‘Goodbye‘ opens with an apocalyptic vision – “Maybe now it’s time to sell all my guitars” – as Grace Gillespie contemplates giving up the struggle – the struggle of trying to make an impact in the crowded world of music, where there’s always another singer-songwriter around the corner.Yet despite doubts she’s resolved to hang on in there. In the same way that she’s resolved to keep on living, despite it being the harder option: “I don’t want to say goodbye / I’m not afraid of dying now I’m afraid to be alive“. It’s facing doubts and fears that make this beautifully sung song stay rattling in the brain long after the music finishes.
It'll be mere moments after hearing Sarah Gillespie's vocals on this, the title track from her new album, that you'll understand why she attracts Tom Waits comparisons - although, you know, Rickie Lee Jones would also be a very reasonable point of reference. Here on 'Half Cut' she sounds close…
Simple and delightful, third time’s a Charm for Edinburgh band. 'The Flood' is Scottish quartet Wayward Jane’s third album and it is a keeper. The Edinburgh band merges American and Scottish traditions and refreshes them both. All four talented multi-instrumentalists sing and three of them (Dan Abrahams, Sam Gillespie, and…
This evening's headliners, Wayward Jane, were making their first visit to the renowned folk club at the Village Hall, Nettleham, just outside Lincoln, but as is usual for this esteemed venue there was a healthy turnout from the local congregation. The four piece band hail from Edinburgh and comprise of…
Sure, I could climb high in a tree, or go to Skye on my holiday. I could be happy. All I really want is the excitement of first hearing The Byrds, the amazement of decades of Dylan's music, or the thrill of seeing a band like The Long Ryders live. That's not much to ask, is it?
