringing all end up at the same table.

Michelle MacGregor

Fiddlette · Tune Maker
Michelle MacGregor has been chasing Scottish and Irish tunes on the fiddle for more than three decades. Her path has taken her from Scottish fiddle camps and sessions to festival stages and Celtic rock bands, with years spent absorbing the music not simply as repertoire, but as a living tradition.
Along the way, Michelle has brought her energetic, rhythmic fiddle style to a wide range of projects, including Colorado Celtic-rock band Potcheen and, for many years, Minnesota’s Hounds of Finn. Her playing has moved comfortably between traditional tunes, folk-rock, Americana and original music — always with an ear toward what makes a tune lift, drive and connect.
For Michelle, the fiddle is less about standing still inside a tradition than carrying it somewhere. CÚPLA MÓR gives her room to dig into the Scottish and Irish music she loves while stretching it, reshaping it and seeing where it goes next.