{"id":1726,"date":"2015-10-04T22:56:13","date_gmt":"2015-10-04T21:56:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/?p=1726"},"modified":"2015-11-02T23:56:08","modified_gmt":"2015-11-02T23:56:08","slug":"mg-alba-scots-trad-music-awards-grind-by-treacherous-orchestra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/mg-alba-scots-trad-music-awards-grind-by-treacherous-orchestra\/","title":{"rendered":"MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards: Grind by Treacherous Orchestra"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TreacherousOrchestra_Grind_HiResCover\"Congratulations to Treacherous Orchestra who’s album Grind<\/strong> has been nominated in Album of the Year (sponsored by Birnam CD<\/a>) in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2015. Vote now!<\/a><\/p>\n

We asked Treacherous Orchestra about their album Grind<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cTREACHEROUS\u2029 ORCHESTRA\u2029 does\u2029 have\u2029 a\u2029 full\u2029 on,\u2029 intense\u2029 \u2018live\u2019\u2029
\nsound\u201d\u2029 agrees\u2029 bagpiper,\u2029 whistle\u2029 player \u2029and \u2029co\u2010producer \u2029Ali\u2029Hutton\u2029 \u201cand\u2029 we\u2029 wanted\u2029 to\u2029 try\u2029 and\u2029 recreate\u2029 that\u2029 intensity\u2029 and\u2029 power\u2029 on\u2029 the\u2029 new\u2029 album.\u2029 Studio\u2029 performances\u2029 can\u2029 often\u2029 be\u2029 tamed\u2029 down\u2029 because\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 environment\u2029 in\u2029 which\u2029 you\u2029 are\u2029 recording.\u2029 We\u2029 tried\u2029 hard\u2029 through\u2029 the \u2029studio \u2029process\u2029 to \u2029capture \u2029the \u2029live \u2029edge \u2029associated \u2029with \u2029the \u2029band.\u201d\u2029
\n\ufffc\ufffc\u2029
\n\u201cThe\u2029 new \u2029album\u2029 \u2019Grind\u2019 \u201d, \u2029says \u2029accordionist \u2029John\u2029Somerville, \u2029\u201dis \u2029almost\u2029 a \u2029journey \u2029in\u2029to\u2029the \u2029band\u2019s \u2029subconscious. \u2029We \u2029wanted \u2029to \u2029allow\u2029 a \u2029natural\u2029 progression \u2029from\u2029 the \u2029last\u2029album \u2029and \u2029without \u2029any \u2029real \u2029pre\u2010determined\u2029 musical\u2029 decision\u2029 on\u2029 direction\u2029 the\u2029 new\u2029 material\u2029 seemed\u2029 to\u2029 take\u2029 on\u2029 a\u2029 darker\u2029 more \u2029industrial \u2029edge.\u2029
\n\u2029
\n\u201dThe\u2029 image\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 blacksmith\u2029 is\u2029 a\u2029 potent\u2029 one.\u2029 It\u2029 represented\u2029 for\u2029 us\u2029 this\u2029 idea\u2029 of\u2029 industrial\u2029 vitality.\u2029 Someone\u2029 that\u2029 forges\u2029 products\u2029 in\u2029 a\u2029 hot,\u2029 sweaty\u2029 environment.\u2029 Lots\u2029 of\u2029 drive,\u2029 movement,\u2029 sparks,\u2029 ignition,\u2029 heat.\u2029 We\u2029 wanted \u2029these \u2029concepts \u2029to \u2029feed\u2029 in\u2029to \u2029our\u2029music \u2029and \u2029the \u2029new \u2029band\u2029 image.\u201d\u2029\u2029
\n\u2029
\nAli\u2029 Hutton\u2029 adds\u2029 \u201dLike\u2029 the\u2029 Blacksmith,\u2029 we\u2029 all\u2029 came\u2029 from\u2029 rural\u2029 backgrounds\u2029 to\u2029 dwell\u2029 in\u2029 the\u2029 city,\u2029 which\u2029 helped\u2029 our\u2029 musical\u2029 styles\u2029 to\u2029 evolve,\u2029 individually\u2029 and\u2029 as\u2029 a\u2029 band!\u2029 The\u2029 idea\u2029 of\u2029 someone\u2029 that\u2029 works\u2029 hard,\u2029someone\u2029 that’s \u2029creative,\u2029that \u2029forges \u2029mentally \u2029and\u2029physically.\u2029 We\u2029 feel\u2029 like\u2029 this\u2029 symbolises\u2029 the\u2029 ideals\u2029 behind\u2029 the\u2029 band.\u2029 \u2029I\u2029 think\u2029 this\u2029 is\u2029 strongly\u2029 reflected\u2029 here.\u2029 There\u2029 are\u2029 a\u2029 lot\u2029 of\u2029 tracks\u2029 that\u2029 evolve\u2029 from\u2029 a\u2029 very\u2029 acoustic,\u2029 natural,\u2029 atmospheric\u2029 vibe\u2029 into\u2029 hard\u2029 hitting\u2029 industrial\u2029 grooves.\u2029The \u2029forging \u2029of \u2029ideas, \u2029of\u2029sounds, \u2029of \u2029musical \u2029thoughts!!\u2029
\n\u2029
\n\u201dThe\u2029 first\u2029 track\u2029 is\u2029 meant\u2029 to\u2029 reflect\u2029 a\u2029 world\u2029 where\u2029 times\u2029 were\u2029 a\u2029 lot\u2029 simpler,\u2029 before\u2029 the\u2029 industrial\u2029 era,\u2029 before\u2029 the\u2029 grip\u2029 of\u2029 technology.\u2029 It’s\u2029 supposed\u2029 to \u2029portray \u2029a \u2029time \u2029when \u2029our\u2029minds \u2029were \u2029allowed \u2029to \u2029think \u2029for\u2029 themselves,\u2029 before\u2029 we\u2029 were\u2029 told\u2029 how\u2029 we\u2029 were\u2029 supposed\u2029 to\u2029 live\u2029 and\u2029 think!\u2029 It\u2019s\u2029 supposed\u2029 to\u2029 reflect\u2029 the\u2029 natural\u2029 world,\u2029 the\u2029 rural\u2029 areas,\u2029 civilisations\u2029 of\u2029 old,\u2029 an\u2029 era\u2029 of\u2029 free\u2029 thinking.\u2029 This\u2029 then\u2029 introduces\u2029 industrial\u2029 sounds\u2029 throughout\u2029 the\u2029 rest\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 album\u2029 to\u2029 highlight\u2029 the\u2029 change\u2029 in\u2029 technology,\u2029 the\u2029 progressive\u2029 nature\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 world\u2029 and\u2029 it’s\u2029 creatures.\u2029 It’s\u2029 a\u2029 structure\u2029 we’ve\u2029 used\u2029 on\u2029 the\u2029 opening\u2029 tracks,\u2029 Banger,\u2029 \u2029Grind\u2029 and\u2029 Numbers,\u2029 \u2019what\u2029 was\u2029 and\u2029 what\u2029 is\u2019.\u2029 The\u2029 whole\u2029 album\u2029 is\u2029 a\u2029 journey\u2029 from\u2029 past\u2029 to\u2029 present,\u2029 highlighting\u2029 good \u2029times, \u2029hard \u2029times, \u2029and \u2029looking \u2029to \u2029a\u2029brighter \u2029future. \u2029This \u2029reflects \u2029our \u2029current \u2029situation \u2029as\u2029 a \u2029nation.\u2029<\/p>\n

\u201dThe\u2029 main\u2029 goal\u2029 with\u2029 this\u2029 album\u2029 was\u2029 to\u2029 establish\u2029 a\u2029 very\u2029 identifiably\u2029 Scottish\u2029 sound.\u2029 For\u2029 us\u2029 to\u2029 portray\u2029 our\u2029 national\u2029 identity,\u2029 and\u2029 social\u2029 and\u2029 musical\u2029 history\u2029 through\u2029 our\u2029 music.\u2029 We\u2029 want\u2029 people\u2029 to\u2029 listen\u2029 to\u2029 it\u2029 and\u2029 have\u2029 a s\u2029ense \u2029of \u2029being. \u2029We\u2029 want \u2029it to \u2029conjure \u2029feelings\u2029of\u2029 pride \u2029for \u2029what \u2029we \u2029have \u2029accomplished \u2029as \u2029a \u2029nation,\u2029 and\u2029 what\u2029 we’ve\u2029 been\u2029 through\u2029 to\u2029 reach\u2029 the\u2029 point\u2029 we’re\u2029 at\u2029 now…\u2029 A\u2029 nation\u2029 of\u2029 proud,\u2029 forward\u2029 thinking\u2029 beings!\u201d\u2029<\/p>\n

On\u2029 stage\u2029 the\u2029 players\u2029 are\u2029 hugely\u2029 entertaining,\u2029 mixing\u2029 their\u2029 original\u2029 tunes\u2029 up\u2029 with\u2029 theatrical\u2029 anarchic\u2029 rock\u2029 attitude.\u2029 Here\u2029 is\u2029 a\u2029 band\u2029 that\u2029 is\u2029 playing\u2029 at\u2029 the\u2029 next\u2029 level,\u2029 technical\u2029 and\u2029 impressive,\u2029 yet\u2029 impossibly\u2029 raw,\u2029 whose\u2029 shows\u2029 are\u2029 always\u2029 vital\u2029 and\u2029 make\u2029 the\u2029 audience\u2029 feel\u2029 truly\u2029 alive\u2029 in\u2029 the\u2029 moment.\u2029 A\u2029 Treacherous\u2029 Orchestra\u2029 gig\u2029 is\u2029 quite\u2029 unlike\u2029 anything\u2029 else.\u2029 The\u2029 players\u2029 set\u2029 a\u2029 true\u2029 musical\u2029 course\u2029 that\u2029 continues\u2029 to\u2029 build\u2029 and\u2029 build.\u2029 Through\u2029 their\u2029 music\u2029 the\u2029 band\u2029 take\u2029 the\u2029 listener\u2029 on\u2029 a\u2029 journey\u2029 through\u2029 many\u2029 moods,\u2029 emotions\u2029 and\u2029 tempos \u2029often \u2029within \u2029moments!\u2029<\/p>\n

Of\u2029 the\u2029 new\u2029 tunes\u2029 included,\u2029 fiddler\u2029 Innes\u2029 Watson\u2029 says\u2029 \u201dThese\u2029 were\u2029 all\u2029 written\u2029 individually\u2029 and\u2029 slowly\u2029 perfected\u2029 over \u2029the \u2029past \u2029two\u2029 years \u2029or\u2029 so.\u2029Each \u2029track\u2029 starts \u2029with\u2029something \u2029very \u2029simple, \u2029the\u2029 bare bones \u2029of \u2029a\u2029 tune.\u2029 A\u2029 melody\u2029 intact,\u2029 riddled\u2029 with\u2029 thousands\u2029 of\u2029 possibilities.\u2029 Think\u2029 of\u2029 each\u2029 track\u2029 as\u2029 a\u2029 perfectly\u2029 formed\u2029 object\u2029 from\u2029 the\u2029 smithy\u2029 and\u2029 the\u2029 melodies\u2029 as\u2029 chunks\u2029 of\u2029 metal.\u2029 We\u2029 melt\u2029 them\u2029 down,\u2029 shape\u2029 a\u2029 mould,\u2029 meld\u2029 them,\u2029 shape\u2029 them,\u2029 Grind\u2029 them,\u2029 braze\u2029 them,\u2029 solder\u2029 them,\u2029 weld\u2029 them,\u2029 add\u2029 leather,\u2029 wood,\u2029 plastics,\u2029 bells\u2029 and\u2029 whistles.\u2029 We\u2029 galvanise\u2029 them\u2029 and\u2029 polish\u2029 them.\u2029 It\u2029 takes\u2029 time,\u2029 many\u2029 different\u2029 processes\u2029 and\u2029 some\u2029 serious \u2029sweat \u2029and\u2029 blood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201dThe\u2029 liveliness\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 stage\u2029 show\u201d\u2029 says\u2029 bassist\u2029 Duncan\u2029 Lyall,\u2029 \u201dis,\u2029 undoubtedly,\u2029 one\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 bands\u2029 strong\u2029 suits.\u2029\u2029The\u2029 density \u2029of \u2029the \u2029arrangements \u2029make \u2029it \u2029a \u2029bigger \u2029challenge \u2029to\u2029capture \u2029effectively \u2029in \u2029the \u2029studio.\u2029\u2029The\u2029 playing \u2029needs \u2029to \u2029be \u2029precise \u2029for \u2029the \u2029different \u2029layers\u2029to\u2029 work \u2029together.\u2029\u2029It \u2029can’t\u2029 all \u2029be \u2029brute \u2029force,\u2029there\u2029 has\u2029 to\u2029 be\u2029 finesse.\u2029 \u2029I\u2029 think\u2029 one\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 things\u2029 we\u2029 did\u2029 right\u2029 was\u2029 to\u2029 aim\u2029 for\u2029 faster\u2029 tempos.\u2029 Some\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 best\u2029 live\u2029 recordings\u2029 we\u2029 have\u2029 are\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 band\u2029 playing\u2029 fast\u2029 and\u2029 precise.\u2029 \u2029When\u2029 we\u2029 play\u2029 live\u2029 the\u2029 adrenaline\u2029 kicks\u2029 in\u2029 and\u2029 the\u2029 juice\u2029 comes\u2029 through\u2029 in\u2029 the\u2029 music.\u2029 \u2029\u2029Recording\u2029 the\u2029 tunes\u2029 at\u2029 these\u2029 faster\u2029 tempos\u2029 meant\u2029 everyone\u2029 had\u2029 to \u2029dig\u2029 deep\u2029 and \u2029find \u2029the \u2029fire \u2029that \u2029comes \u2029naturally \u2029when \u2029we\u2029 play \u2029live.\u2029\u2029 When\u2029 all \u2029else \u2029failed\u201d \u2029he \u2029chuckles\u2029 \u201dwhisky\u2029 seemed \u2029to\u2029 do \u2029the \u2029trick.\u2029<\/p>\n

\u2029\u201dOne\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 most\u2029 enjoyable\u2029 days\u2029 we\u2029 had\u2029 during\u2029 the\u2029 recordings\u2029 was\u2029 spent\u2029 at\u2029 the\u2029 Hamilton\u2029 Mausoleum\u2029 (just\u2029 outside\u2029 of\u2029 Glasgow).\u2029 \u2029Until\u2029 recently\u2029 the\u2029 Mausoleum\u2029 held\u2029 the\u2029 world\u2029 record\u2029 for\u2029 the\u2029 longest\u2029 echo\u2029 in\u2029 a\u2029 man\u2029 made\u2029 structure.\u2029 It’s\u2029 about\u2029 15\u2029 seconds.\u2029 \u2029We\u2029 took\u2029 some\u2029 microphones\u2029 and\u2029 a\u2029 few\u2029 bits\u2029 of\u2029 studio\u2029 kit\u2029 and\u2029 recorded\u2029 accordion,\u2029 two\u2029whistles \u2029and \u2029two \u2029fiddles\u2029 live.\u2029On\u2029 the\u2029 title\u2029 track\u2029 \u2019Grind\u2019 \u2029there \u2029are\u2029 two \u2029tunes \u2029played\u2029 together.\u2029\u2029 We\u2029 wanted \u2029to \u2029create \u2029different \u2029spaces \u2029for \u2029the \u2029two\u2029 tunes\u2029 for\u2029 a\u2029 really\u2029 deep\u2029soundscape.\u2029\u2029\u2029 Rather\u2029 than\u2029 just\u2029 add\u2029 some\u2029 reverb\u2029 in\u2029 the\u2029 studio\u2029 we\u2029 recorded\u2029 the\u2029 slower\u2029 tune\u2029 in\u2029 this\u2029 building.\u2029 \u2029It\u2029 was\u2029 a\u2029 bit\u2029 of\u2029 an\u2029 experiment\u2029 but\u2029 from\u2029 the\u2029 moment\u2029 we\u2029 opened\u2029 the\u2029 door\u2029 and\u2029 played\u2029 a\u2029 few\u2029 notes\u2029 in\u2029 there\u2029 we\u2029 knew\u2029 it\u2029 was\u2029 going \u2029to\u2029 sound\u2029 great.\u2029\u2029 The\u2029 whole\u2029day\u2029 was\u2029 an \u2029incredible \u2029experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

A\u2029 product\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 recent\u2029 renaissance\u2029 in\u2029 Scottish\u2029 folk\u2029 music,\u2029 Treacherous\u2029 Orchestra\u2029 are the\u2029 ultimate\u2029 eleven\u2010piece,\u2029 pan\u2010Scottish\u2029 outfit\u2029 (with\u2029 one\u2029 member\u2029 from\u2029 Ireland).\u2029 It\u2019s\u2029 an\u2029 aggregation\u2029 that\u2029 came\u2029 together\u2029 in\u2029 the\u2029 musical\u2029 melting\u2029 pot\u2029 that\u2029 is\u2029 Glasgow,\u2029 a\u2029 location\u2029 where\u2029 the\u2029 individual\u2029 musicians\u2029 first\u2029 developed\u2029 a\u2029 strong\u2029 affinity\u2029 for\u2029 each\u2029 other\u2019s\u2029 playing.\u2029 <\/p>\n

\u2029\u201dEvery\u2029 time\u2029 this\u2029 specific\u2029 crowd\u2029 of\u2029 instrumentalists\u2029 got\u2029 together\u201d\u2029 John\u2029 says,\u2029\u201dmusical\u2029sparks\u2029 would \u2029fly\u201d.\u2029This \u2029musical\u2029 empathy,\u2029 and\u2029 their\u2029 passion \u2029for\u2029 high\u2010energy, \u2029innovative\u2029 and\u2029 evolving\u2029 styles\u2029 of\u2029 playing,\u2029 first\u2029 came\u2029 to\u2029 recorded\u2029 fruition\u2029 in\u2029 the\u2029 exuberant\u2029 sounds\u2029 produced\u2029 on\u2029 their\u2029 d\u00e9but\u2029 album\u2029\u2019 Origins\u2019 \u2029(Navigator) \u2029and\u2029 now \u2029fully\u2029 explored \u2029on \u2029the\u2029 new\u2029release\u2029\u2019 Grind\u2019\u2029 (Reveal).\u2029
\n\u2029Each \u2029member\u2029 of\u2029 the \u2029band \u2029brings \u2029a\u2029 strong\u2029 individual\u2029 sound\u2029 and\u2029 instrumental \u2029style \u2029to\u2029this \u2029powerful \u2029blending\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 old\u2029 with\u2029 the\u2029 new.\u2029 \u2029In\u2029 addition,\u2029 many\u2029 of\u2029 the\u2029 group\u2029 are\u2029 also\u2029 gifted\u2029 composers,\u2029 producers\u2029 and\u2029 engineers\u2029 in\u2029 their\u2029 own\u2029 right\u2029 and\u2029 it\u2029 is\u2029 these\u2029 cumulative\u2029 talents\u2029 that\u2029 set\u2029 the\u2029 band\u2029 apart\u2029 in\u2029 terms\u2029 of\u2029 forging\u2029 their\u2029 own\u2029 unique\u2029interpretation \u2029of \u2029Scottish\u2029 music.\u2029\u2029
\nThe recording of this album was possible with the help of Creative Scotland.<\/p>\n

About Treacherous Orchestra<\/em>
\nThe Treacherous Orchestra story is one of many strands, a tale told spanning the length and breadth of Scotland. An un-definable collective force fusing people, concepts, styles and influences, shaping a musical supergroup that defies description. From the North to the South, East to the West they came, converging in the musical melting-pot of Glasgow, trading ideas over beers and playing music with ferocity, verve and passion. This is a tale of musical origins\u2026<\/p>\n

These roots and strands \u2013 the essence of the band \u2013 are the stories of the members themselves, all emerging from their own musical habitat and adding their own distinctive identity. The band is composed of seasoned musicians who are already treading notable paths and reaching international recognition with other bands as performers, arrangers and composers. Those bands that have gone before them, the likes of Martyn Bennett\u2019s Cuilinn Music, Wolfstone, Peatbog Faeries, Shooglenifty and Salsa Celtica tell the tale of a country full of bright musical minds, ideas, innovation and evolution. It is a tale that continues with the rise of this epic Orchestra.<\/p>\n

The sleepy region of Perthshire is where the first chapter unfolds. Unbeknown to them at the time, two young instrumentalists of the local scene were gaining notoriety as the fiercest young pipers of their generation. Ali Hutton and Ross Ainslie sat in a small cottage, fire crackling, eyes and ears transfixed by the learnings of one of the true master composers and instrumentalists of the 20th\/21st century, the late Gordon Duncan. His style flowing from finger to finger trickled down and infused these two young prot\u00e9g\u00e9s with a style and sense of harmony, rhythm and composition that no one else can claim to possess.<\/p>\n

His passing away in 2005 left the legacy of his music and his influence will never be forgotten. Ross and Ali have since gone on to be heralded as individual instrumentalists in their own right playing in many of the great Scottish acts of the last decade. As the cottage fire crackled in Perthshire it was another \u201cshire\u201d to the north that shaped the identity of three other young musicians.<\/p>\n

A one-legged crofter with a fondness for a good malt whisky was the inspiration for accordion player John Somerville. Musical gatherings in his parents house in the crofting hamlet of Abriachan, which lies high above the shores of Loch Ness, held the key to him taking up the instrument. With Angie Forregan in attendance a night of stories was always guaranteed but it was his accordion playing that John took to his heart deciding that the buttons, keys and bellows were for him. Born to a Czech mum and a Scottish father, it would always be difficult for him to completely hide his roots. Influenced by many styles of music, from West Highand Gaelic, to Eastern European, modern Funk to Techno, John developed his own unique style of accordion playing.<\/p>\n

Adam Sutherland, was also raised on the shores of Loch Ness. From a small croft near the village of Errogie which sits above the loch\u2019s south shores, he would travel to the north side to be taught under the watchful eye of late Highland fiddle legend Donald Riddle. Three years were spent going between Donald\u2019s house in Clunes and his own amid a sea of half-made fiddles, playful kittens and a treasure of stories and tales. Described by Donald as a \u201cpromising\u201d player Adam then went on to hone his skills with the world renowned Alasdair Fraser, embellishing his style and ornamentation. A bizarre combination of choral music and Led Zeppelin influenced his teenage years. Adam has been hailed as one of the pioneering Scottish fiddle players of this generation, always on the cutting edge, experimenting yet retaining the very source of his playing that lay in the traditions of his native Highland home.<\/p>\n

Completing this trio of musical personalities is electric guitar player and Highland gentleman Barry \u201cSpad\u201d Reid. Growing up in Kilmorack, near Beauly, Barry started learning guitar from his father at the tender age 11. He would practise between his house and school being driven on by some of the contemporary guitar greats of that period. A rich and varied musical diet of Martyn Bennett, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Goldie, Moving shadow, Mouth Music, Shooglenifty amongst others is responsible for Barry\u2019s style, fusing all these influences with a fine knowledge of his instrument.<\/p>\n

So it is here that we leave the Inverness connection and travel, as the crow flies, 30 miles South to the quaint Highland village of Grantown on Spey, home turf to another of the band\u2019s members. We skip to Christmas nineteen eighty eight, with gleaming eyes and full of excitement, six year old Fraser Stone is under the brightly lit Christmas tree unwrapping the beginning of things to come. A plastic drum kit from his parents defined his musical heritage. Long hours and much energy were spent in his bedroom playing his humble collection of pots, pans and anything else he could find lying around. Eventually a fully-fledged kit replaced this, with Fraser constantly adding to his vast array of percussive instruments. He played along to bands such as Wolfstone, Shooglenifty, Santana, Hendrix, Guns n Roses and many of the Motown greats, hour upon hour spent developing his style, trying to emulate the feel of drummers such as Pete Erskine, John Bonham, Carter Beuford and Steve Gadd, the legends of that musical form.<\/p>\n

From the West of Ireland, via Dublin, came a Banjo player by the name of \u00c9amonn Coyne. An undeniably huge repertoire of session tunes and a unique deft plucking style were the hallmarks of a man that had travelled wide and earned his spurs playing with legendary purveyors of the instrument such as B\u00e9la Fleck and Alison Brown. But his first banjo influences stem from closer to home: a man from Co. Donegal in the North-West of Ireland and another from Birmingham (West Midlands, Englandshire!) via Galway and Mayo.<\/p>\n

The Irish influence in the Orchestra was not just felt from the man whose origins lay in the Emerald Isle. Two other members of the band, who share the same surname \u2013 although both would decline any notion that they were anything other than musical brothers \u2013 also had roots in the West. Kevin O\u2019Neill is an enigma of Glasgow, a man often found fronting sessions in all manner of venues across the city. His style, born of a fusion between Scottish and Irish playing is as fluid and meticulously controlled, as it is exhilarating to listen to. Born in the Royal Burgh of Rutherglen, Kevin is a true Glaswegian character, blending his fondness for the city\u2019s hidden depths with a cartoon-like outlook on life.<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill, a former All-Ireland and All-Britain Bodhr\u00e1n champion is a character of a different persuasion. A much-lauded musician in both the Irish and Scottish traditions his rhythmical style bears the roots of both these scenes. A random phone call from an unexpected location one afternoon was all it took for Martin to become part of legend Stevie Wonder\u2019s band. Adding to a team of percussionists he toured with the band living and breathing life on the road with a true musical goliath.<\/p>\n

The penultimate chapter of the story sees us shift to the Scottish heartland of Dunblane where a boy, fourteen years of age had just discovered a musical toy of a different kind. Duncan Lyall, TO\u2019s bassist, had found at the back of a music room cupboard a four track recorder. This dusty piece of equipment, unwanted and unused would provide an inspiration for the young Bassist. He began recording and experimenting with musical lines, adding slowly, layer by layer, concocting arrangements, fusing melodies, bass lines and rhythms and it was this experimentation and intrinsic understanding of musical structure that paved the way for his future. Duncan has now appeared on over fifty albums and has several production credits to his name.<\/p>\n

The final chapter in the Origins story sees us travelling to the very depths of the country. Birgham, merely a stones-throw from the English border, was where Innes Watson grew up and it is this area and its strong musical heritage that he took much inspiration from. At the tender age of four his dad flung a guitar into his hands and Innes, with ease like it was merely an extension of his young frame, began to play. It was this natural ability and enthusiasm for music and life that would cultivate him from learning a few simple notes and chords all that time ago to recently being hailed \u201cInstrumentalist of the Year\u201d at 2011\u2019s Scots Trad Music Awards. Innes is one of many gifted young players that the flourishing Borders scene of the 1990\u2019s produced; itself a wonderful renaissance arising from a sense of pride in the local culture.<\/p>\n

And so, they all converged in Glasgow making their way to the bright lights whether it be for study, work or play. Great bastions such as 1159 Argyll St, The North Lodge Hostel, 50 Berkley Street, 10 Cleveland St and 514 Renfrew Street, housed and provided a roof for many. Long nights of playing tunes, composing, and pouring over notes were had, including many impromptu performances in venues across the city. Scarcely a square meal was ever afforded or cooked yet rich in glorious music and culture these strongholds were. Musicians and their compatriots all surviving in some sort of distorted harmony, playing music, and enjoying the freedom that life at that time gave.<\/p>\n

And so it was that eventually the idea of turning these origins \u2013 these personal journeys \u2013 in to one whole came, and at Celtic Connections 2009, the Treacherous Orchestra was born. The electrifying atmosphere of a first gig. The monster was raring, breathing, waiting to be unleashed. A titanic vessel was to break free from its moorings.<\/p>\n

What happened next was\u2026<\/p>\n

Treacherous Orchestra website: http:\/\/www.treacherousorchestra.com<\/a><\/p>\n

You can listen to Grind here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Buy a ticket<\/a> for the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 5th December in Dundee Caird Hall, start time 7pm. You’ll have a great time!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congratulations to Treacherous Orchestra who’s album Grind has been nominated in Album of the Year (sponsored by Birnam CD) in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2015. Vote now! We asked Treacherous Orchestra about their album Grind. \u201cTREACHEROUS\u2029 ORCHESTRA\u2029 does\u2029 have\u2029 a\u2029 full\u2029 on,\u2029 intense\u2029 \u2018live\u2019\u2029 sound\u201d\u2029 agrees\u2029 bagpiper,\u2029 whistle\u2029 player \u2029and \u2029co\u2010producer \u2029Ali\u2029Hutton\u2029 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13,18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1726","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nominee","8":"category-nominee-2015","9":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/files\/2015\/10\/TreacherousOrchestra_Grind_HiResCover.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1726"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1728,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1726\/revisions\/1728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}