Hello to all and my apologies for not updating the site for so long! In the last few months, lots of developments have been taking place. In March the talented Ewan MacPherson accompanied me to the East coast of Canada for several weeks. We did a lot of travelling around Ontario and part of Quebec, played some fantastic venues and even got to do some sightseeing such as the spectacular Niagara Falls! Great fun and we hope to repeat it soon.

I then embarked on a tour of Argyll with the Mull singer-songwriter Iain Thomson whose album has just been launched- great craic. After this I had a few gigs with Lauren MacColl and Ewan MacPherson ahead of our September tour. A big thanks to Leith Folk Club, the Goulders in Rosehall and also to Màiri and Bill at Cromarty for having us. The Scotsman also gave us a nice review for our Leith Folk Club, (which was only our second proper gig!) noting that

“Despite their relatively tender age, each member already boasts an impressive individual track record… Both [Mackinnon's] voice’s beguiling original timbre and her rapid interpretative development were abundantly in evidence, with the overt jazzy or bluesy inflections of her previous solo work richly integrated into the restive, sensuous play of brightness and shade, lyrical sweetness and grittier sinew. There’s already a beautifully close-knit empathy apparent between Mackinnon’s singing and MacColl’s fiddle, in particular, with the latter also showing her considerable mettle in a stunning solo slow air, a clear standout among the instrumental sets that interspersed the songs.”

I’m excited to announce that I’m recording a new solo album! This will be a follow-up to 2007’s Don’t Sing Lovesongs, and I’m expecting it to be released early in 2011. We start laying down tracks in early September at the studio of my friend and accordian genius Angus Lyon, in lovely South Lanarkshire. We recorded Don’t Sing Lovesongs at Angus’s studio between 2006-2007- we were never out of there actually- and it’s a great atmosphere for creativity.

For his sins, Angus has agreed to produce the new album, and we’ll be joined by my friend and virtuoso guitarist Innes Watson, and several other exciting guest musicians. The album is to be released in early 2011 and I can’t wait to get started on it!

Oran Mòr

Also in June I signed a partnership agreement for a big Gaelic song show and recording project Oran Mòr (The Great Song). This project started as a week-long recording experiment in Ardgour in 2007 and has evolved to become a show as well as an album. The Oran Mòr is being produced by renowned world music producer Jerry Boys (engineer of The Buena Vista Social Club) and consists of four Gaelic singers;  Mary Ann Kennedy, James Graham, Maeve Mackinnon and Rachel Walker. We’re all very enthused about the project and hope to share it with you soon!

Until then I’m away off to watch more of the World Cup. If you have a spare minute, check out bodhran player extraordinaire Marty O’Neill on the link below. He played kit and bodhran on my first album and is currently on tour with none other than Stevie Wonder!!! It’s a hard life… Stevie Wonder @ Glastonbury

Slàinte mhòr dhuibh uile,

M x