The Small Halls Festival on the Isle of Skye stands alone in Scotland for its approach to performances and the way it integrates both community and artists. I was very happy indeed to have been invited up in November 2019 to do some live podcasting.  This was a real treat for me, as I had the chance to pick the brains of some of my favourite musicians, inviting them to share some of their unique life experiences as well as their exceptional musical skills - all in front of a rapt local audience.

This, the second and final of these special Small Halls Festival podcasts features another two very well known faces on the traditional music scenes.

Fiddler/composer Lauren MacColl and Fiddler/composer/guitarist/singer Innes Watson have each carved their own unique notch onto the tree of modern Scottish Traditional Music.

It was so great to hear them share some of their unique life experience and insight behind their work.

It's also always a huge delight to play music with these utterly superb musicians, and there's plenty of that going on in this episode.

Enjoy!

The Small Halls Festival on the Isle of Skye stands alone in Scotland for its approach to performances and the way it integrates both community and artists. I was very happy indeed to have been invited up in November 2019 to do some live podcasting.  This was a real treat for me, as I had the chance to pick the brains of some of my favourite musicians, inviting them to share some of their unique life experiences as well as their exceptional musical skills - all in front of a rapt local audience.  

The first of these special Small Halls Festival podcasts features two very well known faces - nationally and internationally - on the classical and traditional music scenes. 

Virtuoso cellist Su-a Lee and accordionist / composer Donald Shaw were utterly delightful company, and it was a joy to hear some of their tales and music.  

Enjoy!”

Delighted to be chatting on this episode to Fergus Muirhead – a genuine expert on the topic of money.  His credentials are utterly impeccable, and you are bound to find some, if not all of what he has to say to be enlightening.  In my case, his advice has been life-changing.  His advice in this episode is not just relevant to the financial implications regarding the onset COVID (as of March 2020), but is very helpful the long term.

He is the creator of moneysucks.net – “full of accessible, easy to read information and advice on all aspects of money and consumer rights. Fergus is making it his mission to help you understand what you need to be doing to make your money work for you, and to make sure that you understand where you stand as a consumer if you feel you’re getting poor service or your complaints are not being taken seriously.”

Some more about Fergus below, taken from www.fergusmuirhead.com –

“Fergus Muirhead is an experienced writer and broadcaster. He has written on all aspects of money and consumer issues for a number of newspapers and magazines as diverse as Scotland on Sunday, The Herald, The Sunday Herald, the Sun, The News of the World and the Journal of the Probate Section of the Law Society. He wrote a regular column in Moneywise Magazine and for five years he was Consumer Champion at best selling magazine Women’s Own.

Fergus appears regularly on a number of radio and TV programmes. These have included GMTV, BBC Breakfast, Homes Live and Location, Location, Location for TV and Macaulay & Co, The Phil Williams Show and many BBC News programmes on radio.”

He’s also a very finer player of the bagpipes, can deliver a full Burns supper experience and has helped many a self-employed Scottish traditional musician improve their understanding of money-related issues.

An altogether thoroughly decent man.

Enjoy.

Great to be back at Celtic Connections Festival again, chatting to special guests in front of a highly discerning audience in the fabulous Macintosh at the Willow Tea Rooms.  

This time I was chatting to one of my biggest ever fiddle heroes - Charlie McKerron.  

Stories, laughs, tunes and insights into his marvellous musical mind. Utterly compelling.  

Enjoy!

The first of two podcasts recorded on stage at Baltimore Fiddle Fair 2019 in County Cork, Ireland.

What a privilege to have had the chance to invite onto the stage with me the legendary fiddler / composer John Sheahan.  

He's a complete marvel of a man.  Full of music, stories and poetry and a mischievous twinkle in his eye.   This is him with myself on the left and the fantastic guitarist Marc Clement on the right, immediately as we came off stage.  Buzzing!

What an atmosphere.  And what a great wee festival!

The second edition of Adam Sutherland's Interesting People, live from Celtic Connections 2019, as part of the Brew and a Blether daytime events.  

This time an thoroughly engrossing and often hilarious chat with one of Scotland's best loved fiddle players, the one and only Duncan Chisholm.  Great to hear about what goes through his mind while he plays his legendary slow airs, as well as many an anecdote from his early life learning from Donald Riddell.  

I'm absolutely delighted with the way these festival podcasts have turned out and all the positive feedback I've received. 

Thanks to Celtic Connections Festival for giving the go ahead for this, all at Macintosh at the Willow, and to Paul Jennings and Jacky Pankhurst for their help behind the scenes.  

Enjoy!  

This episode of Adam Sutherland's Interesting People is a blether and a tune with Donald Shaw and Finlay MacDonald, live from Celtic Connections Festival 2019.

In the brochure it's described as the following:

Join Adam Sutherland as he chats to some of the festival’s artists in the intimate and stunning setting of the newly refurbished Mackintosh at the Willow Tea Rooms, for a recording of his podcast ‘Adam Sutherland’s Interesting People’. Your host will be skillfully guiding the conversation, finding out what makes the guests tick, what drives them to do what they do and any other stories they may wish to share. This is a rare chance for audience members to learn more about the unique life stories of the people behind the music. Come and listen with a cup of tea and a wee treat in one of Scotland’s architectural masterpieces.

It was great to see and hear an audience so thoroughly entertained by these charismatic, intelligent and downright hilarious musicians.  And in such beautiful surroundings!

My guest on this episode of Adam Sutherland's Interesting People is Scottish singer, violist, fiddler, step-dancer and actor, Mairi Campbell. 

During our chat, Mairi tells me about growing up in Edinburgh and dedicating herself to a solid classical music education.  But always in the background there was some kind of deeper yearning.  This has sometimes resulted in what could be described as a 'respectful unwillingness' to always conform.  And growing up, it might have gotten her into one or two musical scrapes, but ultimately has allowed her to find her feet.. to find her pulse.  

Mairi's story is both enlightening and entertaining.  I feel that her insightful musings are bound to resonate with many.  In fact, the success of the first two chapters in her trilogy of theatre shows about her journey are a solid testament to that.  

'Pulse' - Mairi's first theatrical debut received critical acclaim during a month of shows at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe.  In August 2018 she returned to the Fringe with the second instalment, 'Auld Lang Syne', and I was very intrigued to hear, first hand, about it's creation.* 

Listeners to this podcast will also hear about many other things, including: Mairi's plans for the third and final chapter of her trilogy, the time that US hit sitcom 'Sex and the City' used her and her husband Dave's version of Auld Lang Syne, and some of her thoughts on the state of traditional music in Scotland today.  

All in all, an extremely thought provoking conversation between a very fine Scottish artist and some skinny bloke from the hills above Loch Ness.

*The author of this podcast had wished to air this episode before Mairi's run of Fringe shows, but unfortunately succumbed to the pressures of a two months of his own crazy performing schedule, so wishes to extend sincere apologies to Mairi for that.  

**I am gradually improving my technological equipment and also my skills at recording and editing.  Sound quality is on an upward trajectory.  

My guest on this episode of Adam Sutherland's Interesting People is Scottish singer songwriter Josie Duncan. 

During our chat, Josie takes us on her journey from winning the local MOD on the Isle of Lewis aged five to picking up a  BBC Radio 2 Folk Award at the 2017 ceremony alongside duo partner Pablo Lafuente. We also learn about some of her heroines and heroes, including what it's like to share a flat with Margaret Bennett. 

Josie also talks frankly and openly about some of the things she has found less easy along the way, even managing to laugh at certain challenges, that to me sound pretty tough. 

And finally, she treats us to a gorgeous Gaelic song from Skye, with a little bit of fiddle accompaniment from yours truly.

I hope you enjoy the show.

For this episode of 'Adam Sutherland's Interesting People' I have the pleasure of the company of the famous left-handed fiddler of Lochaber, Aonghas Grant.  Also joining me this time is my father, Alex Sutherland.

Aonghas is very well known across the world as a respected fiddler, teacher and composer from the West Highlands of Scotland.  

My father and I were fascinated to learn about his early life learning the fiddle from his uncle, as well as hearing him describe his ancestors fleeing the redcoats after the battle of Culloden, speaking so vividly that it seemed like it had just happened yesterday.  Amongst the many stories shared, it was great for me to hear him speak of my first fiddle teacher, the late Donald Riddell, who I only knew through a child's eyes and ears.

Such a rich life of music, and so great to have Aonghas on the show.