Twenty Scottish albums were unveiled last night for The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award.
The awards are now in their sixth year, The SAY Award is Scotland’s most popular and prestigious music prize, boasting a lucrative £20,000 prize for the winner and nine runners-up prizes of £1,000 each.
Here is a breakdown of the albums on the list:
Adam Holmes and The Embers ‘Brighter Still’
Brighter Still is the second album from Adam Holmes and features his band The Embers, along with vocals from Eddi Reader. Recorded at Gloworm Studios in Glasgow, the songs combine textures of folk and soul music with lyrics that resonate for every person in themes of love, loss, uplifting happiness and beautiful sadness.
“On behalf of Adam Holmes and The Embers I would like to say how honoured we are included on the 2017 SAY Award longlist. The Scottish Music Industry Association does vital work in supporting and promoting Scottish artists and their music and we thank them for creating such a prestigious award. Fingers crossed for the shortlist!”
C Duncan ‘The Midnight Sun’
The second album by singer/songwriter C Duncan was written and recorded entirely in his flat in Glasgow and takes on a more electronic and dreamy sound than his debut. Inspired by the 1960s cult sci-fi television series, The Twilight Zone, it is ominous and sometimes brooding whilst still maintaining the choral soundscapes and breezy characteristics of his first album.
“I am very excited and honoured to be long listed again for the SAY Award. It is such an important award in Scotland and it really showcases just how much amazing music of all genres is coming out of Scotland at the moment.”
Ela Orleans ‘Circles of Upper and Lower Hell’
Circles Of Upper and Lower Hell is the grandest, deepest work to date by Polish-born, Glasgow-based sound artist and composer Ela Orleans. The seventh album under her own name, Orleans’ expansive vision, loosely based on Dante’s Inferno but infused with deep personal experience, incorporates sound art, orchestral textures, synth pop and electronic music to construct a world equally peppered with loss and inspiration.
“I feel like I already enjoy the cordial support from the community of Scottish musicians, promoters, journalists and fans. The SAY Longlist nomination is the stamp of acknowledgement that I am an integral part of the country’s cultural landscape. I cannot express how significant this is for me, as an immigrant in this post-Brexit climate.”
Fatherson ‘Open Book’
Open Book is the second studio album from Fatherson. The album was recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studio in South Wales with Scottish producer Bruce Rintoul, and mixed by Adam Noble (Placebo, Nothing But Thieves, Don Broco) the record showcases the band’s ability to craft beautiful, emotional, uplifting, well-wrought songs that take their time to do their magic.
“We’re delighted to be included in the SAY Award long list for the second time! The SAY Award highlights the wealth of great music made in this country and gives people a chance to discover records that they may not have otherwise heard. We’re excited to listen to the other 19 albums and are very proud to be included in the long list ourselves.”
Frightened Rabbit ‘Painting of a Panic Attack’
Ever since Scott Hutchison started releasing music as Frightened Rabbit more than a decade ago, his emotionally honest and incisively worded lyrics have been among the project’s most beloved qualities. Over the course of five albums, including their new Painting of a Panic Attack, Frightened Rabbit’s frontman has made poetry of his misery, and still somehow managed to make it sound anthemic.
“We are honoured to be featured in the SAY award longlist this year. It’s good to see so many great albums on there and be considered for the award again. Cheers!”
Honeyblood ‘Babes Never Die’
‘Babes Never Die’ was recorded at London’s Fish Factory studio in the winter of 2016 by acclaimed producer James Dring, whose work with the likes of Jamie T and Gorillaz made him an intriguing choice for the duo. The urgent lo-fi charm that defined their debut still pulses from its core but the evolution that’s taken place is undeniable.
“Overjoyed to find out that ‘Babes Never Die’ has made it onto the SAY Award Longlist! It’s an honour to be included along with a host of incredible Scottish music.”
The Jesus and Mary Chain ‘Damage and Joy’
The Jesus And Mary Chain released their long-awaited new album ‘Damage and Joy’ on March 2017, the first album since ‘Munki’ was released back in the summer of 1998. Fronted by the Reid brothers, Jim and William, The Jesus And Mary Chain first reformed to play the Coachella festival back in 2007. Despite regular touring – most notably a 2015 world tour which revisited their landmark album ‘Psychocandy’ – it took some time before they could agree on a plan to record a much-mooted seventh album.
King Creosote ‘Astronaut Meets Appleman’
King Creosote, one of our most beloved voices, released his new record Astronaut Meets Appleman on the 2nd September 2016. It explores the tension and harmony between tradition and technology – between analogue and digital philosophies – and also invokes a feeling, King Creosote (otherwise known as Fife’s Kenny Anderson) says, of “being caught between heaven and earth”.
Konx-om-Pax ‘Caramel’
Tom ‘Konx-om-Pax’ Scholefield’s Caramel is quite a different record from the dark, mould-pocked ambience of his debut ‘Regional Surrealism’. Although it’s primarily a beatless album, it’s one with a big smile on its face. ‘Caramel’ has a lightness and energy, an unrepentant joyful cheesiness even – like the rave piano and spiralling arpeggios of ‘Cosmic Trigger’ or the big beatless build up of the title track.
“I am honoured to be considered for this years Scottish Album of the Year Awards. Scotland’s dance music scene has informed and inspired my music since I started making it.”
Meursault ‘I Will Kill Again’
‘I Will Kill Again’ was intended to be a direct follow up to ‘Something for the Weakened’ – a straight-up rock album. That record never got made, the live band dissolved and Neil started to play solo under the name Supermoon. In most cases, the songs became unrecognisable from their previous incarnations, but the lyrics and themes remained. Loosely, it’s about the idea of villainy within a narrative and people’s willingness to portray themselves as antagonists within their own story.
“Thanks for the nomination! Delighted to be included in such an impressive list of artists. After all the twists and turns and heartache involved in the conception of the album, it’s a feeling of relief, as much as anything, to see people connect with it the way they have.”
Modern Studies ‘Swell To Great’
Working throughout the year at Pumpkinfield – Pete’s rural Perthshire studio – the band shaped a set of Emily’s skeleton songs, drawing largely from the salt and spray of the sea. This communal arts-und-crafts-werk resulted in their debut LP ‘Swell to Great’ (named after an organ stop), which was released on Song, by Toad Records of Edinburgh, Scotland in September 2016.
“We’re delighted to be longlisted for the SAY Award. It has has been a bright spotlight for Scottish records over the last few years, and we’re happy to be included alongside some other fantastic acts”
Mogwai ‘Atomic’
Constructed entirely of archive film, Atomic is an impressionistic kaleidoscope of the horrors of our nuclear times – protest marches, Cold War sabre-rattling, Chernobyl and Fukishima – but also the sublime beauty of the atomic world, and how x-rays and MRI scans have improved human lives. Mogwai’s soundtrack encapsulates the nightmare of the nuclear age, but its dreamlike qualities too. It is the latest in the band’s series of impressive soundtracks and scores, following acclaimed albums Les Revenants (The Returned) and Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait.
“We are incredibly honoured for our Atomic album to be included in the long list of the SAY award. It’s a record we are very proud of and to receive this recognition is very special.”
Pictish Trail ‘Future Echoes’
Pictish Trail’s spectral songs are filtered through a sun-warped pop lens, where mesmerically-melodic guitar patterns collide with sampled gurgles and blissed-out vocals figure-skate over sine-waves of glacial synth. Future Echoes is a very personal musing on mortality, the death of friendships and the finality of things and represents the most confident, cohesive and pop-savvy collection of music Pictish Trail has written to date.
“I don’t know who nominated me, I find this whole sort of thing really stressful, and if I don’t win I think I might kill myself”
Rachel Newton ‘Here’s My Heart Come Take It’
Here’s My Heart Come Take It is a bold combination of traditional folk song and original composition set in a contemporary soundscape. Experimenting and improvising in the studio combined with a considered choice of material has resulted in a very personal and heartfelt piece of work.
“I’m delighted to be included in the SAY Award Longlist this year. Here’s My Heart Come Take It is my third solo record and I approached the making of it with more confidence and freedom than I have been able to in previous releases, so it means a lot for it to be recognised alongside such great Scottish albums.”
RM Hubbert ‘Telling The Trees’
Returning to the collaborative format that saw him reconnect with a host of old friends and pick up a Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award for 2012’s Thirteen Lost & Found, RM Hubbert is back, and at the vanguard of another extraordinary ensemble of musicians and songwriters. In many ways a reflection and reconfiguration of his earlier, award-winning album, Telling the Trees highlights the remarkable lyricism and musicianship of his individual co-writers whilst managing to cohere into a dazzling masterwork for all concerned.
“I’m shocked, surprised and genuinely humbled to be longlisted with Telling The Trees for this year’s SAY Award. Many thanks to the nominators for thinking of this weird wee record that my collaborators and I made.”
Sacred Paws ‘Strike A Match’
London/Glasgow duo Sacred Paws’ uplifting debut album, Strike A Match, was released in January 2017 via Rock Action. A vibrant collection of pop gems, Sacred Paws’ first full-length features ten complex yet instantly infectious songs, fitting perfectly between uplifting indie-pop and intricate post-punk. Strikes A Match was produced by Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub) and Sacred Paws at Castle Doom, Glasgow and mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios.
“Sacred Paws are so happy to be long listed for the SAY award! thank you so much to everyone who helped us make this record! There have been some incredible albums nominated over the years and we’re delighted to be in such good company this year”
Starless ‘Starless’
Starless is the lushly orchestrated debut album from Paul McGeechan. An epic and unique album – widescreen in scope and ambition, featuring such illustrious collaborators as Paul Buchanan (The Blue Nile), Karen Matheson (Capercaillie), Julie Fowlis and Chris Thomson (The Bathers). The album was recorded with the stunning Prague Philharmonic Orchestra resulting in an emotional soundscape with references ranging from Ennio Morricone to The Cocteau Twins and David Sylvian.
“It’s fantastic to be considered for such a prestigious award, especially in the company of so many great Scottish albums.”
Teenage Fanclub ‘Here’
Here was recorded in Provence and Pollokshields, mixed in Hamburg, and mastered in London. The band worked on it slowly until they were happy with it, and then they put it out. Since their inception in 1989 and now, not much has changed, they’re still doing the same thing, in much the same way as they always have.
TeenCanteen ‘Say It All With A Kiss’
Sticky cherry-cola-kissed harmonies, talking toms and stomping beats in a new Wall of Sound, TeenCanteen’s début album ‘Say It All With A Kiss’ was released to critical acclaim via Last Night From Glasgow Records. Recorded in mono and produced by Stephen Watkins, the album features Aurora Engine and The Cairn String Quartet.
“It was amazing to see our album nominated in the first place and it’s a great acknowledgement of something we are proud of and worked hard to create with the support from our fans.” – Carla Easton, TeenCanteen
Vukovi ‘Vukovi’
Scottish quartet VUKOVI mix heavy rock riffs with melodic, catchy vocals to create a sound that is as intense as it is fun. Fronted by the feisty Janine Shilstone, they are best known for their raucous live show and their self-titled debut lived up to the hype with critical acclaim internationally as well as on home turf.
“Scotland has produced some of the best artists in the world for being such a small country. For our body of work to be longlisted is great sense of recognition – especially as it’s from our home turf!”
The judges for the SAY awards 2017 are:
- Stuart Cosgrove (Writer/Broadcaster)
- Caroline Winn (Glasgow International)
- Roland Gulliver (Edinburgh International Book Festival)
- Amy Liptrot (Writer)
- Claire Gevaux (Help Musicians UK)
- Tallah Brash (The Skinny)
- Lauren Martin (Red Bull Music Academy)
- Andy Hannah (Line Of Best Fit)
- David Scott (University of the West of Scotland)
- Barry Price (Sub Club)
- Stephanie McWhinnie (TV Producer)
- John Williamson [CHAIR] (Glasgow University)