Monthly Wrapped: What I'm Listening to in...June

Halfway through the year already! Time flies…

Playing at Weddings, Murrayfield, and with the Tartan Army

This month has brought lots of new excitement - the start of my new residency at Montpelier’s Bruntsfield, my first gig at Murrayfield Hospitality (supporting Zach Bryan…sort of), as well as (of course) the start of the World Cup. The latter has reminded me how much fun playing to packed pubs can be, after my recent pivot towards events & weddings. Don’t get me wrong: I love this new direction. Playing for couples and guests is an absolute dream as I’m working to help people create unforgettable memories with their favourite people. It’s a remarkable privilege and I’m thrilled to be a part of every wedding that I play.

I’ve always thought though that it’s rarely a good idea to shut a door entirely, so the few slots I’ve played at old town venues have kept the flame alive! I think it’s also a good idea to remind yourself every so often about where you come from and how you started. Honing the ‘crowd control’ element of this job is also a vital, fundamental skill with every gig. Just this month in a catch-up call with a client, they shared with me that

It’s also been a busy month off-stage: with a lot of work getting done behind the scenes on some exciting new developments - so stay tuned for announcements in the coming weeks!

What I’ve Been Listening To

On my listening habits, though: this month has brought somewhat of a contemplative theme. I think these longer, warmer nights seem to lead me more towards that vibe. The songs are slower, calmer. They transport you to days gone by. This month’s feels like a perfect playlist for sitting outside with a warm breeze through your hair and a smile on your face.

We’re at the peak of wedding season, so that’s definitely one of the reasons theses more contemplative songs have been resonating with me.

We get kicked off with Patsy Cline’s all-time classic ‘Crazy’. It must be one of the most frequently used needle drops in television & film, and no wonder. No matter the mood, it seems to drift you away to a different plain entirely. It’s the perfect tone-setter for a chill playlist: it always makes me feel instantly at ease and switches me from ‘transmit’ to ‘receive’ mode (always a welcome break for my wife!). Listening to it now I feel like I’m floating away…

Similarly ‘floaty’ is Hamish Hawk’s ‘Vivian Comma’. The return of Hawk in my monthly playlist was likely inevitable, though I hadn’t expected to be captivated by his music again so soon. It’s another transportive song, although less wordy than many others in his catalogue. Still got that trademark literary angle though…

The rest of the playlist follows along similar lines: Chappell Roan’s bittersweet masterpiece ‘California’, Elbow’s characteristically surrounding ‘The Only Road’, and Van Morrison’s almighty ‘Tupelo Honey’. All lilting, longing, loving classics: modern or otherwise.

If you just listen to one song in June…

Firstly, this is a tough one. This month, I’m inclined to give an honourable mention to Jesse Welles’ ‘Red’. I know I’ve already sang his praises in a previous blog post, but I feel like he really can’t be drenched in praise enough. ‘Red’ is an overwhelmingly good song. Lyrically it is complex, yet comprehensible; dense, yet delivered with precise clarity. It floods the musical zone with a damning description of a reality we all occupy. It would be comforting if it was someone else’s, but in dangerous times, sometimes comfort is hard to come by. We best take it as it comes.

If you REALLY just listen to one song in June…

Let it be ‘Strangers’ by the Kinks.

I think Strangers is just one of those songs that will always feel timeless. Sonically, it’s like peering into a new world, at once old and new. Lyrically, it’s a heart-wrenching tale of pure, human truth: no matter how far apart we seem from our fellow man (and no matter how convenient it might be to tell ourselves that we are truly divided), we are all the same.

The song was written by the Kinks’ Dave Davies about a childhood friend who died young.

Strangers on this road we are on

But we are not two, we are one.

We would all do well to remember those words: because they are true for all of us. Every person we come across in our lives - whether it be passer-by on the street, or our most intimate friends and family members - we all share a common path, a common purpose. Though it may not seem like it, we are all connected, all responsible for one another. It’s a truly beautiful song, and one that I think will always stay with me.

See you next month!