Winter

I’ve had a busy start to 2013: I played on BBC TV for the Hogmany Live Show with Rachel Sermanni to see in the New Year, we played as part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations on the 1st and then I played my last show with Rachel and the girls, a birthday party in the style of Glastonbury Festival at the beautiful Union Chapel in Islington, London.

My new band Gria won an award at the Danny Kyle Open Stage at Celtic Connections in January. We have been busy arranging and recording some music and have a few exciting bookings to announce shortly. We had some photos taken by the absolutely wonderful Elly Lucas, a fellow photographer, fiddle player and singer who is based in Sheffield. Elly and I then went to the launch of Blair Dunlop’s album (artwork by Elly) at the Mackintosh Willow Tearooms and the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and had a great time!

I also played as part of the Orkney Folk Festival’s Gathering concert during Celtic Connections. Here is a video I took during the soundcheck at the Old Fruitmarket.

I spent a few days in Germany in January taking photos of folk band Nua, whose fiddle player Catriona Price hails from Orkney. I’m now working on an album cover design for them.

I’m currently trying to get funding, visas etc organised to take a trip across the pond later on this year. I hope to spend a couple of months in America and Canada playing music, meeting people and take photos for a couple of projects I want to work on.

I have plenty of ceilidhs and a few wedding photography bookings to keep me busy over summer and I will be working alongside my mum during the St Magnus Festival in Orkney, keeping things running smoothly at the Festival Club.