Anyone that read Johnny’s live review of last year’s Tiree Music Festival would have picked up that Skerryvore were pretty much the house band of the Festival, with accordionist Daniel Gillespie also functioning as its Artistic Director. It was on this lovely Scottish island the band formed back in 2005. Whilst their self-titled third album, ‘Skerryvore’, saw them placed very much in the limelight their fifth and latest album ‘Chasing the Sun’ is arguably their most mature sounding album yet.
From the assured determination of ‘Can You Hear Us?’ and steadfast self-belief of ‘Here I Am’, to the life-is-short urgency of ‘We Can Run’ and wistful reflection of ‘You Were My Friend’, this is an album with all the hallmarks of a band that has lived, learned and played music together for close to 10 years now.
For the band’s loyal followers meanwhile, the rousing ‘You Don’t Know’, ‘Walk With Me’ and instrumentals ‘The Rut’ and ‘Moonraker’ are unmistakably Skerryvore in their ability to get heads nodding and toes tapping.
Written between Roddy Hart’s studio at Film City Glasgow and The Cottage in Loch Fyne, ‘Chasing The Sun’ was recorded at Castlesound Studios in Edinburgh (Mark Knopfler, REM and The Proclaimers). There, Alec Dalglish (songwriter, vocals, guitars and mandolin), Martin Gillespie (bagpipes and whistles), Daniel Gillespie (accordion), Fraser West (drums and percussion), Craig Espie (fiddle) and new band member Jodie Bremaneson (bass) reunited with producer Alan Scobie (keyboards) to create the next chapter in the Skerryvore success story.
Also featured on ‘Chasing the Sun’ is the band’s first international collaboration with platinum award winning producer Chris Kess (The Dave Matthews Band) on
‘Blown Away’ and ‘By Your Side’.
UPCOMING
To celebrate the release of ‘Chasing the Sun’, Skerryvore will be embarking on an international tour spanning four continents and 14 countries, including their biggest US tour to date and a debut performance in Mumbai, India.
The band will also be performing alongside Steve Earle, Runrig and Julie Fowlis at the 40th Anniversary Tonder Festival, which will be broadcast throughout Scandinavia.
Watch their album preview video teaser below.
Tracklisting
01 Can You Hear Us?
02 The Rut
03 We Can Run
04 You Don’t Know
05 Blown Away
06 You Were My Friend
07 Oblique Blend
08 Here I Am
09 By Your Side
10 Moonraker
11 Walk With Me
12 Watchtower
13 Blown Away
The album is released 1st September but there is a limited pre-order of 1000 copies direct from Skerryvore’s store who aim to deliver them at least 7 weeks prior to release: http://store.skerryvore.com/
http://skerryvore.com/