Nice place for working on an album - Rossie Ochil in Perthshire
A GROUP of prominent Scottish musicians have
been busy writing an album of songs to
promote awareness of mental health issues.
The songwriters – including Emma Pollock and
James Yorkston from Idlewild – spent a week in
February collaborating on the album at Rossie Ochil,
in Perthshire.
The project, in particular, aims to help promote
the work of Breathing Space and is being part-sponsored
by the phone line and website service.
The musicians will now head to the studio to
record the songs and the album will be released
later in the year.
Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones, who is leading the
project, said: “We’ve just done the writing session.
It’s coming together really well and we should have
16 good songs.
“The last day of the songwriting collaboration we
had snow and had to cut the session short – we
had to get out while we could.
“We’ve given a deadline of April to get a rough
demo of the finished songs. We’ll rehearse in May
and record in June. The album should be ready by
July.”
Other musicians involved in the project include
James Graham (Twilight Sad), Scott Hutchinson
(Frightened Rabbit), Alasdair Roberts and Karine
Polwart.
The project has grown out of the successful
Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival
(SMHAFF) and follows several years of using music
to raise awareness of mental health issues through
live music performances.
The album will form the basis of two
performances, in Glasgow and Edinburgh, during
the SMHAFF in October 2010 and a launch event
will take place during September 2010.
This year’s project will focus on childhood as a
creative theme. The project is aimed primarily at
young adults.
One for me and Blimpy!
Hope both you & Blimpy get the help you are looking for.
Seriously, it’s a very good cause & expect some great music too. Thanks for the heads up.
Look forward to hearing the results. We’re into Mind Week down here, Mental Health In The Workplace being the theme. Just relaunched our website for the occasion and out in force in Portobello this coming Thursday. Every leaflet will come with a dond voucher if you show up
Got our own Scottish connection but I’m not sure he can sing.
This sounds very interesting and, as someone with two cases of diagnosed schizophrenia in my family, I am very enthusiastic about anything that gets this issue out into the open and helps to tear down barriers and demolish taboos. Thanks for posting Tfd.
Well, let’s see if we can go to one of the shows in October, shall we? (Which is when we have Scottish Mental Health Week by the way.) I’ll be a bit involved in a photography competition but I’m sure I can fit it in.
TY, do you happen to know Steve McNay in Milton Keynes?
Why is the top of their house bitmapped?
Where’s nilpferd? Is this a new architectural trend? Will Prince Chuckie approve?
Thanks for this TFD, hope it does some good. It’s very important especially with the recession and the horrible effects it can have on both well-being and service provision.
Anyway, saw this and thought of you; you may well have noticed it already but just to be sure:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/17/foja-mountains-indonesia
TY, do you happen to know Steve McNay
No, can’t say I do. Who he?
We did our ‘Taking Care of Business’ event in Portobello today which went pretty well. I then dashed up to Wolverhampton to see Peter Hammill and am on the train on the way back as I type. Strangely, just this minute arriving at Milton Keynes Central.
@TY: ah, MK, my spiritual home…
Steve’s the director of MK Mind. I know you’re all separate, just thought you might have come across him at a conference or that.