A beautiful unusual and ethereal track from Kaela ‘s debut Solo Album, Menagerie, released on Shoogle Records in June 2014 Described by Folkwords thus: “Listening to this album will do you so much good the medical profession should prescribe it” Tim Carrol , Folkwords: 13/06/2014 “..A powerfully unique album” Norman Chalmers Scotland on Sunday:08/0614**** “Sensuous […]
Let the Sun Shine Down on Me / Than Hall’s by Jenn & Laura-Beth
Let the Sun Shine Down on Me is the opening track of ‘Bound,’ the debut album from Jenn Butterworth and Laura-Beth Salter. Jenn is on guitar and lead vocal for this Jean Ritchie Song, and Laura-Beth on mandolin. Here’s what they have to say about the album; “This album is a representation of the last […]
Jute Mill Song/Song For Mary by The Shee
Song for Mary was written by Karine Polwart for the band as part of our ten year anniversary project Continuum. We are grateful to the School of Scottish Studies for the permission to use Mary Brooksbanks’ voice on the recording. Karine wrote the following for our sleeve notes: “I love Rachel’s singing and playing and […]
If I Was A Blackbird by Kaela Rowan
Kaela was inspired to record If I Was A Blackbird by Silly Wizard and the singing of the late, great Andy M Stewart. It’s the age old tale of a sailor who is spurned by an ungrateful lover and takes to the high seas to drown his sorrows. This is one of three haunting maritime […]
Long Days by Paul McKenna Band
This song talks about being away from home and trying to make new connections while constantly missing the old. Eventually the new ones become equally as important. 2016 will see The Paul McKenna Band celebrate their 10th Anniversary. To celebrate this milestone they are releasing their fourth, highly anticipated, studio album “Paths that Wind”, produced […]
The Trees They Grow Tall by Sarah Hayes
I learned the Trees They Grow Tall many years ago from the singing of Joe Heaney of Connemara. I wrote a new melody and arranged it as part of my Celtic Connections New Voices commission, Woven, which was performed in Glasgow in January 2014. I’ve since recorded Woven with the same band (Fiona MacAskill on […]
When First I Came To Caledonia by Sarah Hayes
This song comes from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, and I first heard it sung by Norma Waterson on Waterson:Carthy’s eponymous debut album of 1994. The title refers to the Caledonian coal pits, and there are a number of local places mentioned throughout the song. The words take the form of small fragments of memory, […]
King Orfeo by Emily Smith
On her 2014 album release, Emily Smith continues to draw on her talent as one of the finest interpreters of traditional song in the UK presenting an album that is unshakeably Scottish but with farther, wider horizons. New settings of time worn texts weave beautifully alongside contemporary covers blurring the borders of old and new. […]
Ghost Girl by The Poozies
Ghost Girl was written by one of The Poozies’ co-founders (and current members), Sally Barker. It comes from their 2015 album, Into The Well, released on May 25. The Poozies burst on to the folk scene in 1991 (2016 is their 25th anniversary), turning heads as they crossed Scottish and Gaelic folk with blues, soul, […]
Rough Diamonds by Alan Reid and Rob van Sante
Alan Reid wrote this song to celebrate the common folk, the workers and in this case the Lothian Miners and the ill fated coal industry in Scotland. Rough Diamonds refers to the “Salt of the Earth”, the honest working man.. Alan Reid and Rob van Sante joined forces in 2001 whilst working with Scotland’s finest […]
