Tom Ovans: I first heard about Tom Ovans from a guy I met on a bus trip in Turkey. It was a long hot trip and we talked all the way about films, music and books. I think we both had the feeling that we liked pretty much the same kind of music so before we went our seperate ways I asked him to give me the name of an artist that he thought I might not have heard of but one that he thought I would like...he suggested Tom Ovans (I suggested he listen to Jackie Leven). When I got back to Edinburgh I looked out Dead South and my first reaction was that I wasn't very impressed. However, after a few listens it started to get into my blood and even though he sounds like a Dylan clone he is really an outstanding talent. I would recommend this CD and I promise you that it will grow on you and you may well end up liking his music as much as I do.
http://nsr.home.texas.net/tom.htm
Tom Clelland: Tom is one of the Lanarkshire songwriters and I've loved his songs ever since I first heard him perform a great song called "I Wish That I Could Write Like Old Guy Clark". That song came from his first CD "Spit & Polish" and it has some brilliant writing on it. Let It Snow and Still A Friend Of Mine are another couple of personal favourites from that CD. Tom has recently produced another CD called Life Goes On, which maintains the same high standard of writing with songs like Bands, The Balancing Boy and The Wind She Changed. Tom's lyrics are a treat and he obviously enjoys wordplay. He has a lovely relaxed style that makes his songs easy to get into and is without doubt one of the best songwriters in Scotland. http://www.tomclelland.com/
Sonny Landreth: I first heard Sonny Landreth's music when I bought a cassette of Outward Bound several years back and it really knocked me out. I felt he had some of the raw guitar style of Link Wray along with a great blues and rock feel. He is an astonishing guitar player and a very good songwriter. I'm not sure whether I prefer him rocking or acoustic but either way he has been an influence and I just love his material. Personal favourites would be Planet Cannonball and Common-Law Love but really, there's hardly a song that doesn't work for me. I don't play slide but I would recommend him on feeling alone.
http://www.sonnylandreth.com/
Martin Boland: Martin is one of the best songwriters I know. I've written several songs with him but that doesn't in any way influence my opinion of his ability. He recently produced a solo CD called Dreams In Blue and it features some of his best songs. He appeared on the Companions CD and is very well known in folk circles in Scotland. He is an accomplished guitarist, especially in DADGAD and a fine interpreter of both contemporary and traditional songs. He should be far better known than he is and should play his own songs in concert far more often than he gets the chance to do.
http://www.gardensessions.co.uk/
Jackie Leven: My good friend Richard Paterson introduced me to the music of Jackie Leven several years ago and I can't thank him enough. If there was one performer whose songs I felt I could identify with then it's Jackie. His songs are full of poetry, they are melodic and he takes risks that many performers would baulk at. I know it's very pretentious to talk about music in these terms but there was a time I felt his songs almost saved me. Forbidden Songs of the Dying West, Fairytales for Hardmen and The Argyll Circle are all absolutely superb CDs. He can be disturbingly raw but, at times, he is simply unsurpassable. I can't recommend him highly enough. http://www.mmacve.mistral.co.uk/jackie.html
Mark Barnett: Listening to Mark sing Leaving Jerusalem By Train was one of the pivotal experiences in my musical career. I just couldn't believe that such a great song wasn't being heard everywhere. He and I then started on a road that led us to Companions, The Travelling Waverlies, The Journeyman and some great gigs. Mark has written some tremendous songs and I've been priviliged to co-write several songs with him. He has a solo CD nearing completion and it is filled with music that he has put his heart and soul into. He also happens to have written one of the best songs I've ever heard. http://www.myspace.com/mark_wynford_barnett
Allan Taylor: A brilliant songwriter. I attended a songwriting workshop he held in Livingston and it was great to hear his insights. I have favourite songs and the obvious choice would be It's Good To See You, which is simply perfect; however, I think I would say that what impresses me most about Allan's songwriting is the fact that the songs feel expertly crafted. It would be hard to add or subtract words and the melodies are always accessible and sympathetic. I can hardly imagine a more moving song than Roll On The Day, which evokes the sadness of a personal human tragedy without becoming over sentimental. I come from a mining commmunity and that song speaks volumes. If any aspiring songwriters wanted to model themselves on a performer then it should be him.
http://www.allantaylor.com/
Mike Dillon: I first heard Mike at a Poems and Pints evening in Edinburgh around about six years ago. The first thing that hit me was the wordplay in his songs. He is simply and unquestionably the best lyricist I know. He can twist phrases, conjour multiple meanings, give passing nods to a huge variety of literary and musical sources and still manage to deliver well constructed songs. He is distinct and original, which can make him difficult to categorise but he is endlessly interesting to listen to. Because he's so talented it is daunting for me to play alongside him in The Travelling Waverlies and although we haven't written together a lot I think I can say that Rockets Over Babylon, which i wrote with Mike and Bob Shields is one of the songs I'm most proud of. Mike is a great performer and I'd recommend checking him out. He's terrible at self-promotion so you'll need to keep a sharp look-out to see him...he's the one with the tin of snuff.
http://www.macarthurmusic.com/waverlies/
Ted Hawkins: I would suggest that anyone who has heard him sing would say that Ted Hawkins had one of the finest and most expressive voices ever recorded and I don't say that lightly. Like Ray Charles, he covered that gloriously underexploited area between country and soul...with a dash of folk and pop thrown in. I first heard that voice singing Corina Corina in the movie of the same name and it made me seek him out and track down the soundtrack and then the "Songs From Venice Beach" CD. Ted had a curious life full of ups and downs but when he died in 1995 he left us some fantastic recordings. If you haven't heard him please try and do so, you won't regret it. http://www.the-bunker.org/ted/ted.html
Bernard Brogue: I first met Bernard some years ago when I was running a songwriting session in The Royal Oak on a Sunday afternoon. It wasn't the most successful venture but it was an opportunity to meet other songwriters and to talk about writing. Bernard was over in Scotland playing a few gigs in Whistlebinkies and The Taybank etc and had just dropped into The Oak before heading back to his native Holland. He managed to get along to the next Foakies night and we became friends and have since co-written perhaps ten or twelve songs. Bernard is a complex writer, his lyrics can be sparing but the arrangements are second to none. He is a superb guitarist and has some amazing chords and tunings in his repertoir. I've helped co-write lyrics with him and have always found the experience rewarding. Bernard is just about to release a new CD and all I can say is that it is filled with great songs, wonderful arrangements and the best production values you're ever likely to hear. He'll be playing some gigs to launch the CD in Scotland in the very near future so please try and get along to hear him. My favourite track of his is probably "Birdwatching" but the new CD is crammed with great songs like "Better Than Sex" and "Not Before". A great talent. http://www.bernardbrogue.com/
