DKOS Artiste 28th Jan 2025:- Laura Silverstone. – Anne Gair. – Alba Challah. – Harry Miles-Watson & The Union

LAURA SILVERSTONE

From the Basque Lands to the Scottish Highlands, and wherever the wind blows, Laura Silverstone has spent her life perfecting the art of traveling and entertaining. Carefully weaving songs and landscapes together, she has developed a live show that transports her audiences around the world, from tropical rainforests to motorway service stations alike. But the stories and exotic destinations are by no means the only takeaway from watching her live performance.
In 2023, her distinctive percussive guitar playing style caught the attention of the popular TV production Britain’s Got Talent, where she appeared in the live semifinals and final of the Spanish franchise. This exposure introduced Silverstone to a whole new, diverse worldwide audience—an opportunity she didn’t watch go by. In 2024, she crowdfunded her second studio album, Heartwood, recorded it, and self-released it in July 2024 to great critical acclaim. The release received over 20,000 Spotify streams in its first week and was featured in music podcasts such as Good Stuff In Between (Scotland), BBC Radio Nan Gaidheal (Scotland), and interviews on live FM radio stations including Radio Skye (Scotland) and Cadena Ser (Spain).
Her self-booked tour, Heartwood, took her all around the world, from opening for Steph Strings (Aus) to collaborating live with Kim Churchill (Aus) and Skinny Living (UK). Her tour sold tickets across the UK, Europe, Australia, and her first-ever live performance in the US. She is the epitome of a self-made, hard-working musician.

ANNE GAIR

Anne Gair is an indie folk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and dulcimer player rom Scotland who is endorsed by Cole Clark Guitars and G7th Capos. With an extensive performance history, Anne has played throughout the UK both as a solo artist and lately with her ensemble, The Anne Gair Band., including various folk clubs, The Wrecking Ball, The 100 Club,, The Hard Rock Cafe, The Voodoo Rooms, and King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, and regularly performs to sold-out audiences in theatres across the country. with her Joni Mitchell show “Out of the Blue – A Celebration of Joni Mitchell”
Anne possesses a passion for writing in alternative open tunings, which allows her to investigate and develop her own sound. Her eclectic musical influences span folk, blues, jazz, and country genres, She is currently in the process of recording her first album, at GloWorm Studios with Andrea Gobbi and is due to release her first single in the next few weeks. Attached is the file of the first mix of that single., currently unmastered.
Anne also trained as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. 

ALBA CHALLAH

While studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, clarinettist Ruaridh Bakke got a few friends together to play some Klezmer music. They were invited to play at the Spire concert series in May of 2022, and six-piece band Alba Challah was formed. Since then, the band have performed across Scotland, bringing energetic and fresh interpretations of traditional and modern Klezmer tunes, as well as music from Bulgaria, Spain, France, Brazil, Argentina, and Scotland. Embracing many of the members’ classical backgrounds, Alba Challah also takes iconic pieces of Classical music whose composers took inspiration from Klezmer and other genres and reimagine them in a Folk-band context. Alba Challah, represented by Classical Musicians Scotland, is Ruaridh Bakke (Clarinet, Scotland), Masha Zhuralova (Violin, Ukraine), Duncan Ritchie (Accordion, Scotland), Josiah Duhlstine (Cello, U.S.A.), Isidor ten Hooven (Bass, Netherlands) and Michael ORourke (Percussion, Scotland).

HARRY MILE-WATSON & THE UNION

For fans who dream of combining the joy of the 502’s, the welcoming environment and stagecraft of Frank Turner alongside the mania of King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter Harry Miles-Watson and his band The Union may be your fix. The group create a truly unique sound, borrowing much of their performance style and ethics from the 2000s’ DIY post-punk scene to create a truly wild live show. Sonically the band dismantles genre, jumping from jazz to punk to country with the voracious hunger of a pack of racoons rifling through your trash at 4AM
The group has been bouncing from strength to strength after a DIY tour of the UK selling out shows in London, Glasgow and Edinburgh with some impressive support slots with groups such as Skinny Lister and Apes of the State as well as industry support from within the thriving Scottish music scene through live music groups such as Off Axis Gigs and This Feeling, radio support through organisations such as Amazing Radio & The BBC as well as waves of local grassroots media support.

NORMAN PATERSON

Like a fine Scottish whisky from his homeland, Singer Songwriter Norman Paterson has really set the tone for an artist that only makes their mark after years in the creative barrel. Originally from the windswept islands of the Outer Hebrides and now based in Glasgow, he penned his first song at the age of 65 and now has two albums in the pipeline!
Crafting songs in the style of Scottish Folk and Country, he is inspired by artists such as John Prine, Guy Clark and Leonard Cohen. Incorporating the acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo and accordion as they sweep through his songs, Norman is making the kind of music that stirs the ancient soul. Painting memories of a nostalgic island life, his lyrics and signature vocals are warm, authentic and deeply intoxicating.
Acknowledging himself that he is a late starter, he is one of the best examples of ‘its never too late to try’. Cascading melodies and a delightful collection of intoxicating songs, his forthcoming debut album titled Torn with a July 2023 release date will deliver on all fronts. Perfect for those moments of quiet indulgence, Norman’s songs are a glimpse into a world that few will have experienced.
Gearing up for live performances later in the year, Norman Paterson is grabbing every opportunity to take his music to the world. Hang on to his every word and discover a musician whose stories resonate with the gifts of a life well-lived