Hands Up for Trad’s Women in Music and Culture 2026 list has been announced to celebrate just some of the women working in Scotland.
Launched as part of International Women’s Day 2026, we shine the spotlight on 12 women who all contribute towards Scotland’s cultural landscape through their work. Read the 2026 list here.
We asked Kim Edgar to tell us more about their work, influences and ambitions for the future.
How did you first get involved in the arts and who were your early influences?
As a toddler, I was keen to the play the piano my mum and dad had in the house, and once my hands were big enough, they got me private piano lessons. My gentle, patient teacher, Mary Newlands, was a huge influence. She sparked my interest in music theory, how music and words can work together, group singing and the power of music as a tool for social change – through my lessons and her inspirational local community choir leading.
I also had a lovely music teacher, Mrs Park, in primary school, who got me enthused about singing, and there was a welcoming music group at my local church where I learned guitar. Thankfully, no one told me that my singing was loud and out of tune (which apparently, it was) so I kept going, and slowly, it started to improve. In school, we learned Burns poetry and songs each year, and were offered free recorder and fiddle lessons, Scottish Country Dancing and annual performances of musicals, all of which I loved. In high school, I began learning flute (more free lessons) and taking part in the school wind band, regional orchestras and choirs. I discovered that performing meant travelling and meeting different people – and that’s still something I love.
In terms of songwriters, as a teenager I discovered “Little Earthquakes” by Tori Amos through a friend and “Blue” and “Court & Spark” by Joni Mitchell through my art teacher, and listened to these albums, almost exclusively, for a number of years.
In a time when many artists and creative professionals are facing significant challenges, how have you developed and evolved your creative practice over the past few years?
I’ve never had a plan – I usually just say yes to opportunities that come my way!
It’s lovely when sometimes, something you’ve made travels in the world without you, and leads to new chances for development and growth. That’s how it was with the German folk band CARA, who heard and liked Blood Ice & Ashes (a song I wrote with Karine Polwart and Kenny Anderson), and invited me to audition to join them. I’ve now been performing my own songs with CARA, alongside traditional Scottish and Irish songs and tunes, since 2013, and I appreciate having this regular, musically fulfilling work in Germany. I’m also grateful that I said yes when asked to trial a singing session for a mental health charity in Falkirk. Ten years on, I co-lead Freedom Of Mind Community Choir – an independent, non-audition community choir: music makes us feel good 🙂
With extra time on my hands, I released two solo albums during the pandemic, one of which enabled me to work with some of my songwriting heroes. I find collaboration is a bit like fertiliser; there’s so much to learn from other songwriters’ techniques. I was also honoured to be asked to write the music for “Looking For The One”, a mini-musical about dating by playwright Sylvia Dow, which was a delight! I’ve recently begun performing music in a duo, The Grey And The Good, with my partner Lissa McIntyre. So far, we’ve mainly been performing in hospital settings, using music to comfort and soothe patients, and their loved ones. Fingers crossed that such varied and unexpected opportunities continue to crop up…
Who or what interests you creatively?
I’m interested in the transformative power of music in people’s lives. I love leading group singing and the feeling of connection that singing together can bring. In my songwriting, I like exploring harmonic progressions, and how melody, harmony and words can relate to each other. I’m fascinated with song lyrics, and how to communicate in an understated, succinct way. I’m interested in how songs (and other artforms) can open up discussions, and hearts and minds, on important topics like how we live, how we treat each other, and how we cope with the challenges life throws at us.
What are your plans for the next year or so and/or what are your longer term creative ambitions?
This year, CARA are releasing a new album called “Our Ship Is Ready” which tackles some issues including immigration and the climate crisis head on. I’m looking forward to us sharing this new (and traditional) music, and the conversations that the songs and tunes will hopefully spark.
Longer term, alongside continued choir leading, and despite the uncertain music industry landscape, I’d like to release more original songs as a solo artist. As I heard Tanita Tikaram discuss on the radio recently, it’s really a kind of responsibility, if you have a platform and some people who listen to what you say, to try and do what you can by speaking out about injustices that you witness. It’s also about making things, such as songs, that help people to ask questions, consider different perspectives and be open to trying to understand and be compassionate towards each other.
Find out more about Kim Edgar here.
Read the Hands Up for Trad’s Women in Music and Culture 2026 List
Hands Up for Trad are an organisation who work with Scottish traditional music, language and culture. If you would like to support our work you can donate here.