There was no blog last week. I took off at the last minute on a sojourn around the north coast of Scotland accompanied only by my wife and our dog, Alf. It was one of the most wonderful weeks of my life and I kinda forgot to pack music so we often travelled in silence in the cathedral of the highlands. I have no regrets and it felt brilliant to put everything on hold for 5 days and step out of the everyday into a a slower and certainly more scenic pace.
I can’t say no one has told me, as they most certainly have, but perhaps I’d never listened carefully enough to how beautiful Scotland really is. I’ve often questioned how much travel broadens the mind – especially when you encounter certain individuals who test the theory to the limits – but now I’m certain the only journeys (spiritual, mental and physical) we need to make are much closer than we imagine.
Within a few hundred miles of where I live in Glasgow is all the beauty of the world in such breathtaking variety it would be impossible to experience it all in one lifetime. Sometimes, it seems, heaven is a little closer than you think.
On this week’s AC we welcome the lovely Holly MacVe who found she didn’t have to travel far at all to find her muse or fulfil her true destiny. You can hear how singing in her local cafe in Brighton brought Holly to the attention of her dream label and the best home she could ever hope for her music.
Holly’s music has the empty purity of Kentucky bluegrass and contains the heartbreak and longing of all the country music you can remember with the added salt of something unique. Produced close to home by Paul Gregory of her fellow label mates, Lanterns On the Lake, her debut album, ‘Golden Eagle’ is truly high and lonesome. I defy you not to fall in love.
This Tuesday you can judge for yourself as you can hear tracks from Holly and hear her in conversation with me. It’s a fascinating story of a young talent who may well become one of your new favourite artists.
Elsewhere we shall spin new records by Micah P Hinson, Danny and The Champions of The World and (finally) a new album from John Murry. Stay tuned for significant reminders of the greatness of The Cowboy Junkies, Slim Whitman and Hank Williams and some new names including Suzanne Santo, Angelo De Augustine and someone coming to Scotland very soon, Hannah Aldridge.
It all starts on Tuesday evening from five past nine on BBC Radio Scotland.