📷 Photos by Elly Lucas Sometimes I procrastinate. During the recording and writing of Outsider book, my skills grew from that of an amateur dilly-dallyer to that of an Olympic level dawdler. The shed was well organised, the garden weeded and the record collections alphabetised. Rooms were repainted, cars hoovered and dogs walked to exhaustion. … Continued

📷 Photo above by Sandy Butler Once upon a time, many years ago in late 2010 the committee of the Edinburgh International Harp Festival reached out to me with an exciting proposal: to craft a piece that would celebrate their 30th anniversary while also honouring the 80th anniversary of the Clarsach Society. This opportunity felt … Continued

📷 Photos by Jannica Honey How did someone’s painful arm become a four year music project exploring the many moments of a woman’s life that are usually experienced in silence? It was mid-COVID times. My partner, an incredibly strong woman who I was used to seeing endure trials and tribulations way beyond any I could … Continued

📷 Photo by Alleksana Photography For any artist, the creation of an album is a journey – one that often takes unexpected turns and reveals itself gradually. Fable, my latest album, was no exception. What began as a collection of songs I felt deeply connected to evolved into a cohesive exploration of Scottish folklore, history, and … Continued

“You’re so lucky to play music” The poignant song ‘Everything is free’ by Gillian Welsh skilfully captures a dynamic where we as musicians can be damned when faint praise replaces a full appreciation of worth. It can feel that the glistening tip of the iceberg is sometimes the only aspect appreciated by even loyal fans. … Continued

Folk duo Rachel Walker and Aaron Jones celebrate their roots with a stunning new album of traditional Gaelic, Scottish, English and Irish songs. Amongst The Wild Rowans, is our second full album. It’s a celebration of our roots and an attempt to make an honest record that reflects where we came from, our influences and … Continued

📷 Jenny by Amanda Jackson Photography Kirkwall Harbour by Alan Guthrie Photography NEW RELEASE ALBUM AND TUNEBOOK As I sit here looking out across Orkney’s lush fertile fields, watching the birds flying effortlessly around the breaking sunlight I think about how lucky I am to be at home following many years travelling the world as … Continued

📷 by Somhairle MacDonald Mairearad and I are cousins and grew up playing music together in informal settings as well as performing as part of Fèis Rois. Mairearad is from Achnahaird in the North West Highlands. I’m from Edinburgh and spent my school holidays up in Achnahaird at our Grandparents’, just up the road from … Continued

James Macintosh (1846-1937) Image: The Chapter House Museum Trust Flute player and musical researcher Munro Gauld outlines his involvement in a community music project in the heart of Scotland. Back in the spring of 2022 when rummaging around in the Dunkeld Community Archive, I came across a folder containing old handwritten music manuscripts, some printed … Continued

📷 by Adam Bulley I’ve been playing with the idea of guitar with string quartet since I was at university – I loved the potential. The idea, on paper, was relatively simple – take compositions of mine for solo guitar and weave the strings around them – getting the guitar to sit amongst the ensemble. … Continued