music

The Wright Brothers

There's a new page for the Wright Brothers, to be updated whenever we take to the stage:

The Wright Brothers.

For Kyle

On 28 November, my friend Tom McEwan's son Kyle was found dead in Dundee. He'd been missing for a few weeks and friends and family had mounted a huge campaign to raise awareness and find him, including a concert in Dundee. I'd been due to play there and, after practising some songs the night before, and reading some of his friends' tributes on websites, I picked up my guitar and WaveForms kit, set up a short Fripp-style  loop and played this improvisation, with Tom and Kyle in mind.

This won't be everyone's cup of tea. It's nearly eight minutes long, and not a lot happens. Apart from one small edit, this is exactly what came out that night. But it felt powerful to me, very sad, but with the closing fade evoking a lighthouse beam in the night, and the hope that Kyle would be found safe and well.

Download For Kyle (mp3 7.2Mb)

Listen:

Christmas Revolution

I've been playing this song at OOTB for the last few Christmases. It's inspired of course by the golden age of Christmas songs in the 70s, which are still trotted out every year and still sound fresh. Most of them daft, of course, and this is no exception.

I started recording it for fun, Nelson came round and we finished it off.

Download Christmas Revolution.

Listen:

Famous Blue Raincoat

A cover of Leonard Cohen's song, this was recorded live at the Roxy Arthouse, a former Edinburgh church that served as a music venue for a while.

Quite simple and straighforward version, but it sounds to me like I've really entered the song, no distance at all.

Download mp3.

Listen:

 

Free music

There are lots of free downloads on this site.

The entire live album Living Water

The Incredible String Band covers medleys I Remember It All from Before

The instrumental soundtrack to Ferry Forth

... and all the single songs listed under Singletons at the side.