Malin Lewis, the pioneering queer bagpiper, fiddler, instrument maker and composer, is set to release their debut album Halocline on Friday, 3 May 2024 via Hudson Records.
Drawing its name from the halocline, a visible layer of water formed between saltwater and freshwater, the stunning body of work symbolises Malin’s existence as a trans person in a space of inspiration and individuality between a binary.
Malin Lewis said: “At 14, swimming in an Isle of Skye estuary, I encountered my first halocline — a hazy layer between two worlds, fostering a unique ecosystem. As a trans person, I inhabit a similar in-between space, rich with its own vibrant and colourful culture. My gender and music have always been intertwined; music is my form of self-expression. From childhood, I envisioned sounds that conveyed the joy, intrigue and queerness of the world; Halocline offers a glimpse into this lifelong pursuit of expression.”
Hiraeth, out tomorrow (20th April), is the third single to be released from the album on which Malin delves into the concepts of longing and equality, drawing inspiration from their childhood memories growing up on the secluded island of Eilean Shona. It’s also our Tune of the Day.
Written in the style of a Piobaireachd, this free time melody captures longing for a time or a place that you cannot return to or that never quite existed. It’s written on a self-made bagpipe, mixed with saxophone, kantele, guitar, double bass, and voice.
There’s an enchanting energy to Hiraeth, and that sense of longing is present from the start, enhanced by Malin’s lone playing of their self-made bagpipe. When they are joined by saxophone, kantele, guitars, double bass and voice, there’s a shift and brightening transformation, as if they have left the ‘here and now’ and travelled back to that distant place and time. The whole listening experience is quite beautiful, and the accompanying video with stunning scenery and just Malin sitting, calmly playing, lost in deep memory, and wearing a fantastic shell headdress accentuates the magical feel of the tune. I’m really looking forward to sharing more on this album very soon.
Featuring a stellar lineup of musicians, including Luc McNally on bouzouki, guitar and electric guitar, Cammy Maxwell on double bass and synth, Maija Kauhanen on kantele and vocals, Matthew Herd on saxophone, Michael Owers on brass, Stuart Brown on percussion, and Sally Simpson on fiddle, Halcoline weaves together intricate compositions and spine-tingling melodies inspired by European folk traditions, human nature, queerness and the universe.
The album will be available digitally, on CD, black LP and limited edition blue LP from Friday 3 May 2024. It is available to pre-order now at https://hudsonrecords.ffm.to/halocline.
Malin will be our Artist of the Month for May, so expect more soon.
Malin is touring their debut album across Scotland and England throughout spring and summer, stopping at venues from An Lanntair on the Isle of Lewis down to Pound Arts in Corsham.
Malin Lewis Tour Dates
10.04 – An Tobar, Isle of Mull
11.04 – Bunessan Hall, Isle of Mull
12.04 – Corrie & Sannox Hall, Isle of Arran
08.05 – Tradfest, Edinburgh
09.05 – Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Arts Centre, Isle of North Uist
10.05 – An Lanntair, Isle of Lewis
11.05 – SkyeLive, Isle of Skye
17.05 – Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal
18.05 – Kirkgate Arts, Cockermouth
19.05 – Kirkstanton Village Hall, Kirksanton
20.05 – Lowther Pavilion Theatre, Lytham
26.05 – Knockengorroch, Galloway
31.05 – Lyth Arts Centre, Lyth
01.06 – The Gathering, Inverness
06.07 – Moorforge Folk Festival, Gilcrux
20.07 – Pound Arts Centre, Corsham
21.07 – Folk by the Oak, Hatfield House
More: https://www.malinlewis.co.uk/