It’s going to be a busy year for contemporary Scottish folk band Tannara (Owen Sinclair, Robbie Greig, Becca Skeoch and Joseph Peach), with the release of their second album STRANDS on February 1st at the Celtic Connections Festival 2019. They also have UK tours taking place in March and September, a summer of festival appearances, and touring in mainland Europe in November.
STRANDS represents a significant development for the band which was produced by Owen Sinclair and accordionist Joseph Peach, with input and guidance from Lau’s Martin Green. The album features guest performances from Mattie Foulds on percussion and Josie Duncan on backing vocals.
We have the pleasure of sharing their video for their album track Spent Lees, on which they shared the following:
The album that this song comes from- Strands- was a huge undertaking for us as a band. It’s a real jump from our first record, which comes from a place of a band finding its sound, and enjoying making music together- there’s a spontaneity and frantic energy around it which we love. This one is a much more considered and refined thing- We spent about two and a half years writing every note, thinking deeply about the sound and approach we wanted to have. Martin Green of Lau was amazing, providing us with advice, guidance and ideas. Owen and I ended up producing the record, and nodding to other worlds of music that we love, particularly indie things, and electronic things- I notice this particularly in the electric guitar sound, and the use of synths and some found samples. This song- Spent Lees- is one of two on the album written by Owen, his debut as a songwriter. It’s a very personal song, written about the passing of his dad- Fred Sinclair. He made whisky all his life, and the title “Spent Lees”, is a reference to a byproduct of this process.
Spring 2019 Album Launch Tour Dates
Feb 1st ‘Strands’ Album Launch at Celtic Connections, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
March 2nd An Lanntair, Stornoway
March 6th Edinburgh Folk Club
March 8th Eastgate Theatre, Peebles
March 9th Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock
March 10th Kirkgate Arts, Cockermouth
March 14th Slaughtered Lamb, London
March 15th Folk at the Froize:
March 22nd Cumbernauld Theatre
March 26th Eden Court, Inverness
Photo Credit: Somhairle MacDonald