Hello All,

Since I last wrote I have had the good fortune to conduct a European tour where I visited five countries in ten days, now that’s a lot of driving! As I mentioned previously, I was in Italy performing for the first time ever, and to briefly come back to the subject of driving (it’s probably what I spend most of my professional life doing!), let’s just say the experience in Italy was starkly different from the years spent on Northern European and North American roads. Still, the fine dining and excellent wine were on hand to take the edge off before the shows.

The tour also included my sixth visit to the microstate of Liechtenstein, a simply incredible and inspiring place, an oasis of tranquillity and beauty nestled in the heart of the Alps, which never fails to prompt a flow of creativity from both the pen and the guitar. As well as visits to Switzerland and Germany, I also had the pleasure of performing in Brussels, a city I had never really had the chance to properly visit before, and the time spent there after the show served to similarly inspire me.

Back to the studio now, my harmony vocals are finished, and Ian McCalman and I had a great time recording the supreme fiddling talent that is Robbie Greig. I’m very much looking forward to touring with him later in the year.

Drumming maestro Billy Archibald and the wonderful double bass playing of Bob Miller are set to be recorded in the next couple of weeks before the arduous task of mixing begins, made all the more difficult by the lengthy touring commitments across the summer months. It is still anticipated to have the album ready for the Edinburgh Festival in August, and tickets are now available for the Festival shows here – if you live in Edinburgh or shall be visiting the Fringe in August, then what are you waiting for?!

Across the Atlantic, several of my Canadian followers have been asking about whether I shall be returning this year, I’m delighted to confirm that I shall be and the dates shall be posted in due course.

More to follow soon, I’m not long back from a whistle stop tour of England, a night in beautiful Lingfield, Surrey, that saw me join the running club the next morning for a seven mile run across the scenic countryside, followed by my final April show in the cute market town of Oswestry in my favourite English county of Shropshire in a stunning art gallery called The Willow Gallery.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see some readers on my upcoming European tour.

All the best, as always.

SK x