Congratulations to Findlay Napier who has been nominated in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2025. Vote now! It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 6th December in Aberdeen Music Hall. Why not join us for a brilliant night of music and awards. Buy a ticket here.
We asked Findlay of Findlay Napier the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
FINDLAY NAPIER BIOGRAPHY:
From the Main Stage of Cambridge Folk Festival with folk rock supergroup The Magpie Arc to an intimate acoustic show in the back room of a pub Findlay Napier is widely regarded as one of the finest performers on the UK music scene. This fact was further highlighted when Napier was the first solo act ever to be nominated for Live Act of the Year at the Scot’s Trad Music awards in 2018. Tirelessly creative he has been touring and releasing music since the early naughties. First with groundbreaking trad folk band Back of the Moon, then with Nu-Folk pioneers Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers and most recently as a solo act working under the guidance of legendary songwriter Boo Hewerdine.
In 2025 he was chosen, alongside Kate Rusby and Richard THompson, to compose an original song for BBC Radio 2’s “21st Century Folk”. He performed his song “Firecracker” on live on The Jeremy Vine Show and BBC Radio 4’s Front Row.
His breakthrough solo album VIP: Very Interesting Persons, produced by Boo Hewerdine, was number 2 in The Telegraph’s top folk albums of 2014. He followed it with 2017’s Glasgow described by The Scotsman as “a paean to his adopted home town” which led to a number of high profile gigs including a five tours as the opening act for Eddi Reader. In 2021 he released It Is What It Is a collaboration album in all but name with producer and multi-instrumentalist Angus Lyon which Folk Radio UK called, ”A captivating, indispensable work; it is what it is and what it is, is magnificent.”
Described as a “miracle lyricist’ by the Sunday Herald and “an original and engaging treat” by The Telegraph his skills as a songwriter and collaborator have led him to work on some surprising and interesting projects. In 2017 he was invited to take part in Greg Russell’s ‘Shake the Chains’ project with Nancy Kerr and Hannah Martin where they toured, recorded and released a double live album. After meeting award winning songwriter Megan Henwood at an EFDSS songwriting retreat he formed the duo The Story Song Scientists writing songs about science releasing two EPs and touring the UK. In late 2021 he joined folk rock supergroup The Magpie Arc with Martin Simpson, Tom A Wright, Alex Hunter and Nancy Kerr performing on festival main stages and arts centres across the UK. Their debut album Glamour in the Grey, featuring three of Napier’s original songs including a co-write with Maz O’Conner was released in October 2022.
He is often commissioned to write songs including one for The 2014 Commonwealth Games in glasgow, two songs for Morgan Fisher’s Miniatures 2020 and more recently penning the anthem “Union Strong” for the 125th anniversary of the Scottish TUC.
As a teaching artist he regularly runs songwriting workshops. He set up Glasgow Songwriting Festival in 2016 and consults on various other songwriting events and festivals around the UK. He has hosted many songwriting retreats at Moniack Mhor (Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre) alongside Boo Hewerdine, Karine Polwart and Bella Hardy and works with Vox Liminus and Feis Rois delivering music and songwriting workshops in Scottish prisons.
Findlay lives on the Isle of Arran with his family. His latest album Outsider was released in April 2025 as a CD and an incredible 154 page coffee table book featuring augmented reality content.
PRESS FROM EPK:
“… one of the finest songwriters and storytellers of the contemporary Scottish folk scene.” Folk Radio UK (Glasgow)
“Coming on like a Caledonian Loudon Wainwright … A superbly crafted compilation of Songs” Acoustic Magazine (Glasgow)
“★★★★★ #2 Twelve Best Folk Music Albums of 2015: An inventive and engaging album… Findlay Napier (the sweet voice behind the beard)… an original engaging treat.” Martin Chilton, The Telegraph (VIP)
“He’s good and he’s really funny too! He’s got that classic brilliant banter with the audience as well. Lovely to hear the storytelling in the songs as well as inbetween. A wonderful cacophony of bizarre and brilliant tales of real people.” Edith Bowman- BBC Quay Sessions (Live)
“An insurgent talent…a wonderful singer… [Napier] proves he has a songwriting talent to match” The Morning Star (Glasgow)
“★★★★ One of the most intriguing and enjoyable albums… a collection of cracking songs that all add up to a cracking album… his voice has a mesmerising addictive quality to it… fabulous arrangements and very classy production… It’s brave creative and a smashing listen”
Maverick Magazine (VIP)
“Napier’s stagecraft is charmingly relaxed and cultivates an engrossed and interested audience.” Ravechild, Peter Johnstone (Live)
★★★★★ “Songs full of earthy humour, hopeless love and biting satire… more ‘Michael Marra meets Elvis Costello’ than contemporary tradition.” Folk Radio UK (VIP)
Why are you involved in Scottish music?
I’ve been immersed and involved in Scottish Music since I was a child. My mother was a professional musician performing a lot of Scottish Traditional material. I attended Feis Spe in Badenoch and Strathspey and latterly went to Feis Rois. In 1996 I moved to Glasgow to study Scottish Traditional song at the RCS. I was one the first ten students to study traditional music in the country. I think what’s drawn me to the music is the fantastic community that surrounds it. I have vivid memories of the magnificent sessions we would have in our house after the Feis. All the tutors playing tunes and singing songs into the night. Once I’d seen that there was no going back for me. When I studied folk song at the RCS I really enjoyed diving into the lyrics of the traditional ballads. I learned loads about songwriting, Scottish history and folklore by memorising, editing and arranging traditional ballads and songs.
Any particular career highlights?
The most recent career highlights include being invited to take part in BBC Radio 2’s “21st Century Folk” alongside Richard Thompson, Kate Rusby and Chris While and Julie Matthews. It involved writing an original song inspired by a real person, Joanne Ormesher a fireman on a steam railway in Wales. Then being filmed performing that song “Firecracker”to the Joanne. Terrifying! I also performed the song live on The Jeremy Vine show and Radio 4’s “Front Row”.
Completing and publishing a 154 page coffee table book to accompany my “Outsider” album was a huge achievement. I’ve made albums before but never written a book. It was extremely challenging but very satisfying work. I’m still in shock that I managed to finish it!
Working with my mentor Boo Hewerdine on my first album “VIP: Very Interesting Persons” back in 2013. We became firm friends and have worked together ever since. The album launched my career as a solo artist. After I started touring, running songwriting workshops and more albums followed… and I’m still going over ten years later.
What are your plans for the future?
The folk rock band I play with The Magpie Arc has a new album out called Gil Brenton featuring a couple of Scottish traditional songs and a song based on a story from Tobar an Dulchais. The Magpie Arc are also running three Indoor Festivals of Folk: London, WIltshire and Settle… we hope to play north of the border again soon.
I am debuting Findlay Napier & The Outsiders at Celtic Connections 2026. A five piece folk-rock band performing music from Outsider and my other albums. I have solo tours booked into 2026. I’ll be running songwriting workshops on the Isle of Arran and the in Lake District.
I’m constantly writing and I’ll be putting together a new album in 2026 due for release in 2027… I probably wont be writing a coffee table book for that one!
Findlay Napier Social Media
Website: https://www.findlaynapier.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findlaynapiermusic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findlaynapier/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/findlaynapier
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@findlaynapier
The 2025 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are on the 6th December 2025 in Aberdeen Music Hall! You will be able to watch it live in person (buy a ticket here). Watch it live in the UK at 9pm (GMT) on BBC ALBA and and around the world here. Hosted by Scottish personalities Alistair Heather and Mary Ann Kennedy, the night in the Granite City will also welcome live performances from some of the brightest lights on the thriving trad scene today including beloved singer Hannah Rarity, UK folk legends The Poozies, trad pop band Mec Lir and BBC Radio scotland Young Traditional Musician and Scots Performer o the Year Ellie Beaton and many more!
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians why not become a friend of Hands Up for Trad. In addition to our high profile events like the Scots Trad Music Awards, we also deliver a less well known, education programme for young people from 8yrs right through to young adults at the start of their careers. Read more here.