You might think 2020 was the worst possible year to start a music business, but we disagree. Out of this past year has come a number of important conversations about the music industry – worldwide and here in Scotland – which gives us an opportunity for change. This is something we at The Bothy Society are grabbing with both hands, doing things differently, giving musicians back their power, and we think our ever-growing roster is a testament to this.
Since February 2020, our family has more than doubled. Eabhal and HEISK are joined by the inimitable WHYTE on our management and booking agency rosters, with Man of the Minch joining the record label and Adam Holmes and Brother Raksha joining us for marketing and PR.
WHYTE
Our first release of the year comes from WHYTE, a duo featuring electronic composer Ross Whyte and Gaelic singer-songwriter Alasdair Whyte. Described by Ceòl is Craic as Gaelictronica, WHYTE’s sound envelops the listener, sonically evoking the changing landscapes of Scotland. Produced in collaboration with Theatre Gu Leòr, ‘MAIM’ expands on the theatre show of the same name, with 10 tracks accompanied by a string section comprising of Seonaid Aitken, Patsy Reid, Alice Allen, Megan Henderson and Màrtainn Skene.
ADAM HOLMES
We are also teaming up with Edinburgh’s lauded Adam Holmes to carry out marketing and PR on his fourth album, ‘Dreamweaver’. Adam is one of the brightest rising stars on the UK roots music scene, with influences from either side of the Atlantic mixing traditional and contemporary folk with his own brand of soul and Americana. His first three albums saw him twice nominated for BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and also for the Scottish Album of the Year Award in 2014, 2017 and 2018.
BROTHER RAKSHA
2021 will also see us working on marketing campaigns with brand new groove-trad trio Brother Raksha on a range of releases. Comprising of world-class musicians Scott Wood (Scott Wood Band/Skerryvore), Jodie Bremaneson (Skerryvore/Humble Fever) and Ifedade Thomas (Kobi Onyame/Unoma Okudo), Brother Raksha’s sound is a new take on contemporary trad which has already seen their (as yet unreleased) debut single Casa Capagli featured on BBC Radio Scotland’s Travellin’ Folk show.
MAN OF THE MINCH
This summer will bring our first TBS record label release, and it’ll be a special one – 60 minutes of personal and profound storytelling with traditional Celtic and electronic sounds from Man of The Minch with his debut album ‘The Tide Is At The Turning’. These 13 tracks will show you exactly why Rolling Stone called it “forward-thinking folk music”. Funded by Creative Scotland’s Create:Inclusion fund, the album features a formidable supporting cast of creatives from the Scottish music scene, who predominantly identify as members of the LGBTQIA community, including Rachel Sermanni, Finn Anderson, Laura Wilkie, Malin Lewis, Gillian Fleetwood, Broken Chanter, Little Acres and Josie Duncan.
HEISK
HEISK’s debut album, produced by Anna Massie (RANT/Blazin’ Fiddles), is nearing completion and scheduled for release over the summer. Up and Coming Artist of the Year Nominees at the MG Scots Trad Music Industry Awards 2018, HEISK have been perfecting their funked-up folk sound, and the album is sure to provide you with the soundtrack you need to dance around your living room in lieu of the early summer festivals. Keep your eyes peeled for a launch party announcement.
EABHAL
The members of Eabhal have been working on a new album which is planned for release in the autumn. This will be the follow up to their 2019 debut album ‘This Is How The Ladies Dance’, which saw them long-listed for album of the year at 2019’s MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards. The new album will showcase some of the band’s most inspirational Scottish locations and will see them create a whole heap of content to go alongside the album and make you reminisce about all the places you’ve been longing to visit throughout lockdown.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2021 on Monday the 8th March, we’ve curated a playlist to inspire and celebrate the contribution of women within the Scottish music scene. Why not give us a follow on Spotify to keep up with all of our playlists?
THE RECORD CLUB
Finally, we’re just putting the finishing touches to our plan for The Bothy Society Record Club. After so much positive feedback on our Neo-Trad playlists, we’ve decided to make it official; every quarter we’ll be curating and releasing a physical and digital compilation album full of the best contemporary Scottish Trad and folk tracks. This is going to be super limited to only 100 physical copies and will be available for those who join our family. We’ll be announcing more details soon and if you are interested in becoming a subscriber, then register your interest here.
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The Bothy Society – http://www.thebothysociety.com
