Posted on Friday 5th March 2021 at 15:00
Hey Gigantic Gang,
We are back with a very special Scottish edition of #NewMusicFriday! Check out new releases from rising songwriter Roseanne Reid, Roddy Woomble - legendary leader of Idlewild and Arab Strap have FINALLY brought us a new album (SPOILER – it’s absolutely amazing!).
Our blog and playlist bring you all the best track and tunes freshly dropped this week, so turn up the volume and press play as you read all about the latest releases and grab tickets to attend all the exciting gigs and festivals which will soon be back!
Have a wicked weekend and we will see you all soon xx
Emotive songwriter Roseanne Reid is fast being recognised as the vital new sound in folk. Tapping into the grief caused by the death of a friend, Reid has transformed the pain into a celebration of a lost life:
“‘Fly High’ was written after the sudden loss of a friend. I wanted to tread the line between processing and articulating my own feelings, and remembering him purely for who he was and what he gave to the world. The song could have gone either way – in the end I felt the best way to honour him is to write what came most naturally to me and sing it in the way it came out in the first couple of takes.”
“Fly High” will feature on Reid’s forthcoming self-recorded EP which features Graham Coe on the cello and benefits from the vast experience of producer Dave Eringa, famed for his long term work with Manic Street Preachers.
Roseanne Reid will be playing support for Teddy Thompson at The Glee Club in Nottingham on Thursday 27th of January, tickets on sale with Gigantic. Plus, she recently took part in our My Favourite Album blog, where she talked all about her love for the Gillian Welch LP Soul Journey – CLICK HERE to read.
Idlewild singer Roddy Woomble continues his bold sonic experiments as a solo artist with the release of new single ‘Lo Soul’ which is the title track of a forthcoming LP, scheduled for release in May. Teaming up with Andrew Wasylyk and recorded in secret sessions held at each other’s homes, the pair have captured an alien feel to create an anthem for the outsider. It’s a summarisation of Woomble’s feelings of isolation and yearning for reconnection following a period of intense introspection.
“I started developing songs on my acoustic guitar which I would record on my phone and send on to Andrew in Dundee. Around then, my friend and musician Danny Grant, based in Glasgow, began sharing his wonderful electronic grooves and rhythms with me. I started improvising over these with my poems. It didn’t feel like an album we were creating at this stage though, more a scrapbook of this particular moment. As restrictions eased in the summer I spent three days in Andrew's studio recording vocals and developing these ideas. Other than this, the album was all recorded remotely - Dundee Glasgow, and the Hebrides".
Finally breaking the sixteen-year drought; Scottish indie icons Arab Strap make their very welcome return with the release of their seventh studio album As Days Get Dark via Rock Action. Unafraid to delve deep into the sombre side of life, yet still awash with their usual wit and sarcasm, their new record feels like a merry joyride around the seedy side of town, as singer Aidan Moffat explains; "It's about hopelessness and darkness. But in a fun way.”
Fusing the lo-fi beats and idiosyncratic alternative sound they have pioneered so perfectly; the Falkirk band seem to have tapped into the sense of alienation and frustration that has characterised the mood of recent years. Speaking directly to the listener about experiences of heartbreak, grief, fear of crime and post-modern ennui, As Days Get Dark feels like a survival guide to a post COVID world where BREXIT Britain is eagerly tearing itself apart.
See Arab Strap when they play shows at Manchester Academy 2 and Electric Ballroom in London during September in support of their new material.
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