New Recordings

I’ve been hiding away down at Grans House for the last few weeks recording some great new music. First up was Nuala Kennedy with her lovely (in a scruffy talented guy musician way) band that were down here in the shire camped in every corner of the studio for a week recording her 3rd album. During the sessions Mark Archibald came along to the studio for a few days and captured the feeling of the days perfectly.

The week after I had Rachel Hair, Jenn Butterworth and Euan Burton in recording Rachel’s 3rd album. Really chilled out few weeks dispute Jenn’s best efforts with her nesspresso coffee machine / Starbuck deliverers and Euan and myself’s 5 a side’s efforts.
Both albums should be out early 2012.
http://www.nualakennedy.com/
http://www.rachelhair.com/

Summer gigs

Well, It’s been a momentous summer for many reasons (mostly away from music) but I also managed to play some amazing gigs with some old friends and some new line ups.

At the start of September I was down at Moseley Folk Festival in Birmingham with Eliza Carthy and her band. I’m really loving her new album and it was great getting my head around all the new songs. I also got to get my hands around a Hammond which is always exciting / terrifying in equal measures. Her band definitely have the most intelligent chat of all the bands I’ve worked with :)

While at Moseley I met up with Scott Mathews and ended up on stage with Scott and his band in Glasgow a few weeks later. It was brilliant getting to play with them all but I’ve no idea how I ended up playing shaker and tambourine on the 2nd number in the set. I’m pretty happy playing anything with keys but I’m no percussion player! Think that’s the most nervous I’ve been on stage for years.

http://www.eliza-carthy.com/

http://www.scottmatthewsmusic.co.uk/

A bit dizzy but starting to figure everything out now..

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Hi,

Just getting into this new website now, hope to actually post many things of musical interest up here in the coming weeks.

I’ve been working on a few album projects this year with my own band ‘The Halton Quartet’ and Maeve MacKinnon. The Halton album is at the mastering stage with Brad Blackwood at Euphonic Masters and Maeve’s album should be ready to mix in the next month… at least I can never be accused of rushing things. I’m very excited about both records, looking forward to getting them out into the world.

The Studio is also coming along well – I’ll be putting a page on this site with everything that’s happening down at Grans House including sneak previews of projects and all the latest build / new gear developments over the next few months.

Further afield I (finally.. thanks to the lovely people at KLM) made it home from Finland on Thursday night. had a great time at the Kaustinen Folkmusikfestival with Box Club. As Alyn Cosker would say ’6 pals in room’.. magic :)

Heading off to the Isle of Mann with Maeve MacKinnon and Ross Martin at the weekend for the Yn Chruinnaght Festival then down to the Cambridge Folk Festival the following weekend to teach some workshops at the Hub.

Whilst getting up to all this I’ve mostly been listening to Bon Iver’s new album which is stunning. Also Bill Wells album ‘Everything’s getting Older’ is an incredible bit of work.