Jim McGrath / Tipper Harvie / Scott McPherson Band / Mike Blackburn / Grainne Hunt / The Phantom Voice

Jim McGrath Tues 26th Jan 2021

I love singing (occasionally a cappella) and playing. I am a regular performer on the Glasgow open stage circuit. Initially I sang only covers but I began to write my own material about 6 years ago. The MP3s I have attached to my email application are examples of these compositions. Until lockdown I was continuing with open mic slots, several 30 minute ‘featured artist’ sets and some charity work, mixing covers and my own material – and I even had my first experience of busking, proving that it’s never too late to start a new career!

Tappier Harvie Tues 26th Jan. 2021

Stewart Harvie / Julie Harvie / James Moore / Kerr Lynch

Tapper Harvie are a family band who play mainly traditional and contemporary Scottish and Irish folk music and their own original material. The individual band members are –
Stewart Harvie – Used to be a Plater in the steel works in Glasgow. Singer songwriter and guitarist who writes and sings contemporary folk songs. Julie Harvie – A Lecturer in Education. Singer and musician who plays a variety of traditional instruments including the fiddle, mandolin and clarsach. James Moore – Owner of Spirit Telecom telecommunications company. Bass player and guitarist. Kerry Lynch – Flute teacher and professional musician. Also works as part of the JKL musical duo.

The Black Denims Tues 26th Jan. 2021

Scot McPherson is a 25 year old songwriter from Glasgow, Scotland. His band The Black Denims are a Rock ’N’ Roll outfit melding together distin Celtic rhythms with Americana flavour. The sound coming out of the fingers is fierce, tender and honest at its core. The lyrics are thought provoking, melancholic and raw. The group are backed by a solid country/blues foundaton and the influence on the material stems from years of reading work from old love drunk poets and listening to the likes of Waylon Jennings, Bob Dylan and Warren Zevon. So expect to find a few tips of the hat to the heroes in the recording

Mike Blackburn Tues 26th Jan. 2021

Mike has spent most of his life playing and singing for people. His first band – Penny Wheel – are remembered fondly by some in his native Lancashire. Either solo or in bands Mike has always written and played his own songs, though it wasn’t until he moved with his family to the North of Scotland – near Banff on the Moray coast to be more precise – that he started to write the songs for which he is known all around that area. His last band, Northern shore, proved a favourite amongst many folk devotees in the region; .
Mike writes from the heart, and although there are a few of his songs with an autobiographical bent, most of them are written from the point of view of others – either those caught up in historical events or changes, or conjured up purely in Mike’s imagination. He says himself “I just look at the world from their point of view, and when I manage to really get inside their heads, I write down what I find.”

  Gráinne Hunt Tues 26th Jan. 2021

Gráinne Hunt is a contemporary, nu-folk singer & songwriter. With consistently on-point, captivating vocals & well-honed, insightful songs, Grainne has shared stages with Glen Hansard, opened for Gladys Knight, Eagle Eye Cherry, the Bay City Rollers and Kane Brown, & has been compared to vocal icons Tracy Chapman & Nathalie Merchant.
Her ‘gorgeous new album’ (RTE Radio 1), This Secret, was released in September ’19. ‘[A] seamlessly gentle fusion of Irish folk & Nashville backing, together with Gráinne’s gorgeous, slightly throaty vocal delivery’ (FolkRadio.co.uk), it was recorded with Thomm Jutz (Nanci Griffith) & features the skills of Mark Fain (Ry Cooder) on bass & Lynn Williams (John Hiatt) on drums.
2019 also saw the release of Irish folk album, Songs from Ireland, with award winning guitarist Brendan Walsh. Recorded in Soundville Studios Luzern, it includes songs Buachaill ón Eirne & Raglan Road.

2020 saw all tours cancelled, but Gráinne performed as part of the #IrelandPerforms initiative, joined Axis Ballymun for Cruinniú na nÓg and #SummerSessions, started the songwriting group songwritercircle.club, completed the first #AdventCalendarofSong on Instagram, collaborated with German choir Cantus Domus, among others, and joined Glen Hansard and Bono for the busk on the Late Late Show raising €1.5m for Simon Community.

The Phantom Voices Tues 26th Jan 2021

Mike Rolland / Jim Shea / Richard Curran / Jo Byrne / Daz Rice / Mark Mitchell

Phantom Voices are an exciting and dynamic six-piece folk-rock band from Lancashire, influenced in equal parts by English and American folk music. Their 2019 album, ‘Peace by Peace’, was widely acclaimed with Maverick magazine describing the album as ‘Brilliant folk, with a sinister edge, nothing short of excellent’. Featuring rich harmonies and outstanding musicianship, Phantom Voices have gained a reputation as an outstanding live act performing across the UK and Europe. While their wings are clipped for now, until live performance becomes possible again the band are busy writing songs and trying to make music any way they can.

While unable to go and see the artists live during lockdown they are still able to bring you their music via all their social media so please go and check out how busy they have been writing and performing their music during this difficult time for all artists
All enquiries to Liz Clark dkos.info@yahoo.com