album releases
1 album trilogy
3 COMPANION SEQUELs to EACH TRILOGY ALBUM
2 digital EPs
The Strathspey trilogy
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The River
For my debut solo album I wanted to make almost exclusive use of all of my musical resources: flutes, whistles, pianos, keyboards and nature field recordings - the sounds at the core of all my music.
This music brings to the surface vivid sonic images of occurrences, past and present, along the mile-long stretch of the Spey that flows past my childhood home. One of my brother's fishes it, the other canoes it, my Uncle Sandy photographed it, my mother paints it, and there's my Father's daily fascination with its erratically changing water level. It will always symbolize home and a strong connection to nature. No mortal's relationship with the river can ever be truly harmonious, its ever-changing micro-climate, mysteriously dark depths and unrelenting power are both merciless and enchanting.
released January 19, 2016
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The Railway
The Railway, my second solo album, is dedicated to three railwaymen: Jimmy Gray (93, driver from Aviemore), Jocky Hay (94, driver from Inverness) and James telfer (94, the last signalman at Grantown-on-Spey East Station). Many of these tunes and songs were inspired by the great stories these men have to tell about their working lives.
'The Old Railway Station', as I called it when I was wee, was just over the river from the house. It was haunted, and as a dare, my brothers, pals and I - including the drummer on this album, 'Stone' - would sometimes sneak in to the forbidden derelict buildings. Over two decades later, with the ruin carefully restored into an important local monument and cultural centre, the ghosts of the railway people are given a platform to tell the world their story.
released August 2, 2018
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The Woods
My 3rd. For me this is an album of identity, exploring my native languages, music, folklore and natural environment.
I grew up right next to Anagach Woods in Grantown and spent many hours of my childhood playing there. I resettled there after 16 years away in the city. My first step in reconnecting with the landscape was to go for a stroll with a tree book. My perspective has changed. What I viewed before as simply ‘the woods’ is now a gathering of recently acquainted characters, e.g. alder, willow, hawthorn.
The letters of the Gaelic alphabet were traditionally taught through the native tree names. I have written a tune for each and included all the native trees that can be found locally in the wild. All 26 tunes are rooted in traditional Scottish folk dance tune forms, woven in contemporary arrangements and enhanced with field recordings made in the woods.
released March 21, 2020
Companion sequels to each trilogy album
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The Water Horse [an t’Each Uisge]
From The River album (2016) flows The Water Horse collection (2023)
My debut album The River flows on further with An t’Each Uisge [The Water-Horse], aka the kelpie - the wicked (but awesome) river spirit of Scottish folklore. I continue to write more material inspired by the River Spey.
This massive EP includes an hour and half of new compositions, revamped and remixed material, poems and audio stories. I also share with you the sound of the River Spey, in weather, birdsong and outdoor performances made by the waterside, all inspired by the life-blood of my local landscape, The Spey.
Features a stellar cast of artists, including poets Karen Hodgson-Pryce, Jim Mackintosh and Kenneth Steven; storyteller David Francis; novelist Merryn Glover: musicians Jarlath Henderson,
Steve Byrnes, Innes Watson, Duncan Chisholm, Will Boyd-Wallis, Fraser Stone and my mother, Marie-Lousie Napier.
released October 5, 2023 -
The Iron Horse [an t-Each-Iarainn]
The Railway album (2018) journey continues with The Iron Horse collection (2023).
Several years further down the line, I was still laying down more tracks for The Railway, and ‘The Iron Horse’ arrived. This collection is a continuation of the journey I started in 2018 with The Railway album. This is the name Highlanders sometimes used to describe the powerful steam train engines when they first arrived in the 19th century.
There are 4 new rhythmic driving tunes, 4 remixes/rerecords of original tracks from The Railway, including two duets on Grandma Napier’s old upright piano in my home studio with ace fiddle player Patsy Reid, filmed by album artist Somhairle MacDonald (you can watch those on YouTube here and here)
I discovered some great railway poems by Magi Dickson, Norman MacCaig and Kenneth Steven, and there are some field recordings of classic Black 5 steam engines to transport you right to the platform.The grand finale is an epic track called the ‘Memoirs of a Highland Railwayman’ featuring excerpts of my interview with 92 year old train driver Jimmy Gray - by far the most engaging and interesting testimonies I have encountered during the research phases for my Strathspey Trilogy albums. I knew I wanted to do something special with Jimmy’s words, and so Andrea Gobbi and I wove them into a suite of music written especially for him.
released December 14, 2023
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The Schawaldouris [Wanderers in the Woods]
From The Woods album (2020) grows The Schawaldouris collection (2021)
This release sprouted from The Woods album and features several new additional bonus tracks.
‘Schawaldouris’, pronounced "shaw-wall-dow-er-is", is a very old Scots word meaning 'wanderers in the woods'.
There are collaborations with some of my very favourite people: master Highland fiddle player Duncan Chisholm and Scottish Chamber Orchestra cellist, Su-a Lee. The grand finale is a traditional story from brilliant Scottish storyteller David Francis, accompanied by a soundtrack made from montage of half a dozen tracks from The Woods - arranged and remixed by the amazing Andrea Gobbi (my long-standing collaborator, coproducer and engineer).2 two original poems and 4 atmospheric woodland sound samples that transport you to the heart of the forest, captured by nature sound recordists Pete Smith and Peter Stronach.
released December 13, 2020
The wee 3-track Eps
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Fire | Water | Earth
3 words, 3 elements, 3 humans, 3 artforms...and 3 remixes from 3 albums.
3 remixes of my music by the brilliant Andy Levy aka 'DJ Dolphin Boy'. He picked one track from each of my three solo albums - and has turned them all into something wild, beautiful and completely unique.
'FIRE'. Track #1 - This is a remix of the track 'Diesel' from my second solo album 'The Railway'. Features ace piper Ross Ainslie.
'WATER' Track #2 - a remix of a track called 'The Pearlfishers' from my first solo album 'The River'. The track features ace piper and canntaireachd vocalist Calum Maccrimmon (Breabach) singing the various stages of a pibroch for wooden flute.
'EARTH' Track #3. A remix of a track called 'The Tree of the Underworld' from my 3rd album 'The Woods'. The track features Su-a Lee on cello.The EP cover is a stunning new painting by multimedia artist Somhairle MacDonald - a 1 metre square oil on canvas, painted while listening to the EP!
released September 29, 2021
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The Grey Coast (Live)
Just me, solo. Voice, piano & harmonium.
Captured live during a tour of Highland village halls in summer 2024. Live means there are compromises in sound and intonation. More importantly there's a special vibe here, I feel.
The opening poem’s title, 'The Grey Coast', refers to Caithness, the right hand corner of the far north – the land of my father's kin.
Then two songs precious to me. Archie Fisher's 'Final Trawl' is entwined with the theme of my poem, and reveals the fate of fishing boats The Venture and The Morning Star (the latter pictured on the cover, run aground). I close with the ‘The Island' by Paul Brady - learned from a mixtape played in the family car on summer holidays around the Highlands and Ireland. When I sing it, I am a small child in the back seat of a Fiat Regatta, gazing out the window as the coast rolls on and on.
Hopefully The Grey Coast transports you somewhere back to a far, fond memory.released August 31, 2023