Scottish Music 2012

Emeli Sande Albert Hall

There is a vibrant and creative vibe in Scottish music right now as it mixes Celtic traditions with innovative and challenging newer styles of musical rhythms and structures and recording techniques. There are healthy ground roots in its major city’s with many city centre small venues for live music.

There are also several major music festivals held in Scotland each year -

T in the Park, Celtic Connections, Rockness, Belladrum, Edinburgh, (plus many folk festivals

Scottish music is in a very good place. I attend Celtic each year where they have three weeks of open mic sessions and competitions and the festival has many interesting collaborations and musicians attending worldwide. I saw Rachel Sermanni there a few years back.  

Emeli Sande. The biggest breakthrough artist in the UK in 2012 was Scottish singer songwriter Emeli Sande. Emeli Sandé is a Scottish recording artist and songwriter. Sandé first became known to the public eye after she featured on rapper Chipmunk’s, “Diamond Rings” which entered the UK top Ten Singles chart. Also a top ten hit with Wiley’s “Never Be Your Woman. Simon Cowell called Sandé "his favourite songwriter at the minute". In 2012 she received the Brit Awards Critics' Choice Award. She has written for a number of artists, including Susan Boyle, Rihanna, Gabriella, Leona Lewis, Alesha Dixon, Tinie Tempah, Cheryl Cole. In 2010, she signed a publishing deal with EMI. She later announced that Virgin had given her a record deal. Sandé released her first solo single "Heaven" in August 2011. Sandé has had three number-one singles across the UK and Ireland with "Read All About It" with Professor Green, "Next To Me" and "Beneath Your Beautiful" a collaboration with Labrinth.

Her album Our Version of Events made number one in the UK in February 2012 and became the best-selling album of 2012 in the UK, with over 1m sales. 

In the first month of 2013 there will be new album releases from Scottish rock bands Frightened Rabbit and Biffy Clyro.

Karine Polwart

New Scottish albums 2012 

Karine Polwart (Traces ) Lau (Race the Loser) Admiral Fallow (Tree Bursts in Snow)

Plus album releases from Errors, Twilight Sad, Rachel Sermanni, Kassidy, Unwinding Hours.

Scottish record labels

Chemikal Underground, Greentrax, Electric Honey, Optimo,

http://www.creativescotland.com/

Karine Polwart Oran Mor 19th Sept 2012

Polwart is one of Scotland’s best loved songstress with her beautiful voice and relevant moving songs. 

Many folk artists fill the folk clubs but not so many can fill halls the size of the Oran Mor church auditorium. Her pure softly soothing voice captivated the full house in the clear acoustic church setting with its ornate stained glass windows and with Scottish artist Alastair Gray's colourful mural ceiling.

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Karine sang the flowing harmonies and melodies of her story-telling and honest songs. She had her usual two backing musicians, her brother Steven on guitar and Inge Thomson on accordion, plus for this larger event - percussionist Iain Sandilands who added depth and energy to the new songs along with a wind section that included flute and clarinet.

She performed songs from her well received third album Traces - Strange News, We’re all Leaving, Tears For Lots Wife, Salters Road and Sticks and Stones.

One highlight was a lovely duet of the song Solstice with the guitarist Craig from the Scottish band Unwinding Hand. Another set highlight was a haunting solo song from Inge Thomson. 

The set included songs from Polwart's new album Traces. The song Tinsel Show was written about the lights of Grangemouth which shone in the night sky near to where Karine grew up in East Lothian. Karine also included a few of her classic well loved songs from previous albums - Daisy, Rivers Run.

She spoke of her fascination with birds and how many of her songs reflected this. One stand out song from Traces was the song King of Birds. For an encore she sang Follow The Heron. Her new album has her classy songs and a more intricate depth to it.  

Karine said that as she wasn’t an Indie artist she wouldn’t simply come on and play the album songs and leave and that as she had come up through the folk circuit she would play two full sets with an interval and a raffle! 

I’ve heard Karine at several of those smaller folk venues, as well as her leading a Celtic Connections concert on Scottish songs at the Glasgow concert hall. This was another perfect setting for her intimate songs. 

I have met Karine a couple of times and just a week later at the Lake of Monteith Hotel Bar the night before my son's wedding!  She recognised me by name which made me feel just that little bit famous!. She is such a genuine person and this reflects in her music. 

I recommend checking out Karine Polwart's fourth studio album 'Traces' - http://www.facebook.com/karinepolwart/

*Great Scottish Troubadours

Dick Gaughan

Rab Noakes

Emeli Sande

Writing this I realise I've been fortunate to have met and seen live most of these very talented Scottish Troubadours at their gigs in the past years and I have also taken photos of them  - with the exception of Annie Lennox and Gerry Rafferty. These talented artists include - Annie Lennox, King Creoste, Dick Gaughan, Rab Noakes, Karine Polwart, Emeli Sande, Dougie McLean and Michael Marra.
Some have managed to cross over to the mainstream for commercial successes, but for the likes of Gaughan does this matter if he can still tour his music? All these artists follow the music in the first instance, have great strength of character as well as being talented musicians.

*Dick Gaughan - Leads the field. He mixes his Scottish and Irish roots to great effect and draws on deep traditions of song craft.  Best songs Westlin Winds, Both Sides the Tweed

He's been touring his songs for over 40 years, while he also does song researching, and more. He is a true character in every sense with no pretensions whatsoever.  His songs have much to say about character, social inequalities, beauty, truth and more. For Gaughan it is about the song and its message - while also about his guitar and edgy voice. Worth seeing live for his chat between songs too. http://www.dickgaughan.co.uk

*Gerry Rafferty - I remember clearly listening to Humblebums and Stealerswheel small cassettes, before his solo career and to his many wonderful songs. He was the rare folk singer who managed to cross over to commercial successes - or maybe it was simply easier for talent back then? In the 70s he gave us his biggest hits - the soaring sax of Baker Street and the dancing rhythms of Stuck in the Middle With You, as well as Get It Right Next Time, Right Down The Line and The Ark. His songs cover the full spectrum of emotions, they express full-on-energy, questioning cynicism and mystic spiritualism. He was from Paisley Scotland and his music gave the folk song a new voice. He cared about the craft of the song and not celebrity or it’s trimmings. He was an artist in the true sense of the word and had a rare clarity of artistic vision. Folk pop singer songwriter Rafferty was one of Scotland’s greatest singer songwriters. http://www.gerryrafferty.com/

*Rab Noakes played with Rafferty in Stealers Wheel before going solo. He draws on 50s American rock n roll such as Buddy Holly and his hero Dylan. Noakes always sings some lesser known classic songs by respected musicians and clearly respects music back catalogue. Songs - Branch, Together Forever, Clear Day. Noakes is a straight talking and sincere man.  http://www.go2neon.com/

*Karine Polwart - Of the younger artists she has the most to say on social injustices and a lovely voice too. She writes about sensitive political issues, such as alcoholism and genocide. Songs Daisy, Rivers Run. I've met Karine and she is a lovely down to earth person too. http://www.karinepolwart.com/

*Michael Marra paints colourful images of American legends from his Scottish perspective. His songs are effective through his slanted humour. His songs include -  'If Dundee was Africa', 'Bob Dylan's Visit to Embra', 'Grace Kelly's Visit to Dundee,' 'Muggie Shaw', 'Freda Kohl's Visit to the Tay Bridge Bar', 'Lonesome Death of Francis Clarke',  'Schenectady Calling', 'Letter from Perth', http://www.musical1.com/Michael_Marra/

*Annie Lennox started out in the Eurythmics with Dave Stewart (Sweet Dreams) and has gone on to solo successes worldwide both as a song writer and performer. Annie also does a lot of work for charities -  Amnesty International and Greenpeace. She and Dave Stewart donated all of the profits from Eurythmics' 1999 Peacetour to both charities. Lennox is one of the worlds best selling music artists.  http://www.annielennox.com

*Dougie MacLean is one of Scotland’s premier songwriters and producers. His most famous music is ‘The Gael’ which was used as the main theme for The Last of the Mohicans. And Caledonia which has been covered by many other artists and called Scotland's "unofficial national anthem". He played with the bands Tannahill Weaver and Silly Wizard. http://www.dougiemaclean.com

I'm not sure where the young Troubadours are. Yes I know there is KT Tunstall and Paolo Nutini who have had successes on the festival circuit, yet I am not sure what these artists are saying to me. A mention here for talented singer songwriters Kim Edgar, Boo Hewerdine, King Keoste and Kris Drever, who tour and play at Celtic.
    

Exciting New Scottish Artists 2012

*Emeli Sande. I've followed Emeli (previously known as Adele) since 2006 at her ep launch and it has been very exciting to see her reap the rewards from all her songwriting work with the successes of her debut album Our Version of Events,due to be released in America in June. She has a powerhouse soul voice and distinctive song writing. I met Emeli at her King Tuts gig and she has such a natural warm smile and was very earnest about her music. She plays clarinet and piano. http://www.emelisande.com/

*King Creoste - His album collaboration album Bats in the Attic with Jon Hopkins won him a Mercury Prize Nomination 2011. Creoste draws from folk roots and world music influences.http://www.kingcreosote.com/ 

New Scottish Bands - Admiral Fallow, Dirty Beggars, Rura, Manran... There appears to be more creative activity in the folk/bluegrass/Celtic rock traditions than in the rock music field. Perhaps following after the success of English artist such a Mumford and Laura Marling.

Scotland boasts three world scale Arts festivals - T in the Park (second largest music festival in the UK), Celtic Connections and Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe festival. Glasgow has the most attendances at Arts events of any UK city ( this includes galleries). As well as the SubClub world famous dance club venue. 

Scottish music: Rock of the north -  Talk of independence is giving Scottish culture a boost – especially in the thriving music scene. The new bands are inspired by the country's traditional music, and they sing in their own accents too! I found this article below on the resurgence of Scottish 'pride' in our very unique Scottish heritage - and it's effect on younger musicians. Many say they now feel proud to include Scottish roots elements in their music. Plus some Scottish bands no longer feel they 'have' to be based in London an can access the wider world via a Scottish base - the Errors, Frightened Rabbit, Twilight Sad, Admiral Fallow.  London is a very over crowded city metropolis and why should Scottish bands/artists feel they have to move there to have successes. If you check the artistic breath of Scottish music its' a huge plus to be free of the 'what's the cool trend' in London. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/

Karine Polwart

Michael Marra

Hobopop Collective Tall Ship 2008

Kirsty McGee & Mat Martin (Karine Polwart & Inge Thomson supporting) Tall Ship 8th June 2008.
The gig had a calm feel good vibe. These artists are soul-warming and moving. Mat kindly invited me to this gig months ago – it seems odd it has rolled around now. I had a magical evening…
On the most perfect June day - I made my way to the Tall Ship that sits on the River Clyde