A Scottish two-piece band who have performed every day in Boston during the World Cup say it is “unreal” to have supported the Tartan Army.
MacDouble are known for their fusion of trad-Scots music and electronic dance music, offering an energetic and unique experience for listeners.
The duo is comprised of Iain MacGillivray and Megan Mackay, and spearheaded by manager Halie LaTourelle.
The group’s most notable performance came during The Haven’s watch party for Scotland’s match against Haiti on Saturday, winning 1-0 against the Caribbean nation.
The group spoke to the Press Association following their performance, saying they settled on the name MacDouble due to the shared “mac” in their surnames.
Mr MacGillivray, 39, said: I started playing with Meghan in Inverness in 2022 and we didn’t have a name or anything, but as soon as we played our first gig, we thought, ‘wow, this is something special.’
“After we finished, someone came up to us and asked how many years we’ve been playing?
“He thought we’d been playing for 20 years, and that was our first gig.”
The pair knew each other from their youth, having both gone through Gaelic medium education together in Tain, Scottish Highlands.
Ms Mackay, 32 said: “I was best friends with Iain’s little brother, so we’d always known each other.
“Iain randomly got in touch with me and said we’d never played a gig together, and asked if I could accompany him on one, so it just clicked and we went from there. It’s so great to be out here now.”
Band manager Ms LaTourelle, who is also Mr McGillivray’s partner, said: “They’ve always been really good, and now more and more people are hearing them, and it’s been great having people hear the Celtic vibes in Boston.”
Mr McGillivray said: “None of this could have been possible without Halie.
“She’s been responsible for getting our CDs together, the merchandise, our website, and all the other work that’s behind the scenes.”
Having performed at The Haven every day during the Tartan Army’s trip to Boston, the group will later travel to Miami to keep the flame alight for the Scotland fans.
While their speciality is Scottish music, the pair know upwards of 20 national anthems.
Mr MacGillivray said: “This experience will hopefully lead to other opportunities for us as well.
“We love performing for people and love providing joy and something memorable to folk, you know?
“Recently, when we were performing in Inverness, we were approached by a guy involved with the Rugby World Cup, and said he’d love for us to perform at that too, so getting this sort of feedback from these people has been really cool.”
The duo can be hired for weddings, ceilidhs and other private events.
Asked what the secret to a successful musical act is, Ms LaTourelle said: “What makes them special is how much they love traditional Scottish music, but also their love for modern music.
“What they play together is a lot of the traditional stuff, and it’s they have a lot of passion. It’s really good, but it’s upbeat, gets everyone on their feet all the time, foot stomping all over the place.”
On performing during the World Cup, Mr MacGillivray said: “To be here for a watershed moment for Scotland like this, and to be showcasing music and entertaining fans in wider communities, is unreal.
“Literally, the fans really make this team. The fans are the 12th and 13th men on the team in the most incredible way.
“Without the fans, there wouldn’t be the Scotland that we know and love.”