I'm from Arbroath in Scotland’s eastern lowlands, and I've been immersed in traditional music since my early childhood, and I continue to write and arrange songs in my native Scots language.
Probably best known as a founder member of innovative Scots folksong group Malinky, for three years I also worked with Scots songstress Emily Smith (2002 Young Traditional Musician of the Year).
I'm a graduate of Edinburgh University's School of Scottish Studies, and was a finalist in 2001's inaugural Young Traditional Musician of the Year competition. In recent years I've also guested on bouzouki with top Scottish folk outfit Deaf Shepherd.
My recording credits include four volumes of the acclaimed Complete Songs of Robert Burns series as both featured singer and accompanist, as well as solo albums by Scots singers Jim Malcolm and John Morran. I also appear in Dr Fred Freeman's live shows of the Burns series and the Hamish Henderson tribute 'A the Bairns o Adam'. And of course three Malinky albums, two featuring fellow founder member Karine Polwart, now pursuing a stellar solo career.
My first solo project of songs and poetry set to music from the Angus region, 'Songs from Home', was released on 1st Feb 2006 on Greentrax Recordings, after some five years in the making.
I also play occasionally with Scotland's premier piper Fred Morrison, and also recently guested with rising Gaelic singing sensation Julie Fowlis.
For five years I was traditional arts officer for the City of Edinburgh Council, overseeing the city's Cèilidh Culture festival each spring from 2003-2007. I left to take up a part-time post as a Scots cataloguer for the Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches Scottish folklore archiving project. And to play more music!
In 2008, I moved into record production, producing Mark Dunlop's solo record 'Islands on the Moon' and co-producing the fourth Malinky CD 'Flower & Iron' for Greentrax Recordings.
I'm working on a new solo album for release in 2009.
