Folk Music

Gregory Alan Isakov – SWG3 Galvaniser’s

Live music, Music Review

Gregory Alan Isakov may have set down roots in the US state of Colorado, both figuratively and literally, but he is very much at home in Scotland. It’s unsurprising, given this country’s traditions of crofting and folk music – vocations that still go hand in hand to this day – but he also lived in the far north east of the country for a while, tending earth and songs, and always speaks fondly with candour about the people and places he connected with here. His music naturally embodies the richness and simplicity of life attuned to the minutiae of the everyday, contextualised within the vastness of the Universe. It is both intimate and expansive, intentional and meandering, specifically surreal, and embellished with an intangible magic that is uniquely Isakov’s.

On his most recent album, Appaloosa Bones, his first new music in five years, Isakov explores the breadth and depth of human experiences he observed in recent years; he spotlights our strange collective loneliness, hardships and sorrows, as well as the strength and beauty of our relationships – romantic, platonic, situational or otherwise. Sonically the album is a little rawer than his previous compilations; it instinctually stays closer to home and only soars when absolutely necessary. Isakov said he initially set out to create a lo-fi rock record but as the songs of Appaloosa Bones revealed themselves over time the timbre of the project became something more gentle. Similarly when it comes to crafting live performances the songs take the lead.

The delicate tones of the A-side tracks on Appaloosa Bones punctuate the set with brighter moments of reprieve; Before The Sun and The Fall chime with glistening banjo and piano motifs and subtly-hinted optimism. Dark, Dark, Dark offers some deep catharsis before Steve Varney’s swirling, ethereal guitar takes flight across San Luis. Emerging in shadowy silhouette, Jeb Bows’ plaintive violin heralds the opening to a darker passage; This Empty Northern Hemisphere is a journey in which Isakov Goes Electric. It rattles and rumbles, cascading and ascending again as the six musicians on stage wrestle to contain their own sorcery, finally crash landing into a rapturous reception.

Isakov emerges briefly from within, apologetically breaking the fourth wall to introduce his “best friends” in the band before theyturn their hearts and hands to the tenderness of Miles To Go, a troubadour’s ode to life on the road, carried along by piano, steel guitar and harmonica.Big Black Car provides more opportunities for the band members to shine as they trade solos, in the true folk tradition, and then it’s time for them to step out for some air. Isakov takes the spotlight himself, just for a moment, as 3am pleads with regret and promise and resignation into pin-drop silence.

For as much as he deliberately says very little throughout the set, he makes a point to thank the audience profusely for their attendance. It seems like more effort and sacrifice goes into just getting out of the house these days and artists are at the mercy of many factors beyond their own popularity or commercial success. This has never been lost on Isakov despite him consistently selling out consecutive tours across Europe at increasing capacity. SWG3 Galvanizers marks his biggest headline show in Scotland and while the staff are typically lovely and the technical aspects are world class it can be a struggle for some punters to navigate transport around the venue, and in terms of ambiance…well, it’s industrial (in the nicest way) which sets the stripped down performance of Second Chances in stark relief, even within a collection of mellifluous folk ballads. Isakov, Varney and Bowsconjure a graceful waltz while the audience stands spellbound, overawed and barely swaying.Liarsdoesn’t so much build as explodes out of nowhere, a crescendo before the third act.

Dandelion Wine and Chemicals are particular fan favourites, adored for their simplicity and visceral immediacy, and each receives deserving reaction. Isakov prefaces the title track of Appaloosa Bones saying that it’s “too depressing, we’re not gonna leave you with this” before winding up the set with the gloriously weighty Caves, its meditative refrain inviting a full-bodied singalong: “Let’s put all these words away”.The enraptured audience obliges and then begs for more so an encore is respectfully provided. The intricate beauty of Amsterdam and a captivating rendition of The Stable Song– just Isakov on acoustic guitar and Varney on banjo – preludes the stunning finale of the whole band performing Silver Bell around a single microphone, open hearts firmly front and centre. The audience response lasts until well after the house lights have come on. It’s this generous reciprocity between Isakov and his fans that sustains the love between us over the years and many thousands of miles, that keeps him coming back no matter the size of his audience. And in truth, there’s hardly a room left in Scotland big enough to contain the adoration of his fans. Regardless of where he plays, of course, he’s welcome here any time.

10 Must-see shows at Celtic Connections 2023

Festivals, Live music, Music Review

Enduring the short, dark days of late December in Scotland deserves reward – deserves celebration, in fact – and the best way to celebrate any season in this country is with live music. In dark times, more than ever, we need this; coming together to listen and share stories, to dance, to sing, is the most human of activities. Our deep desire for communal experience is undoubtedly what’s made Celtic Connections an annual highlight of the musical calendar, worldwide, for the last three decades.

With the covid-19 pandemic causing immense disruption over the last two years it’s a joy and a comfort to see the festival returning to full capacity in 2023 for its 30th edition. The disappointment of last year’s late cancellations and the limitations on international guests remain in the past now, with the festival once again offering a vast array of world class talent for audiences of all persuasions. Here is just a selection of gems plucked from within the dazzling 2023 line-up, which may be particularly useful for anyone still wrestling with the paradox of choice.

For Americana fans:

Occasionally the “Celtic connection” inferred by an artist’s inclusion in the festival can seem a little tenuous but for country songstress Emily Scott Robinson, it’s abundantly clear; her latest release, Built On Bones is a collection of hauntingly beautiful songs written for the witches of Macbeth. The setting, tone and spirit of Celtic ancestry will be conjured in her performance, accompanied by collaborators Alisa Amador and Violet Bell.

It’s hard to tell which is more endearing: William Prince‘s effortless, comforting baritone or his delicate weaving of words. In any case, when both combine over his steady but sympathetic guitar playing the result is a total envelopment within the moment.

The rare opportunity to witness the legendary, prodigious talent of Nickel Creek cannot be passed up. Band members Chris Thile, Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins – collectively and in various solo and collaborative endeavours – have been hugely influential on generations of musicians and music fans alike since the turn of the century, and their appearance at this year’s festival will undoubtedly ignite further adoration and inspiration well beyond the reach of their “neo-bluegrass” genre labelling.

For Blues fans:

Amythyst Kiah has risen through the ranks at Celtic Connections to find herself not only headlining her own show but making a guest appearance at the fabled Transatlantic Sessions. Armed with a powerful set of songs and the robust voice made to deliver them, her performances leave an indelible mark on audiences wherever she plays.

It would be rude to mention Fantastic Negrito without at least referencing the fact that his last three albums each won the GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Blues Album in their respective release years, but his talent and musical life force cannot really be reflected in any award or accolade. His live performance is part-sermon, part-therapy, part-rave, part-rock’n’roll exorcism. Those who have seen, heard and felt this music, believe.

For Folk fans:

Award-winning Australian duo Charm of Finches left audiences spellbound on their first UK tour in the summer of 2022. Through evocative lyrics and syrupy blood harmonies, the pair create a magic that lingers long after they’ve stopped singing.

One of the standout performances of 2021’s virtual Celtic Connections event, Dreamers’ Circus bring their sometimes-surreal, sometimes-serene fusion of traditional folk and jazz to light up Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall stage for a triple billing with Finnish outfit Frigg and Scotland’s own Kinnaris Quintet.

If however, you only see one Scottish act at the festival (seriously, don’t limit yourself) it should be Talisk. The energy and intensity of their performance is only eclipsed by their immense talent, as anyone has seen them before can attest. For those folkies yet to be initiated: hold onto your flat caps!

For Indie fans:

A Celtic Connections favourite over the last decade or so, Aoife O’Donovan has two headline shows at the festival this year. The first night will see her interpreting the “songwriter’s choice” of Springsteen albums, Nebraska, while the following night will take in songs from her own catalogue including her latest critically acclaimed – and too-aptly titled – third album Age of Apathy.

Meanwhile Matthew and the Atlas will make their Celtic Connections debut in 2023, marking their first live appearance since wrapping up touring on 2019’s Morning Dancer. The band’s sonic evolution from indie folk, through more expansive alt-rock, soul and electro elements, bound to Matt Hegarty’s earthy vocal, brings so much atmosphere into any room they play.

For party fans:

In addition to this being the 30th anniversary of Celtic Connections, 2023 marks some milestones for some other significant musical collaborations and collectives within Scotland. The opening weekend sees the 10th edition of Roaming Roots Revue. The guest list features the return of many past favourites including Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie, the breathtaking Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan and indie rock powerhouse Field Music, all backed by one of the finest house bands in the land, Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire. The songbook is wide open this year but the sheer volume of talent present guarantees it will be another great night out.

The closing weekend is also stacked with anniversary celebrations. Scottish indie label Lost Map celebrates its 10th birthday with an afternoon-into-evening affair, encompassing multiple venues within Oran Mor, which will be lead by label founder, the incomparable Pictish Trail. A selection of upcoming and established artists will showcase throughout the event which promises to deliver value for money, both in the quality and quantity of music on offer.

The Isle of Mull’s iconic An Tobar venue will mark its 25th year with a special one-off performance featuring a who’s who of Scottish artists well-kent to its stage including Roddy Woomble, Karen Matheson, Seonaid Aitken, Duncan Chisholm and former Makar Liz Lochhead, among many more of the finest musicians.

Finally – always finally – Transatlantic Sessions returns to Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall. For first-timers or twentieth-timers, this is the must-see of festival staples. With a house band comprising some of the most experienced and well honed players in the trad and folk scenes from either side of the water, and guests covering the full spectrum of roots music, this two-night event is the epitome of “Celtic Connections”, in theory and in practice. If you want to understand why a festival in Glasgow, in the middle of winter, has become a 30-year international musical phenomenon, the clues are all here.

Advanced booking is always recommended for shows during the festival. For more information and ticketing visit the Celtic Connections website.

Bear’s Den – Newcastle University Student Union

Live music, Music Review

On their second round of touring in the UK this year Bear’s Den have perfected a balance between arena rock and acoustic folk, packing out large clubs while performing with astonishing intimacy to an ever expanding and keenly devoted fan base.

The second-to-last night of this run finds the band, performing as a six-piece, in the rather sleek subterranean venue of Newcastle University’s Student Union. It’s not the grandest space they’ve entertained but it’s also not the shabbiest. From touring heavily in their early years, Bear’s Den have learned to work a lot of different rooms, on any given night of the year; a crowded university basement on a Sunday night is well within their command. And anyway there’s a kind of calm to November gigs that suits this music; when the nights start drawing in early, everyone switches to their heavier coats, as the air densifies with cold and skies become a little less stable. Summer isn’t long forgotten but folk are still happy to be indoors; it’s hygge season, and it’s the ideal climate for a Bear’s Den gig.

This evening’s kindling, the first of two support sets, is provided by Tusks, the spine-tingling musical endeavour of Londoner Emily Underhill. She’s on double duties tonight, opening the show and running the merch table, and yet with only 20 minutes allocated to get this one job done she doesn’t force a performance, easing herself and the audience gently into her mesmeric melodies. Underhill sings graciously through her register, at times slipping into a soft falsetto, but she is at her most affecting when she employs her high, full voice, as on the stunning title track to her latest LP Avalanche. Quieter moments like Demon (“…it’s actually a love song”) test the warmth of the early crowd and, gratefully, they seem to be thawing.

At 8pm the crowd has almost trebled, with a restless rabble engulfing the room as Flyte take to the stage. Although technically now a trio, since the departure of keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Sam Berridge earlier this year, Flyte have maintained their full-bodied soundscape and delighted audiences throughout the summer with the addition of Jessica Staveley-Taylor (aka “Jess from The Staves” aka “one-third of The Staves”) into their line-up. Opening with a couple of songs from their debut album The Loved Ones, the set is kind of a slow burn up to White Roses, after which the crowd is a lot more settled and receptive. It’s just as well because the band follow this up with their breath-taking a capella cover of Alvvays’ Archie, Marry Me which, if you haven’t heard it, is about the kindest bit of self care you can offer your ears, at any time of year. Go; look it up now and feel the nourishment! They finish off with two crackers in Cathy Come Home and the glowing album opener Faithless.

The stage is dark before Bear’s Den emerge; a disorienting red aura fills the air as the unusually dramatic but iconic opening of Thus Spake Zarathustra heralds the main event. There’s no denying that this particular piece of music will heighten the anticipation of anyone’s arrival but Bear’s Den are not the showiest of bands, so it’s only fitting that they don’t actually walk on until the theme has played out in full; the gag is funnier when they don’t take it to that obvious, excessive conclusion. Humour is one of the band’s many charms.

Leading off with Fuel On The Fire, Elysium and Dew On The Vine, the set has a fairly similar running order to previous shows on the So that you might hear me tour, with the inclusion of two brand new tracks from the band’s forthcoming Only Son of the Falling Snow EP. The first of these is the title track which lead singer Andrew Davie describes as “a kind of Christmas carol, reflecting back over your life”. True to form, it’s a sorrowful meditation backed by some incongruous major chords and uplifting trumpet. It’s glorious. This is followed up with the – possibly even more exquisite – piano-lead ballad The Star of Bethnal Green, which takes its name from a pub adjacent the studio where Kev Jones conceived it. The lyrics paint love as a spiritual experience, at once inspiring, hopeful and comforting. Even in its relatively bare form it feels brighter than most songs in the Bear’s Den catalogue. And as festive folk songs go it’s no less than butterfly-inducing! It’d be show-stopping but Bear’s Den control their own inertia and it’s from here straight into Crow, a bona fide tear-jerker that depicts grief in a way that is uniquely Bear’s Den.

Davie has a knack for relating extraordinary human emotions through deeply personal experiences; his inclusion of very specific details, dates, names, locations, renders a stronger and more immediate connection to the particular events or relationships he’s recounting, as in Hiding Bottles and Above The Clouds of Pompeii, but his broader language leaves scenes open for listeners’ own attachments. This manner of lyricism, this telling-all-without-telling-everything style of writing is one of the reasons fans become so endeared to the band; seeing themselves and their lives in the songs, feeling connected in their shared humanity. At its very least live music is a communal experience.

The unpretentious, candid honesty of their delivery further sets the band apart, such as when they go “off-mic” to hear the crowd singing along to Magdelene. When they unplug completely to perform Don’t Let The Sun Steal You Away unamplified from the edge of the stage it receives one of the loudest rounds of applause all night, igniting the band and setting them on a skyward trajectory. These moments are unique to each crowd no matter how many times the band plays the same set of songs.

The Love That We Stole sounds bigger and bolder than it ever has. The guitars grow louder across Red Earth & Pouring Rain as heavy red light flickers. After the threatening and thunderous build on When You Break, driving and anthemic Auld Wives feels like respite. So much for the calm! The “last song” and “encore” are exposed as conventions but when the band return after a brief period of rousing applause they offer the sincerest and humblest thanks. And when they step out into the centre of the audience to perform Blankets of Sorrow they bring the communal experience to another level of intimacy. It’s a cosy place to be on a Sunday night in November.

The Decemberists – O2 Academy Glasgow

Live music, Music Review

It’s an unexceptional Monday night in November that sees an audience gathered in the expansive darkness of Glasgow’s O2 Academy. It happens to be Bonfire Night which seems as good an excuse as any to stand around and listen to folk songs, and for this occasion you’d be hard-pressed to find a more literary story-teller than The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy. The communal spirit that his band embodies is alight in their followers too, and from the moment the band walk on stage there’s a warmth in the air. Fans haven’t just come to bear witness, they’ve come to take part.

A joyful opening set by Philadelphia’s Hop Along is encouraged despite the contrasting weight and density of the two band’s sounds. The overall energy is well matched and there can be no doubt the responsibility of the “warm up act” has been fulfilled.

With his harmonica poised Meloy gives a gracious welcoming salute as the rest of The Decemberists take up their positions.  Don’t Carry It All draws directly on the crowds in-it-together attitude with some vibrant singing and clapping along right from the outset. It’s apparent  early on that fans are elated to see the band again, as song after song is received in similarly boisterous fashion. The first half of the set builds momentum with some catchy choruses and powerful imagery. Blending new songs with the older catalogue happens around some of the more angular melodies; Cutting Stone into Shankill Butchers and despite wheeling out these darker themes early on the feeling in the room remains upbeat.

The Decemberists have a delightful knack for masking miserable tales behind jaunty mandolin and accordion but they also present honestly dour folk, as on the plaintive The Engine Driver which features two 12-string guitars for added pathos. This turns the midset into a rather gloomy interlude and yet the crowd responds with ever growing enthusiasm. “How about a song about the end of the world then?” offers Meloy before launching gleefully into Calamity Song. It’s a considered about-face of sorts, giving a glimmer of hope for at least sonic redemption before plunging deep into the grand tragedy of The Crane Wife 1 & 2. This song has possibly the subtlest build of any folk rock song to feature a xylophone solo and is followed unnaturally and yet obviously by The Queen’s Rebuke / The Crossing from 2009’s exceptionally heavy “The Hazards of Love”. The whole mood turns on this number as the lighting becomes dark and red, the sound is distorted and there is even a guitar solo!

From this point the brilliant synth-driven Severed introduces a suite of songs from latest album “I’ll Be Your Girl”. We All Die Young includes a necessarily tutored call and response bit of audience participation as well as an inappropriately uplifting sax solo. The band are beyond reach now, so elevated in their jubilation and commitment to giving a great performance. The grimmest tales of seduction, drowning and vengeful murder inside the belly of whale spur them on and the audience acquiesces with equal fervour.

Outside it remains an unexceptional Monday night in November but those in the dark of the Academy know it to be otherwise.