The Pictish Trail – Powerhouse of Funk
Perfectly representing the organic mix of traditional and electronic instrumentation with quality songwriting and unself-conscious experimentation that characterises the output of the Fence Collective is Secret Soundz Vol.1, the first long-player from The Pictish Trail aka Johnny Lynch. Born and raised in Auld Reekie before moving to the US as a teenager (where he became ...
James Yorkston – Is He Haarving a Laugh?
This month James Yorkston releases ‘When The Haar Rolls In’, his follow-up to 2006′s sublime ‘The Year of the Leopard’. Whilst that album was beautifully produced by Rustin Man, this time Yorkston has taken the helm himself and the result is a rich and full sound – tempered, of course, with his usual wry lyricism. ...
The Pictish Trail – Secret Soundz Vol.1
In his behind the scenes role at Fife’s Fence record label, Johnny Lynch has obviously been well-placed to soak up all the best aspects of the label’s varied output. Secret Soundz Vol.1 is a collection of intricate but playful electronica as colourful as its striking cover art. The album’s joyously schizophrenic combination of strong pop ...
James Yorkston – When The Haar Rolls In
James Yorkston’s new album is, on first listen, a much more straightforward affair than its sublime predecessor, 2006′s The Year of The Leopard. But like the haar itself this is merely an illusion, because it’s full of rich instrumentation and quietly devastating lyrical turns – with flourishes that will appear over repeated listens and floor ...
Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor speaks to Skinnyfest down the phone line from New York, where her family moved from Russia when she was a child due to the oppressive regime of the former Soviet Union. “It was almost government policy anti-Semitism. It’s on your passport that you’re a Jew and you have your opportunities accordingly. Practicing any ...
Interview with Steve Mason aka King Biscuit Time
Note: this was before Mason returned with his Black Affair project. Steve Mason aka King Biscuit Time has spoken openly of how he struggled with depression during the eight years the Beta Band were together. However, chatting to him prior to the release of his stunning new album Black Gold, it seemed as if his ...
Interview with Malcolm Middleton
Malcolm Middleton is infamous for being a bit of a dour bugger. As if it wasn’t enough being one half of the now defunct Arab Strap – perennially described by the media as Falkirk miserablists (despite being one of Scotland’s most original and important contemporary bands) – his first two solo albums were full of ...
Interview with Barbarossa
Barbarossa’s debut album Chemical Campfires is a deeply personal and honest collection of folk tinged songs, written and performed by London based songwriter James Mathe. His sincere vocals are underpinned by a subtle electro sheen that makes it sound refreshingly modern – the sonic equivalent of a glacial lake, its depths hidden by a pristine ...
Interview with James Yorkston on The Year of the Leopard
If you want an insight into James Yorkston’s new album The Year of the Leopard, it’s perhaps best to start with the title track. “The line ‘It won’t be so easy, this year of the leopard’ was partly inspired by a book called The Leopard by Guiseppe Di Lampedusa.” Yorkston explains. “The main character is ...