steve byrne profile picture

steve byrne

About Me

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.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 06/03/2006
Band Website: www.stevebyrne.co.uk
Band Members: just me

My 'Songs from Home' album also features the fabulous Tore Bruvoll from Norway on guitar and Chris Wright on mandolin.
Influences: luke kelly | david francey | jim malcolm | jim reid | dougie maclean | dick gaughan | james taylor | the corries | the mccalmans | counting crows | del amitri | smashing pumpkins | eric clapton | folk och rackare | hannes wader | jose gonzalez | stephen fretwell | chris wood | tim eriksen | tore bruvoll & jon anders halvorsen | ranarim | jeannie robertson | hubert von goisern | the dubliners | the proclaimers | roy williamson | davy steele | marion angus | violet jacob | helen b cruickshank | alan lomax | hamish henderson | george webster donald | al o'donnell
Sounds Like: my east coast home
Record Label: greentrax recordings
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Steve on BBC Radio Scotland’s ’Reel Blend’

I appeared today with Robbie Shepherd on BBC Radio Scotland's 'Reel Blend' for a wee blether about my musical influences along with a few tracks of my choosing. You can hear back on the BBC iPlayer, j...
Posted by on Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:13:00 GMT

Doomsday in the Afternoon

I’ve uploaded a rough mix of a track that features on a new CD project produced by Dr Fred Freeman for the National Library of Scotland, focusing on multiculturalism and anti-discrimination, lar...
Posted by on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:15:00 GMT

demo of track for songs from home vol 2

I've uploaded a rough live demo of a new song which will hopefully appear on Songs from Home vol 2 - that's a working title by the way! It's another poem of Marion Angus's which I've put to music. She...
Posted by on Sun, 29 Jul 2007 18:05:00 GMT

changes

Home from a couple of days in sunny Italy, Sardinia to be exact.I can barely believe it's almost June. So much has changed and so much has happened to me since Christmas, that my life will be vastly d...
Posted by on Sat, 19 May 2007 17:30:00 GMT

Gigs with Julie Fowlis

I'm very chuffed to say that Julie Fowlis has asked me to step in as her bouzouki player for some of her forthcoming Tune Up tour of Scotland with Jenna Reid. Julie, as you may know, is a fab Gaelic s...
Posted by on Sun, 04 Mar 2007 10:55:00 GMT

the shine of friendship lingers

it's been a lovely few days with a wonderful group of people who I met two years ago in canada on tour. they came armed with their smiles, their joy, their positive zest for life to shake up wear...
Posted by on Thu, 13 Apr 2006 17:49:00 GMT

the wee folk club

had a lovely time at the wee folk club tonight, at the royal oak in edinburgh. where i realised i've actually been going for almost 10 years! it was lovely to play in an intimate space, full with old ...
Posted by on Sun, 02 Apr 2006 18:07:00 GMT