Song of Return are a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of Craig Grant (vocals/guitar), Louis Abbott (guitar/vocals), Dave Reekie (bass), Alex McNutt (programming/keyboards), and Pete Kelly (drums).[1] Song of Return was the winner of the Tartan Clef Big Apple Award on 13 October 2011.
Song of Return | |
|---|---|
 Song of Return at Joe's Pub in New York City - 11 April 2012. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genres | Indie rock |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | Bloc+ Music; Kittiwake Music |
| Members | Craig Grant (vocals/guitar), Louis Abbott (guitar/vocals), Alex McNutt (keyboards), Dave Reekie (bass), Peter Kelly (drums) |
| Past members | Chris Gordon |
| Website | www.songofreturn.com |
The band's live performances have been well received, with The Scotsman remarking that "the combined vocal prowess of Craig Grant and Louis Abbott, coupled with top drawer musicianship throughout the band, makes for an enthralling prospect."[2]
History edit
Formation and Limits LP (2010 - 2011) edit
The band was formed by Craig Grant and Chris Gordon (formerly of Baby Chaos) in 2010 after the dissolution of Scottish electronic/indie outfit Union of Knives.[3] Grant and Gordon began writing music together and wanted to continue making music. Soon after forming, Chris Gordon decided he did not want to continue to play live.[4] Afterward, Grant began to recruit other members to participate in writing and studio work, as well as provide a backing band for live shows. Producer, mastering engineer, and programmer Alex McNutt (of Glaswegian bands June and Paige. Louis Abbott (of Scottish indie-folk group Admiral Fallow) came in for guitar and vocals. Dave Reekie (of Scottish alternative pop outfit Otherpeople[5]) was brought in to play bass, and Peter Kelly (of Scottish psychedelic rock trio Moon Unit and formerly of Single Helix[6] ) was brought in to play drums. While Gordon continued to be referenced as a non-live member of the band, he is no longer listed among band members on the group's official Facebook page, while the live band is listed with equal billing to Grant as members.
The group's debut album Limits was released independently on 6 June 2011.[7] The album featured 11 tracks and was released as a digital release as well as a limited CD release.
Trajectory EP and The Big Apple Award (2011 - 2012) edit
Song of Return were crowned victors of the 2011 Big Apple Tartan Clef Award as Best New Band at The Garage in Glasgow on 13 October 2011. The award was a competition between Scottish acts vying for the right to perform at the Scottish Music Awards in November 2011 and perform during Scottish Week 2012 in New York City. The award is a collaborative partnership between Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy (a Scottish music charity), Creative Scotland, The American-Scottish Foundation, and Clash. Song of Return was selected over Laki Mera, Finding Albert, Wrongnote, and Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers.[8][9]
On 5 December 2011, the band released the digitally distributed Trajectory EP, which featured a single edit of "Trajectory" from Limits, along with three previously unreleased tracks.
In March 2012, the band briefly allowed their fans a preview of a new track called "Trapped Inside The Night".
The band performed in New York City at Joe's Pub on 11 April 2012, and Mercury Lounge on 14 April 2012, with Scottish harpist/pianist/vocalist Phamie Gow opening. While in the United States, the band recorded one of their songs for Balcony TV in Brooklyn, New York.
Discography edit
- Limits (6 June 2011)
- Trajectory EP (5 December 2011)
Awards edit
Tartan Clef Awards edit
The Tartan Clef Awards are an annual music awards show in Scotland.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Song of Return | Creative Scotland Big Apple Award | Won |
References edit
- ^ Tim (24 February 2012). "Song of Return". Indie Bands Blog. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ "New York Tartan Week Parade 2017". American Scottish Foundation. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
- ^ "On the radar: Song of Return". Under The Radar Scotsman Blog. 17 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ Meredith, Lloyd (15 June 2011). "Peenko's Scots Way-Hay! – Song of Return". Dear Scotsman. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ Tasseltine, Austin (27 September 2011). "New Blood: Otherpeople". Edinburgh: The Skinny. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ Skivington, Martin (3 August 2010). "New Blood: Moon Unit". Edinburgh: The Skinny. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ McGee, Craig (26 May 2011). "Song of Return release debut album 'Limits' on Monday 6th June 2011". www.glasgowmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ Music, Clash (14 October 2011). "Song of Return Win Big Apple Award". London: Clash_(magazine). Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ^ "The Big Apple Clef Award - "Song of Return"". American Scottish Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
External links edit
- Official Website - Song of Return Official
- Facebook - Song of Return Official Facebook Page
- Soundcloud - Song of Return Official Soundcloud Page
- Bandcamp - Song of Return Official Bandcamp Page