The Scotsman, Under the Radar, January 2015
Published In The Scotsman Newspaper: Monday 5 January 2015 | Words by Derick Mackinnon and Olaf Furniss Click photo to read on Scotsman.com
HAILING from Clydebank, 18-year-old artist KLOË has been creating a stir in music business circles in recent weeks. Her debut single Grip – our track of the month for January – has already notched up a respectable 27,000 plays since being uploaded to Soundcloud at the beginning of December. Listen here King Tut’s New Year’s Revolution returns from 3-17 January with over 30 emerging bands performing, including Edinburgh newcomers Indigo Velvet, The Moon Kids and Inverness-based youngsters Lionel. The following month, the venue celebrates its 25 anniversary with a fine selection of Scottish talent. Highlights include Fatherson, We Were Promised Jetpacks, The Twilight Sad and Willie Campbell. Visit http://www.kingtuts.co.uk/kingtuts25th Meanwhile, vowing to celebrate “the spirit of independence and culture of live music” Independent Venue Week is set to showcase emerging talent across the UK from 26 January until 1 February. Participating venues in Scotland include The Moorings in Aberdeen, The Electric Circus and Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh as well as Broadcast and Audio in Glasgow. Many acts have still to be announced; however Sneaky Pete’s has confirmed some favourites of this column: Honeyblood, Withered Hand and Tuff Love. Visit www.independentvenueweek.com Don't Make A Scene is an innovative new guide created by musicians Bartholomew Owl (Eagleowl) and Rob St John with advice, resources and tips on successfully creating DIY gigs and events. Contributors include artists, independent promoters, label/venue owners and tour managers with some notable figures such as manager Andy Inglis, Lost Map Records owner Johnny Lynch, Dan Wilson (Withered Hand) and Matthew Young of Song, by Toad. Big Burns Supper in Dumfries has been expanded to a nine-day event this year and runs from 23-31 January. Incorporating music, comedy and theatre, it includes young contemporary musicians Nina Nesbitt and the mighty hip-hop act Hector Bizerk, Scots Trad Music Awards nominees Skerryvore and heritage acts such as The Vaselines, Hue and Cry and The Undertones www.bigburnssupper.com Celtic Connections takes place in venues throughout Glasgow from 15 January to 1 February and is the biggest winter festival of its kind, with an 18-day programme featuring more than 2,000 performers from around the globe. There is plenty of local talent, including an opening night dedicated to Martyn Bennett, a collaborative concert from Withered Hand and Brazilian MC Criolo (21 January), King Creosote’s From Scotland With Love (22 January), Findlay Napier (17 January) and Rachel Sermanni (21 January). Also featuring Glasgow-based composer Craig Armstrong, whose film score credits include Neds plus Hollywood movies Ray and The Great Gatsby (27 January), plus plenty of traditional/world concerts from the Young Traditional Musician of the Year to Treacherous Orchestra and Skerryvore. Full details can be found HERE Randolph’s Leap release their latest single Weatherman today, accompanied by a video featuring veteran forecaster Michael Fish. The clip has already garnered attention thanks to its inclusion on Q Magazine’s website. To coincide with the release the band have put early bird tickets on sale for their I Can’t Dance To This Music event at Glasgow’s CCA on 21 March, which also features comedy, watch the video Having established an international reputation over more than a decade, Scotland’s largest creative industries festival goNORTH, is now to be known as XpoNorth and will take place on 10-11 June. Applications for the music showcase are set to open soon.• Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run the Born To Be Wide music-industry seminar and social events. The next night takes place at Edinburgh’s Electric Circus on 5 February. Visit www.borntobewide.co.uk