The 18th August sees the release of Road to the North, the debut album from Assynt, one of Scotland’s newest, most exciting folk trios featuring award-winning musicians Graham MacKenzie (fiddle), David Shedden (pipes/whistles) and Innes White (guitar/mandolin).
Over a year in the making and with the addition of BBC Radio Scotland Young Musician of the Year, Charlie Stewart on double bass and drummer, Scott Mackay, ‘Road to the North’ was recorded and mixed by Scott Wood at Oak Ridge Studios and mastered by Michael Fossenkemper at TurtleTone Studios in New York.
Watch them performing Aidan Jack Jigs which features three tunes written by David (Cafebar Chris, The Ali Cat & Aidan Jack) which Innes shed some light on for us:
Cafebar Chris is written for a good pal of David’s who spent so much time procrastinating in the university Cafebar that he decided to give himself his own nickname, which no one ever used. The Ali Cat was written for a good friend of the band, Ali, who gets himself in ridiculous situations and always comes through unscathed. If he was a cat he’d be way past his 9 lives! Aidan Jack was named after David’s nephew, Aidan, who aspires to be a famous YouTuber much to his mother’s dismay.
The album will be launched at Piping Live! on August 18th, see upcoming live dates below.
Assynt Dates
17th August – Arisaig Hotel, Arisaig
18th August – Piping Live! National Piping Centre, Glasgow LAUNCH
19th August – Braemar Village Hall
10th September – BLAS Carnegie Hall, Portmahomack
11th September – BLAS Glengarry Village Hall, Invergarry
Album available to buy from the Assynt website www.assyntmusic.com or via Bandcamp: https://assynt.bandcamp.com