MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2021: Duncan Lyall

Congratulations to Duncan Lyall who have been nominated in Album of the Year sponsored by Birnam CD in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2021. Vote here! Vote now!

We asked Duncan Lyall of Duncan Lyall the following questions.

Tell us about yourself
Duncan is the bass player for English folk singer Kate Rusby, a member of the Scottish classical/jazz/folk crossover GRIT Orchestra, and performs regularly with Blue Rose Code, Lori Watson, Damien O’Kane, Jarlath Henderson, and Ross Ainslie & Ali Hutton. He was also one of the founding members of Scottish folk supergroup Treacherous Orchestra.

Regular invitations to work with an array of world-renowned musicians have seen career highlights which include recording with Mark Knopfler, performing and recording with Craig Armstrong, touring the UK with Mary Chapin Carpenter, conductor/arranger Vince Mendoza and legendary drummer Peter Erskine, performing with Guy Garvey at the Radio 2 Folk Awards, recording with Paul Weller, touring the UK with Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble, and performing and recording with bluegrass stars Ron Block (Alison Krauss & Union Station), Aoife O’Donovan (Crooked Still) and Sarah Jarosz (I’m With Her).

As "the bassist of choice for Scotland’s new folk generation”, Duncan has also performed and recorded with an illustrious list of folk & traditional musicians and groups including:

Julie Fowlis, Phil Cunningham, Cathy Jordan, Mike McGoldrick, Donald Shaw, John McCusker, Blazin Fiddles, John Doyle, Bella Hardy, Rachel Sermanni, Kris Drever, Adam Holmes, Emily Smith, Jenna Reid, Fred Morrison, Unusual Suspects, John Goldie.

In huge demand as a producer and session musician, Duncan has featured on over 80 albums, while his production work includes the Scots Trad Awards album of the year 2015 and Scottish Album of the Year 2015 Longlisted “Grind” by Treacherous Orchestra, Scottish Album of the Year 2016 Longlisted “Hearts Broken, Head’s Turned” by Jarlath Henderson, Number 2 in The Guardian top 10 folk albums of 2018 “Yarrow Acoustic Session” by Lori Watson as well as albums from Maeve MacKinnon, The Shee, Boreas, Breabach, Ross Ainslie, Box Club and Brolum.

In 2019 Duncan worked with Mark Knopfler, performing in the band for the eight week run of the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and The Old Vic production of Local Hero.

Duncan was appointed Musical Director for the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival show, This Is Caledonian Soul, featuring Eddi Reader, Karen Matheson, John Douglas, Robert Vincent and Blue Rose Code and thirteen piece band.

In 2014 Duncan recorded on the soundtrack for What We Did on Our Holiday with Scottish producer Jim Sutherland and featured in several scenes alongside actors Billy Connelly, David Tennent and Rosamund Pike.

Celtic Connections 2012 saw Duncan's first major foray into composition with Infinite Reflections, performed as part of the festival’s New Voices series. An album recording of this piece was released in January 2013 to critical acclaim under his label, Red Deer Records. He subsequently went on to tour this album around the UK with 9 piece band.

Celtic Connections 2019 saw the debut of Duncan’s new project, Milestone, a natural progression from Infinite Reflections which features a cast of some of Scotland’s top traditional and jazz musicians. A studio recording was due released to critical acclaim in summer 2021.

Why are you involved in Scottish music?
I grew up in a house filled with music. Both my parents were actively involved with the local folk club. Musicians would come to the house for parties, and sessions would break out in the living room. I studied music at University of Strathclyde, originally classical piano, then jazz and rock bass guitar, all the while playing double bass in the orchestra. A folk band had formed on the course which included Julie Fowlis and Martin O'Neill among others, and I was asked to join the band with my double bass. A win on the Danny Kyle stage at Celtic Connections led to a trip to Lorient festival with the band. I met lots of other folkies and fell in love with the scene. Things snowballed from there!

Any particular career highlights?
Touring the UK with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Vince Mendoza and Peter Erskine, playing with a different orchestra each night.
Recording with Mark Knopfler for his stage adaptation of Local Hero.
Opening Radio 2's Festival in a Day at Hyde Park with Treacherous Orchestra.
Performing with Craig Armstrong at Celtic Connections.
Recording with Guy Garvey, Neill & Calum MacColl and Kate St. John.
The debut performance and subsequent tour of my Celtic Connections New Voices composition, Infinite Reflections.
10+ years of touring and recording with Kate Rusby.
Countless incredible gigs with Scotland's finest musicians.

What are your plans for the future?
Gigs with the Milestone band!
I've begin working on a new project that I don't want to say too much about just now. All will be revealed in time!
I am producing a record with Elephant Sessions next year – very excited about that!
Hopefully lots more amazing live gigs, recording sessions, and continuing to write and record my own music. All while being a full time dad. No worries.