Quetzalcoatl Press Release

Scotland’s Alternative Youth Orchestra Releases Debut Single

quetzalcoatl-press-release-with-title

“Rave Culture meets last night of the Proms” The Herald
“A spectacular modern band” The Guardian
“An Orchestral Revolution” Edinburgh Evening News

Scotland’s premier youth music orchestra are proud to present their debut single ‘Quetzalcoatl’ (pron. Ket-zal-ko-at-al), due out on 30th January. The single marks the first release from the Tinderbox Orchestra, a ferociously talented collective of 13-25 year olds, based in Edinburgh; it will be followed up by a full-length LP on June 4th.

A triumph of unsettling chamber-prog, the track came out of a Tinderbox workshop series called ‘Creative Sessions’ that brought together composers and bands from all manner of backgrounds for one-off orchestral collaborations. For composer Frazer Knox it was the first opportunity he’d had to write for an orchestra, and it empowered the young musician to burst out of a period of writers block. Frazer says:

“Hearing it in real life in front of me through an orchestra was an overwhelming moment of pride, where I suddenly felt like I could call myself a composer, because it’s real music, and it sounds like real music.”

That journey from frustration to satisfaction is written into the bones of this single, which propels itself along a tightrope of tension and release for 5 high-octane minutes. ‘Quetzalcoatl’ takes its name from the feathered-serpent god of Mesoamerican religion; this composite deity – also the name of a Final Fantasy character – is an apt and powerful image for a track that bristles with threat and typifies the orchestra’s omnivorous approach to genre.  Have a look at the teaser video below to get a feel for the piece.

Tinderbox are building an almighty orchestra to perform the album at the Hidden Door Festival in June 2017, so get involved! Auditions for the Spring Term will take place on January 21st. For more info, or to book your place: GO HERE.

For further information, press assets and to hear the full audio, please contact Rollo Strickland at:

Tel: 07928 821 496, Email: info@tinderboxproject.co.uk