Tae Write wi’ a Fifer is the culmination of a week of song writing.
Four songwriters / poets have spent a week together in the East Neuk of Fife, collaborating and writing new material, with the finished results, plus some old favourites, being performed live at Futtle in St Monans, Fife, and live streamed via Bandcamp. Expect brand news, exclusives, never-befores, never-agains…
Four songwriters / poets have spent a week together in the East Neuk of Fife, collaborating and writing new material, with the finished results, plus some old favourites, being performed live at Futtle in St Monans, Fife, and live streamed via Bandcamp. Expect brand news, exclusives, never-befores, never-agains…
Delighted to announce that this year I shall be hosting three song-writing weeks, based here in the East Neuk of Fife.
These weeks have been made possible thanks to the support of Creative Scotland and will be held at three different times of the year, the first being this Spring.
Each week will comprise of four songwriters and poets, living and writing together in a nice wee hoose, with a concert taking place at the end of each week. This concert will be held in a local venue, in front of a small, ticketed audience and will also be live-streamed. Although we will be encouraging the material written during the week to be played at this show, it’s not essential.
Musical collaboration will be encouraged, and each artist will have a day to write with each of the other artists participating that week. There will also a day to rehearse before the show itself.
All participants will have a bedroom to themselves and will be paid at Musician Union daily rates of pay per musician for resident engagements. There is also money available for travel and for childcare costs, should they be needed.
I will be onsite as a writer, accompanist, maker of cups of tea, tour guide.
These song writing weeks are for musicians and poets based in Scotland, or of Scottish heritage but living elsewhere.
We will be following current Government Covid protocol throughout.
Applications are open until 5pm on January 31st and artists will be chosen by a small panel.
With Inge Thomson, Faith Eliott, Rab Noakes and James Yorkston
Episode 2 of Tae Sup wi’ a Fifer
INGE THOMSON Like most islanders, Inge finds it easy enough to entertain herself. Daughter of a lighthouse keeper, she grew up poking dead things with sticks to see how they worked, an activity still enjoyed today. She has a great love for the piano keyed accordion. Inge completed her nursing training in 1995, despite not working in this area for many years, she find these skills come in very handy when touring with rowdy bands. The sheer excitement of forging new musical friendships and experiencing that sonic moment when everything aligns is what keeps Inge in this job. ingethomson.com
FAITH ELIOTT (FEATURING SUSE BEAR) Faith (who uses the pronouns they/them) is a songwriter and visual artist currently based in Glasgow. They grew up in Minneapolis and relocated with their family to Scotland aged 13. Faith’s debut LP Impossible Bodies was released to critical acclaim in April 2019. For this performance, Faith is accompanied by Suse Bear, a multi-instrumentalist who has worked with Tuff Love, The Pastels and Pictish Trail, and releases solo under the name Good Dog. faitheliott.com
JAMES YORKSTON (FEATURING WITHERED HAND AND KRIS DREVER) Domino Records have just announced the forthcoming release of James’s new album The Wide, Wide River, his 10th for the respected independent label. In this video he plays one of its standout songs, ‘Struggle’. Throughout his career, James has released a host of critically acclaimed albums both as a solo artist and as part of the collaborative project Yorkston Thorne Khan. jamesyorkston.co.uk
RAB NOAKES A Fifer himself, Rab Noakes is no stranger to a Lang Spoon or the Lang Toon. He was raised in Cupar, and has been performing pretty much all his life, professionally for the past 55 years. The popular song has been a constant companion and a considerable driving force throughout his 73 years. Rab has toured widely and worked with many interesting people. He has released over twenty solo albums and contributed to scores of others. Here he delivers a song from Do You See The Lights?, his debut LP from 1970, and one from Welcome to Anniversaryville, his most recent full release from 2017.
To ease us into winter, here is the first in a series of on-line Tae Sup wi’ a Fifers. Hosted by James Yorkston, featuring music by Andrew Wasylyk (with guest Rachel Simpson), Kris Drever (with guest Éamonn Coyne) and poetry from Harry Josephine Giles.
With thanks to Creative Scotland
Andrew Wasylyk – https://andrewwasylyk.bandcamp.com/ Kris Drever – https://krisdrever.bandcamp.com/ Harry Josephine Giles – https://harryjosephine.com/ James Yorkston – https://jamesyorkston.bandcamp.com
T’is a thrill as ever to announce this next round of Tae Sup wi’ a Fifer.
Curating these line-ups is a lot of fun, of course there is a responsibility to make each show individual and special, with its own peculiar flavour, and that just helps with the excitement, as the bills come together, keeping the quality high, the art diverse. I’m delighted that we have these four pure braw nights to look forward to.
I’m a fan of every single act coming up and there’s no doubt I’d be attending every one of these shows even if I wasn’t programming them. As ever, I have to thank Creative Scotland for their continued support, helping Tae Sup wi’ a Fifer bring world class talent to the great town of Kirkcaldy.
Abusing, evading and obliterating 20 years of
whimsical pop trends, Jane Weaver’s experience as a truly independent and
resilient female experimental songwriter / sound-carrier commands respect and
inspiration in equal measures.
Here we find a model student of
second-hand Kraut-rock, female punk, hard-subbed new-wave, synthesiser
skip-finds and unpronounceable worldly feminine pop who’s finally reached her
eureka moment.
“Motorik
rhythms and ancient technology create music that brims with urgency and
originality.” MOJO
Ian Rankin
“I’ll be in the middle of writing a new novel (hopefully) so may
give a sneaky reading from that. I’ll mostly be talking about the
writer’s life, with a few (hopefully) funny anecdotes along the way.
Should I take questions from the audience? That could happen. And
there’ll be a bit of chat about growing up in the wilds of Fife (six long miles
from Kirkcaldy), my weekly pilgrimages to the Pogo-A-Gogo club (literally next
door to the Adam Smith Centre) and how music was my first love (and it will be
my last)…”
Callum Easter
Edinburgh-based singer of otherworldly rhythm
and blues songs, an artist who has built a strong local
reputation emerging from the creative heat of the Leith studio that spawned
Mercury Prize-winning act Young Fathers – with whom Callum plays keys and
lap steel live and has toured with as support.
Stuart is the guitarist and de facto frontman of Scottish
post-rock legends Mogwai. This visit to Fife will see Stuart performing an
incredibly rare solo guitar set.
Bell
Lungs
Celestial drones, mesmerising vocals and glitchy electronics from
experimental dream pop musician Bell Lungs. Fiercely DIY, this one-woman
powerhouse from Scotland has been touring perpetually for the past few years
across the UK, Europe and USA, her striking voice appearing on the airwaves of
BBC Radio 3, 4 and 6.
Gwenifer
Raymond
Gwenifer began playing guitar at the age of 5 and after years of
playing around the Welsh valleys in various punk outfits she began listening
more to pre-war blues musicians as well as Appalachian folk players, eventually
leading into the guitar players of the American Primitive genre.
‘…a profound talent.’ *****
The Guardian
‘…embodies all that is commendable about these folk titans…’ ***** Record Collector
‘…stunningly confident, in full possession of its art’ Uncut
Hollie McNish is a full-time writer who loves
writing poetry. She has published three poetry collections Papers, CherryPie and Plum, and
one poetic memoir on politics and parenthood, Nobody Told Me, of
which the Scotsman suggested “The world needs this book” and for which she won
the Ted Hughes Award. Hollie tours continuously all over the UK and Europe and
beyond and is a big fan of online readings – her poetry videos have attracted
millions of views worldwide.
Ye Vagabonds
Brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn, sing in Irish and English
and accompany themselves on violin, bouzouki, guitar and mandolin. They were nominated
for a BBC Folk Award on the strength of their self-released and largely
self-written debut album and have receiving several nods from the RTÉ Radio 1
Folk Awards.
Nancy Kerr and Luke Daniels
Two of the British folk scene’s top performers have teamed up for some
duo/double header shows to perform their own and each other’s music. Nancy Kerr is
one of the most celebrated folk musicians of her generation and has to date won
6 Folk Awards from BBC Radio 2: 2015 Folk Singer of the Year. A
stunning mix of contemporary folk music and inspired instrumental virtuosity.
“Luke Daniels is a master melodeon player” – Mark Radcliffe
* Özgür Baba unfortunately had to cancel this show due to visa issues. His replacement was English folk legends Martin and Eliza Carthy*
Josie long
Josie Long is one of the most
respected comedians of her generation.
Her eighth solo stand-up
show, Something Better, had a sell-out two weeks at the Soho
Theatre in London, followed by a two-week run at the Barrow Street Theatre New
York.
She has been nominated for the coveted Best Show award at the
Edinburgh Fringe three times and has won the BBC New Comedy
Award.
On TV and radio, Josie has
appeared on The News Quiz, Just A Minute, Never Mind the Buzzcocks,
Skins, 8 out of 10 Cats, and Drunk History.
Özgür Baba
Özgür
Baba is a Turkish folk musician and singer. He plays the saz, a
traditional Turkish string instrument. His music is an enchanting, minimalist
interpretation of old, traditional Turkish folk songs. His Youtube performance
of Dertli Dolap (“Endless
Trouble”) has had over two million views.
Rachel Newton
Singer and harpist Rachel Newton was named the 2017 BBC Radio 2
Folk Musician of the Year and the Scots Trad Music Award Instrumentalist of the
Year 2016. Her third solo album Here’s My Heart Come Take It was shortlisted
for the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award as one of Scotland’s top ten
outstanding albums and was described as ‘a beauty’ in the Observer.
With thanks to Creative Scotland, we are delighted to announce a further three ‘Tae Sup wi’ a Fifer’s, all running at the Adam Smith Theatre, in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
Brighde Chaimbeul is a piper/whistle player from the Isle of Skye | BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award Winner 2016. 2018 album ‘The Reeling’ produced by Aidan O’Rourke (Lau)
“unforgettable deep atmosphere” **** “unique, exciting and forward-looking, has set the bar for 2019 very high indeed” – The Quietus
James Yorkston –In February 2019, Domino Records released James Yorkston’s 12th solo album – The Route to the Harmonium. James was an integral original member of the much lauded and hugely influential Fence Collective (King Creosote, Pictish Trail, KT Tunstall, Beta Band etc). Throughout his career, James has released a succession of critically-acclaimed albums as both a solo artist and as part of the collaborative project Yorkston Thorne Khan.
Josephine Foster – “Few artists have crafted a niche for themselves quite like Josephine Foster. The Colorado-based former funeral and wedding singer has sung Brahms and Schubert, interpreted poetry by Emily Dickinson, Rudyard Kipling and James Joyce and reimagined Spanish folk songs. She uses distinctive instrumentation – guitar, piano, organ, harp and autoharp – but really her vast oeuvre is all about her unmistakable voice.” Dave Evans, The Guardian
Jenny Lindsay is one of Scotland’s best known spoken word performers. Her 2018 solo show, ‘This Script and Other Drafts’, was described as “one of this year’s most necessary spoken word performances” by The Wee Review. “Defiant, eloquent and inspiring.” (The Scotsman) “Takes to the stage as if staging a coup.” (Gutter Magazine). Her second full collection of poetry will be published in Spring 2019.
Adrian Crowley grew up in the West of Ireland and now calls Dublin city his home. He is a writer of songs, story teller, composer, and a singer with a chocolate voice. He has quietly been developing and expanding his craft with each consecutive album since his debut in 2001. He was nominated three times for Ireland’s Choice Music Prize and won the prestigious award with his album ‘Season Of The Sparks in 2010. He has toured extensively in Europe and USA, has released four LPs on Scottish label, Chemikal Underground Records, and is currently working in his ninth studio album. His most recent album ‘Dark Eyed Messenger’ was produced by Thomas Bartlett in New York City.
Horse is an iconic and utterly unique singer/songwriter. With a successful career expanding over three decades, she has opened for and toured with several international artists including Tina Turner, BB King, Bryan Ferry, Burt Bacarach, as well as touring extensively in her own right.
The Scotsman referred to her as “one of Scotland’s all-time great vocalists, also possessed of a keen songwriting intelligence“.
Singer and bouzouki player Daoirí (pronounced ‘Derry’) Farrell was described by Dónal Lunny as “one of the most important traditional singers to emerge in the last decade’”. Six months after releasing the album ‘True Born Irishman’ Daoirí won two prestigious BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017 for Best Newcomer and Best Traditional Track. Daoirí released his new album ‘A Lifetime Of Happiness’, in February 2019.
‘Farrell has created quite a buzz…it’s easy to hear why. His powerfully unadorned vocals might be from any era, variously recalling Paul Brady and Andy Irvine…it’s a powerful statement.’ **** Mojo
Kaviraj Singh is a unique and celebrated talent of the new generation of Santoor (hammered dulcimer) players. He is the youngest artist to have performed at the prestigious Darbar Festival in 2008 and has shared his music widely at popular venues across India, Europe and the UK.
A multi-instrumentalist and talented singer, Kaviraj has honed his skills under the guidance of some of the leading exponents from the Indian musical tradition and now seeks to explore fresh ground creating new and unique tones and textures using his Santoor and voice.
