Music
Press
THE average age of Scottish folk musicians just keeps on dropping, as demonstrated by this Celtic Connections triple bill. It almost made headliners Back of the Moon - none of whom are past their mid-twenties - look like elder statesmen....In under five years, Back of the Moon have gone from a fledgling quartet to Best Folk Band in the 2005 Scots Trad Music Awards. All aspects of their trad-based songs 'n' tunes blend continue to mature apace, but none more so than Findlay Napier's singing and songwriting. As highlighted by two of the show's standout vocal numbers, Glenlogie and Ship in a Bottle, he is emerging as a truly awesome talent. FIVE STARS. " - The Scotsman, FIVE STARS.
"Last night's final Piping Live concert at The Arches [Glasgow] was opened by Back of the Moon, who had just launched their new CD Luminosity, before the concert began. Giving free drink to a section of your audience can be a good way to win them over but it was unnecessary as the band played a tight set that soon had the whole audience right behind them. Ally Hutton is a welcome addition to the band and his pipes, whistlew and bodhran fit well with the playing of the Napier brothers and Gillian Frame. Luminosity is Hutton's first recording with the band and on this showing it won't be the last. A brilliantly inventive musician, the band's set was at its best when his pipes were in full flow." - The Herald
"...thoughtfully passed repertoire, with tune sets both power-packed and reflective...recent recruit Ali Hutton's whistle, pipes and bodhran have brought a real fillip...FOUR STARS" - The Herald, FOUR STARS
"In under five years, Back of the Moon have gone from a fledgling quartet to Best Folk Band in the 2005 Scots Trad Music Awards. All aspects of their trad-based songs 'n' tunes blend continue to mature apace...FOUR STARS" - The Scotsman, FOUR STARS
"The locked-on cohesion of the ensemble playing is all the more impressive given the replacement, during the past year, of original piper Simon McKerrell by Ali Hutton, also on whistles and bodhran...matching verve with finesse in an arrestingly big, full-bodied, yet terrifically tight sound...their third album, Luminosity, confirms their coming of age as a unit..." "
- The Sunday Herald, Sue Wilson, Aug 2005
"...Luminosity shows them in the best light yet...The six instrumental tracks are rich and varied, plenty of punch from pipes and fiddle, a charming gentle slow air from Hamish, and a good choice of tunes old and new. The set of four reels referred to as Hawp is a stotter (for the benefit of non-weegies, that's a good thing). Ali Hutton's Voodoo Chilli has its own special atmosphere, and I look forward to more of his tunes next time. It's nice to hear Phil Cunningham's Bombadier Beetle again, and the two pipe jigs with it are equally enjoyable...lush instrumental accompaniment to the songs...Findlay Napier's voice has grown and matured into a powerful instrument indeed, and he makes good use of it on the traditional ballads The Mill Mill O and Glenlogie. Ship in a Bottle is a gentler song, written and sung by a more low-key Findlay. Hamish sings a delightfully upbeat version of The Brewer's Lad, and Gillian divides her light sweet voice between a murder ballad and Archie Fisher's depressing Final Trawl. Backing vocals and arrangements are spot on. Luminosity is a well-produced album with depth and spirit, a varied and polished example of young Scottish talent, well worth a whirl..." - The Living Tradition
"...As well as Borders pipes and whistle, he [new piper Ali Hutton] also plays bodhran, augmenting the already powerful rhythmic drive provided by Findlay Napier's guitar and Hamish Napier's piano...behind Gillian Frame's excellent fiddling...with three lead singers there is plenty of variety in the vocals. Their chosen songs are a combination of contemporary and traditional material, cast in fresh modern-sounding arrangements." - The Scotsman, Kenny Matheson, Aug 2005, FOUR STARS.
Discography
Back of the Moon have three albums on the Scottish record label Footstompin Records, and receive regular airplay on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio 2. All three albums have full UK distribution, with the 1st album also licensed in Canada – we require all three albums to be licensed in North America now, as we will be touring there in January 2007. All three CDs contain 12 tracks, each with an exact split between instrumental and vocal numbers. Starting with latest first:
1. Luminosity, Back of the Moon. This album was nominated by the British public for Best Album at the Scots Trad Music Awards 2005.
(Foot Stompin' Records 2005. CDFSR1730).
Go to http://www.backofthemoon.co.uk/albumsnsounds.htm#lum
2. Fortunes Road, Back of the Moon.
This album led to the band winning ‘Best up and Coming Band’ at the Scots Trad Awards 2003.
(Foot Stompin' Records 2003, CDFSR1720).
Go to http://www.backofthemoon.co.uk/albumsnsounds.htm#fortunes
3. Gillian Frame and Back of the Moon.
This is Gillian's solo CD, awarded to her as prize for winning the Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year Award 2001. The album is exactly half solo album, half band album, as she used it primarily to launch Back of the Moon in 2001.
(Foot Stompin' Records 2001, CDFSR1711).
Go to: http://www.backofthemoon.co.uk/albumsnsounds.htm#gill
Photos
Bio
BIOGRAPHY
Influences of Back of the Moon: Old Blind Dogs, Battlefield Band, Iron Horse, Wolfstone, Capercaillie, Flook, Lunasa, John Doyle and Liz Carrol, Solas, Kate Rusby, Gordon Duncan, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Paul Brady, Brian Finnegan, Archie Fisher, John Martin, Jim Hunter, Linda Thompson, John Prine, Dr Andy Hunter, Dr Simon McKerrell, Karine Polwart, Frankie Gavin and Arty McGlynn, Anne Neilson, Archie McAllister, Led Zepplin, Dougie MacLean, Dick Gaughan and The Bothy Band.
The story of Back of the Moon so far...
In Autumn 2000 the three founder members of Back of the Moon: Gillian, Hamish and Simon McKerrell (the bands original piper now replaced by Ali Hutton) were finalists in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards under the title 'Frame, McKerrell and Napier'. Findlay later joined the band after he, Gillian and Hamish had played that summer on Margaret Bennett's solo album 'In the Sunny Long Ago' produced by Martyn Bennett (released on Footstompin' records).
Their debut album (also released on Footstompin' Records) was recorded in July 2001, and was part of Gillian's prize for winning the Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year 2001. 'Gillian Frame and Back of the Moon' won 'Album of the Week' on BBC Radio Scotland's Travelling Folk programme. Promotion of the album took them to several large festivals in and around Vancouver, Canada, during the summers of 2001, 2002 and 2003.
Their second album 'Fortunes Road', was produced by Johnny Hardie (Old Blind Dogs) and was even more well-received by press and fans on its release in summer 2003.
At home the band have performed at most of the major British folk festivals (including Celtic Connections, Cambridge and Sidmouth Festivals, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and are touring extensively around the British Folk Clubs. On BBC Radio Scotland, they have performed a live set and been interviewed three times the Trad music shows 'Travelling Folk' and 'Celtic Connections'.
Abroad, Back of the Moon have tour agents in Italy, Holland, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland, and have appeared at Music Festivals and Concert Halls in eight different European countries, including a BBC-filmed concert in Slovenia for Burns Night 2004. Back of the Moon made their third Lorient International Celtic Festival appearance in summer 2004, and during their second year there lifted the trophy for the 'Best Celtic Band' at the festivals prestigious Celtic group competition (won previously by groups such as "Danu" and "Capercaillie"). In February 2005, they went to Austen, Texas to promote themselves for US touring at the 'Folk Alliance 2006', a massive multi-cultural world music conference and festival event that showcases the latest in roots, folk and world music in America. They now have an US agent and expect to there tour annually over the coming years. Also, Back of the Moon will return o Canada in summer 2006 for a 6 week tour, performing at Goderich, Mission, Harrison and Calgary Folk Festivals.
At the Scots Trad Music Awards 2003, the back of the Moon won the 'Best Up and Coming Band' award. They were filmed by the BBC in May 2004 for Burn's night 2005, and their live set at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall during Celtic Connections 2003 was broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland. Multi-instrumentalist Ali Hutton joined the band shortly after and they recorded 'Luminosity', the bands third album, released in August 2005. The album was nominated for 'Best Album' at the Scots Trad Awards and recieved four stars reviews in the Herald and Scotsman. The awards in 2005 also saw a nomination for Hamish Napier as 'Best up and Coming Artist', but most impressive of all, after 5 years of hard work and touring in Canada, Europe and up and down the UK, Back of the Moon deservedly recieved the 'Best Folk Band' award.
Links
