Fresh faced Zoë Bestel and been-there-done-that Roddy Woomble are talented Scottish solo artists both promoting latest releases. Take a break from the radio and have a listen.
At the end of my article Small Ukulele, Big Hearts I added in a link to Zoë Bestel. I hadn’t heard of Zoë until Radio Scotland tweeted that they were featuring her on a show. It was around the time just after the post was published. Possibly even the same day but I can’t be sure.
I’ve had a tough week. If you’ve seen the movie poster for the new Wolverine movie, that’s what I look like from an emotional muscle building point of view. You have to go through a lot of burn to get into state. Eventually I plan to return to writing songs but for now writing words will suffice. This is my 78th daily post in a row.
I could have stretched the ukulele piece to include the current Roddy Woomble tour but I figured I’d get around to it soon enough. Roddy and his band did a BBC Scotland session earlier this week which you may have heard. His latest solo album ‘Listen to Keep‘ has been out since March 4th.
As much as I love air-drumming to Kvelertak while working, it’s records by bands such as Happy Particles or RM Hubbert that provide my evening listening. The subjects of today’s post are being added to that collection of ‘records suitable for having on while reading’. Not the catchiest genre box ever but it works for me.
Zoë Bestel’s New Single, San Francisco, is lighter on Ukulele than you may expect and puts her voice front and center. Here’s the YouTube clip.
Her young age will undoubtedly be held up in every piece written about her art. As a piece of music, it’s as beautiful as anything I heard a young Amber Wilson sing. I know, that makes me sound old. Amber must have been around 18 or so when I added her to a Dundee folk bill many years ago. She’s since moved to London and gone on to tour as a singer with Bombay Bicycle Club.
There’s something equally striking about Zoë’s voice. Fingers crossed that her passion for music will not be crushed by the heel of the music industry in their rush to sell the next pretty young thing with talent. As soon as making music stops being fun, it’s a slippery (when wet) slope. Sorry, still basking in the self-praise glow from yesterday’s post.
ZOE BESTEL’S NEW SINGLE IS OUT NOW AS A FREE DOWNLOAD. SHE PLAYS WICKERMAN FESTIVAL JULY 26.
RODDY WOOMBLE IS TOURING IN SUPPORT OF LATEST ALBUM ‘LISTEN TO KEEP’. SEE FACEBOOK FOR GIG DATES.
