About
Who is Daniel Quayle?
A well-known name on the Manx, Scottish and Estonian traditional music scenes, Daniel was born and raised in the Isle of Man, where he was introduced to Manx traditional music. Throughout much of his childhood, he studied composition, accompaniment and performance skills under the guidance of some of the genre’s most well-respected musicians. This led to him performing from a fairly young age, playing with many of the island’s top traditional musicians.
Upon moving to Edinburgh, Scotland in 2015, Daniel became involved in the local traditional music scene, where he quickly became one of the city’s most sought after accompanists, which gave him the opportunity to learn tunes from many different backgrounds, and to diversify his guitar, piano and bouzouki skills.
In 2017, Daniel performed at Cwlwm Celtaidd festival in South Wales. His first professional festival performance, it introduced him to the joy of performing to audiences from outside his usual circles, and he has since performed all over the world, with a growing fanbase in both Europe and North America.
Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe & Daniel Quayle
Boston-born fiddler Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe and Daniel Quayle of Onchan, Isle of Man combine Manx traditional music with several other musical traditions (Estonian, Irish, Scottish, etc.) to forge a dramatic and compelling experience.
The Isle of Man-based duo released their debut album, The Coast Road, in September 2022 after a five-week tour in Estonia. The Coast Road has been hailed as “a hell of an album” by Folk Wales Magazine and “an exhilarating journey from two bright and inspired talents” by At the Barrier.
The duo began touring together in Summer 2021, performing in France and Estonia as part of music festivals, as well as cultural events and standalone concerts. Their travels helped to shape their distinctive sound — blending old melodies with new rhythms and ideas that are presented with a powerful conviction that continuously brings audiences to their feet.
A recent review of their album wrote that the traditions "flow seamlessly in glorious union".
