Dear Readers,

With great sadness, I must report that my April/May tour of Germany and Switzerland has been cancelled in its entirety.  Looking further ahead, it is highly likely that the June tour of the Netherlands and Northern Germany will be a further casualty to this wicked virus.  For those of you planning to attend shows which were on either tour, please check this website, we are working hard to reschedule all dates where possible, these will be announced here in the first instance.

When world-renowned epidemiologists and political leaders cannot predict the future, this humble troubadour most certainly cannot.  I remain hopeful that my July and August commitments will take place as scheduled, though for overseas dates if there is a requirement to go into quarantine on arrival this will render them impossible to fulfil.

In the meantime, I am trying to take advantage of the opportunities that this lockdown has given, not least to write.  In the hectic world of the globetrotting troubadour, finding a concentrated time to focus, reflect and write has proved immensely difficult, often resulting in an inspired day or two in disparate locations whilst on tour.  By its very nature, it can be interruptive and not conducive to allowing a continual stream of thought, so in many ways this additional time has been a much sought blessing.  The quiet, ghostly streets and forbidden social life combine to create the atmosphere for writing I’ve long sought for at home.

I have no idea when these new compositions will see the light of day, we are approximately halfway through recording work on the next album yet here in Scotland all non-essential businesses are closed (sadly for me, this includes the studio) therefore this project is on hiatus.  But I am strongly of the belief that one can never have too many songs or ideas, and it is far better to have a surplus of songs than a deficit.

The knock-on effect of the virus will mean a delay to all future projects, inevitably, from both a practical and an economic perspective (the substantial number of cancelled shows and tours has deprived me of my income stream for the foreseeable future).  Hopefully this is understandable, if one cannot tour then the money is not there to pay for the recordings.  And if musicians cannot physically go into the studio to record, then no progress can be tangibly made – all work essentially being on hold.

I know, of course, that lives are far more important than livelihoods, and that this is a global public health emergency we are facing as a global community.  And above all, we must all follow the government guidance to keep us safe and well in these unprecedented times.

However, from a personal note, not to have the opportunity to tour ‘In Gratitude of Solitude’ is a bitter disappointment.  I will, of course, investigate the possibility of live streaming a performance, but as we all know, this really just isn’t the same – the whole idea of live performance is a combined effort between the audience and performer in one space, where the interaction and involvement on both parts is completely unique to that moment, to that one event.  It is what we as performers live for – it’s the ultimate expression of our chosen art form.

In the meantime, I would like to express a heartfelt thank you to all those who have supported me at this incredibly hard time for us all, every single purchase has helped me greatly right now. And if you haven’t already done so, please consider purchasing my latest album, which sadly I can’t tour for the foreseeable future, here.  Lockdown is the perfect time to discover new music, so why not gift someone you love the gift of music, eight of the thirteen titles from my recording career are still available here?

Or if you’re also suffering greatly from loss of income and still wish to show your support, then why not follow me on Twitter ; Instagram (featuring many pictures from my travels)  or subscribe to my YouTube channel here?

Many thanks again to all friends, fans and followers, thank you for listening and reading, and above all, stay safe and healthy please.

See you all down the road wherever, I hope.

SK x

My latest release is available here, In Gratitude of Solitude, a four part suite for solo guitar, my most ambitious instrumental work to date.  It has been a challenge to restrict myself to excerpts within the confines of a typical singer-songwriter performance, to that end I would welcome any opportunities to present the suite in its entirety.  Please direct all enquires to me here.

In other news, the all-consuming and rampaging beast of global capitalism leaves no corner of the earth unturned as it wages war upon the Arts, it seems. I wish my wonderful friends in Uzbekistan well as they battle to preserve this vital cultural institution, the plight of which was recently highlighted in this recent Guardian article.  As I’ve testified in this blog and on my various social media outlets, my own concert there was an incredible experience, and I very much hope to grace the stage there again in the future.

Further catastrophic news for the arts emerged from Downing Street yesterday, with this announcement.  A trepidatious wait now ensues for this particular Scottish musician, as well as many others from the island, for the announcement of the reciprocal arrangements for Scottish and UK artists wishing to tour the EU.

In more personal news, work on my latest album of songs is continuing apace, I have finished all my parts and now await time and sessions with the other musicians who will feature.  You can chart our progress on all social media sites, I am a fairly inexperienced user on both Twitter and Instagram so please follow me and say hello on both – I blame the guitar myself, I spend far too much time picking it and not enough time on social media!

Hope to see you all on the road somewhere soon, many thanks for reading, as always.

SK x

Hello All,

A new decade, a new year, a new tour and a new album.  I’m delighted to announce that my brand new instrumental guitar suite for solo acoustic guitar ‘In Gratitude of Solitude’ is released today.  It is my most ambitious instrumental work to date, and I would be delighted if you wonderful visitors to my website would join me on this musical journey.

Copies of the album will now be available at my all upcoming shows, and of course, from my website here.  There are no plans to release this in digital form, whether on Spotify or otherwise in the near future, this shall be a strictly hard copy release only.

The liner notes read as follows, I do not wish to reveal too much more as I would very much hope that the music will speak for itself, as it should:

‘This suite for solo guitar is a culmination of a lifetime’s obsession with and devotion to the acoustic guitar, and was written in isolation in various locations during the course of 2018. Musically, and conceptually, it aims to expand upon and explore further the themes of ‘Onwards She Travels’, albeit with a more reflective and introspective focus.’

Thanks, as always, for reading, and I hope to meet you further on up the road.

SK x

Filmed on a hot July summer’s day in the warm, glowing sunshine amidst the spectacular scenery of beautiful British Columbia, here at last is the video for the single from ‘Broken ‘Before’, ‘Run With You Darling.’  The day will live long in the memory, having hiked to the summit of the Chief near Squamish and then following our descent, filming the video with the aforementioned mountain as the backdrop.

Many thanks to Rachael Dudley and Beetroom Films for their wonderful work in editing and producing this video, we hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.  If you like it, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel here.

Whilst I have finally taken the leap and joined Instagram, it is early days but I shall try to keep the content different from Facebook or Twitter, please do say hello here.

All the very best from a tired Scotsman not long back in Auld Reekie,

SK x

Hello All,

A brief note to update you all on what has been happening since I last posted on here many moons ago.

This year has been an incredible year thus far, fit for my tenth year as a recording artist, featuring my first ever tour in New Zealand along with concerts in Scotland, England, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany.  The inclusion of New Zealand, the land of the long white cloud in my tour itinerary meant I had to choose between either performing at the Edinburgh Festival or a first ever summer tour of Western Canada.  In the end, I opted for the latter, but fear not those of you who have enjoyed my Festival performances in the past, I fully intend to be back for 2020.

I had the privilege of performing my latest European tour with a young and talented Canadian acoustic guitarist, Don Bartlett, who was a worthy and wonderful support act, providing a superb counterpoint to my own act, and audiences warmed to him wherever we played which bodes well for his chosen career.  I shall be back on the road with fiddle player extraordinaire Robbie Greig in November/December for those of you who have been asking, we are currently finalising the itinerary at the moment and should have news for you all soon.

The songs for the next album are nearly finished and it is my intention to head back into the studio in late summer/early autumn to put down my parts ahead of the other musicians.  For followers of my instrumental work, I have also been hard at work producing a more ambitious follow-up to Onwards She Travels, this has been recorded and is in the final stages of mixing.

The touring itinerary will continue in typically ambitious fashion in the autumn to celebrate this milestone in my career, a first Asian performance in Tashkent, Uzbekhistan and performances in Siberia, places I have long dreamt about visiting, let alone giving concerts in.  There may be other exotic locations in the pipeline also, and I shall write far more extensively on all of these incredible places in due course.

For now, as I stand on the threshold of my 6th tour of Western Canada, this great country still holds as much mystery and magic for me, and stirs as much excitement and anticipation in me as it did when I first set foot there in Autumn 2014.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all down the road somewhere.

SK x

Recently I had the great privilege of being involved in the ‘Around the World in 80 Plays’ project in tribute to the legendary Bert Jansch, about which you can read more here – https://80plays.bertjanschfoundation.org/, along with many  fantastic and talented musicians and guitarists across the globe.

You can view my contribution here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dISyU-yexk

This was filmed in Glasgow by Martin Forry and features a live recording of the song ‘Time Now To Go’, from my latest album ‘Broken Before’.

Hope you enjoy the video, and if so inclined, please take the time to view the many other fine contributors to this most worthy project.

More soon on other projects, and thanks, as always for reading.

SK x

Delighted to have been the subject matter of a fine feature article in The Herald, courtesy of Russell Leadbetter to whom I am very grateful.  You can read the article online in full here.

More to follow very soon, did I mention I toured New Zealand….?!

Thanks for reading, as always.

SK x

I had thought of penning a tribute to one of the most uncompromising and visionary musicians ever to grace this planet but a very close friend had already done so, referencing me in his eloquent piece. Mark Hollis RIP. http://blastedjournal.co.uk/blog/spirit SK x

Hello there,

Welcome to my first blog post of 2019, and many thanks for reading. 2018 was a phenomenal year and reflecting back on it invokes a myriad of memories from the many and varied locations I have been.  The end of 2018 did not as many assume see me too tired to travel, but rather pine for travelling for travel’s sake and saw me visit the unique and stunning countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan.  The freedom of travelling without a guitar was incredibly liberating, and the experiences I enjoyed there will only serve to inspire the next burst of music which will, in time, flow from my pen.  Needless to say in both countries I managed to forge friendships with musicians which I hope will allow me to return in the future to give concerts in these wonderful places.

The New Year saw me venture north to the Scottish Highlands, where the beauty of the landscape does not diminish year on year, no matter how often I visit.  The majesty and magnificence of my homeland and in particular the Cairngorms where I have frequented since I was a child have long afforded me the tranquillity, solitude and inspiration where ideas can be forged and honed.  Indeed, it was in these very mountains that my recording career begain, as back in early 2008, when armed with nothing but a four track recorder and a microphone I recorded the demos for this album, eventually released under the pseudonym Man Gone Missing.

Which brings me neatly to my next point, this year I shall be doing everything a little differently as I celebrate the significant milestone of arriving as ten years as a recording artist.  It hardly seems plausible that it was as long ago as October 2009, that so many kind friends and followers descended upon The Lot (sadly no longer in existence!) for the album launch of Carefree Prisoner.  This just six months after the aforementioned Man Gone Missing album, I’m nothing if not prolific.

So please keep your eyes peeled here, all announcements will be made here first and then later on social media.

See you all on the road somewhere soon, I hope.

SK x

Hello All,

I am most pleased that the album I’ve been working on for a long time is now finally available to share with you. ‘Broken Before’, my latest creation, is here, and has led to a complete reworking of the live show, with almost all of the new songs being included, rare for me but a complete affirmation of my belief in the new material – the revolution is here! The album is available to purchase here, from the website and at all upcoming shows.

After an amazing but draining near seven week European tour, including two weeks with the wonderful fiddling talents of Robbie Greig, I am on a short break in Edinburgh before the final few shows of the year. Starting in France, the tour also took in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands – the reaction to the new album and the new songs has been nothing short of incredible, and it has been a privilege to share these new songs and stories with such fantastic and enthusiastic audiences.

There has been a lot of activity surrounding the instrumental guitar album ‘Onwards She Travels’ and I am thrilled that excerpts from the album have been used in the soundtrack for the upcoming Canadian short documentary film ‘Wild Tides’, about which you can read more here. It also features an older song of mine, ‘To The Wilderness’, from my 2009 debut album ‘Carefree Prisoner’ – anybody reading remember that song?!

A few autumnal days off in Berlin also provided me with the wonderful opportunity to record a couple of the pieces, namely ‘The Dance of Realisation’ and ‘Onwards She Travels’ on a Michael Batell 2015 Limbo Guitar, which can be viewed here.

The response to ‘Onwards She Travels’ coupled with the interesting opportunities this has generated means there will be more music in this vein to come, and soon.

Speaking of luthiers, the brilliant talent of Rory Dowling, creator of my stunning custom-built Taran Guitar, now has a players’ page, dedicated to my very good self, which you can view here. It describes the creative process which led to the beautiful instrument upon which I perform every night on tour.

For now, Onwards I Travel for the last time in 2018, to the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland for the final four concerts of the year. Next year is already taking shape, and looks like it will be my most exciting touring year yet!

Thanks, as always, for reading, and very best wishes as always.

SK x