Thistle

Thistle is a multi-member recording and performing project led by brothers Aidan and Declan McLennan, based in Victoria, Canada. The band’s name derives from the iconic Scottish flower, symbolizing beauty and strength, also referencing the McLennan’s family heritage and their father’s past as a musician in particular. Blending folk music with classic rock and blues, Thistle blends sweeping acoustic guitars and layered vocal harmonies, creating a lush and textured sound.

On September 25th, 2026, Thistle released their first full-length album Let the Earth Lay Fallow, a collection of ten songs building upon the duo’s fanciful debut music single and video, “Over the Garden Wall.” Let the Earth Lay Fallow continues a commitment to handcrafted and local artistry. Preceding the global release of the album, the brothers worked in close collaboration with dozens of Victoria artists to invent an imaginary world brought to life by puppets, dance, and elaborate costumes, resulting in a theatrical display atypical of most contemporary musical performances.

Thistle is often accompanied on stage by four other members—Matt Seale on drums and percussion, Leo He on bass guitar, Ryan Keating on electric guitar, and Dexter Hodgins on the fiddle—each exuding a unique musical ability and devotion to craft. Thistle’s approach to live performance is to amplify and subvert the expectations of the audience. This involves improvisation by the various band members as well as the integration of dance, hand-crafted set decoration and storytelling into the performance. Thistle’s live shows are mesmerizing and intoxicating, designed to sweep audiences into a world of fantasy and magic.