Craig Jeffrey

I'M wary of charity records but was blown away by Craig Jeffrey from Galashiels.

He has recorded a song about the loss of his grandparents to cancer in aid of MacMillan Nurses.

He's from the Paolo Nutini school of singing ...with looks to match!

Elaine C. Smith - Sunday Mail
- Sunday Mail

Craig Jeffrey. ‘Hard To Say’.

Scotland has just gained one more person to be proud of!

I witnessed a solo set by Craig Jeffrey at a music festival 2 weeks ago. He took to the stage with an audience of 10 family and friends watching. His half hour slot ended with a crowd shoulder to shoulder inside and outside! What brought them in? His voice! This young man is in possession of a natural talent so spiritual and free it’s nothing less than brilliant to witness! If the Pied Piper sang like this he’d have taken a country over the hills!

Finally, with debut single ‘Hard To Say’, he has the perfect spokesperson for his music.. They expect big things for this record - but that’s just stating the obvious. It’s the most powerful, emotive, heart achingly beautiful song you’ll quite possibly hear this year. His singing voice has remarkable depth and feeling and when coupled with plaintive acoustic guitar, as on this record, it’s a tremulous vehicle indeed. It’s a ballad that nurtures its own ambience and has such emotional leanings it will dictate your mood. This song displays a maturity that any 22 year old would be proud to create. The name, Craig Jeffrey, has been mentioned for a long time, now it’s time to judge him on his art. On this performance he has little to worry about. The country will place him heart deep and the ladies will probably love him!

Alan Baillie (Reviewer) MUSIC NEWS Scotland.
- Music News Scotland.

Columbia Records can sift through talent like water through sieves. Tonight, with several unsigned local bands and solo artists lined up for their benefit, I?m sure they did just that! But the real object of their curiosity and interest, 21 year old Craig Jeffrey, did at least force the jury out for discussion on a verdict not yet decided!



Fresh from a support slot with Paolo Nutini at a ?Rock Against Racism? show Craig?s set here tonight was under much scrutiny. If he felt any of those pressures on his young shoulders then it certainly wasn?t in evidence! He has a nonchalant stage manner and a sauntering approach to the ?next big thing? label that has recently been pinned to him. He seems oblivious to it all. What IS obvious though is his passion for the acoustic guitar?.and his songs!



Tonight his performance was a haunting, powerful presence. His voice is something you can?t help being drawn in to. It has a richness and a depth that is capable of stopping you and taking your attention away from anything else. It?s raw and it?s real and it shines with it?s own honesty. He rarely shifts from the task in hand, he doesn?t need to. He has enough natural ability to ensure he?ll never need to rely on distracting props or senseless dialogue. His folky/ballady/campfire type genre isn?t anything new but it?s sort of refreshing these days. The 9 song set, which included several of his own compositions, and an appearance from his brother Brian on accompanying guitar, had this crowd transfixed throughout! His cover of Leonard Cohen?s majestic ?Hallelujah? was inspirational! This was the moment tonight that Craig?s potential became obvious!



It doesn?t matter if this 21 year old singer/songwriter becomes the next signature on a Columbia Records contract or not?..I can guarantee that regardless of the decision, Craig Jeffrey is worthy of a decent run in this fickle profession?and he?ll get it!



www.craigjeffrey.com



By: Alan Baillie

editor@subba-info.com - Subba-Cultcha London

Craig songs are right up their Street

By ANNABELLE LOVE

Published: 12 Jan 2009

A HUNKY singer who works as a supermarket cleaner was celebrating last night - after his music featured on Coronation Street.

Craig Jeffrey, 23, was stunned when soap chiefs told him they wanted to use ALL his songs.


And he was thrilled when they played the track Lula, from his debut album Don't Blow Away, in the Rovers Return during Friday's episode.


Craig, of Galashiels, Selkirkshire, said: "It was amazing to hear my song being played. I could hardly believe it."


Craig's break came after his dad William sent Corrie bosses a copy of the album, hoping they might use one of the songs. But he was shocked when they wrote back asking for permission to use every track.


It came a year after Craig's song Hard To Say - in memory of his grandparents - was showcased in the Woolpack on Emmerdale.


Craig vowed: "It won't go to my head - I've got lots of good friends who will be ribbing me about it and that keeps my feet on the ground."


A Corrie spokesman said: "The producers felt the tone of the music worked well for the scene without detracting from it."

annabellelove@the-sun.co.uk

- The Scottish Sun

HE shot to stardom, locally at least, after supporting Scottish chart-topper Paulo Nutini at a Rock Against Racism gig in the Borders after his dad entered him into a competition on a local radio station.

But now, two years on, he will take centre-stage as he launches his debut album, Don"t Blow Away, at the Volunteer Hall in his hometown of Galashiels on Friday (November 21) at 7.30pm.

In an exclusive interview with the Border Telegraph, 23-year-old singer-songwriter Craig Jeffrey opens his heart on his rise to prominence and his hopes for the future.

'For the last year-and-a-half we have been working on this first album and it"s been a pretty tough experience,' he said. 'Recording isn"t really a natural process for me, I"m more at home on stage where I can drift off to my own wee world - everything else just disappears up there.'

But he added: 'I"m really proud of this album, all my songs have come from personal experiences, some good and some bad, so hopefully people can relate and take what they need from them.'

It has been a long time coming. Craig released his debut single, Hard To Say, to rave reviews in September last year.

He penned the poignant track in memory of his grandparents, who lost their lives to cancer, and won over a whole new audience when he donated the proceeds of the single to Macmillan Cancer Support to help other people who have been affected by the disease.

However, it is not included in the album, which contains a total of 12 tracks – including one hidden song – and was recorded at Big Sky Studios in Tweedbank.

Craig said: 'It was really hard to choose what songs to put on this record, I write a lot of songs so it"s hard to choose between them.

'It"s hard to choose a favourite track. I suppose I have a different perspective on these songs but I'm really chuffed with how Another Day Alone is sounding.'

And he added: 'Next up for me is to promote Don"t Blow Away and get people listening.'

Craig, who lists among his musical influences Bob Dylan, Damien Rice and Eva Cassidy, started singing to a handful of regulars in a local pub.

However, earlier this year, he performed in front of thousands of revellers at some of the country"s biggest music festivals, where he supported the likes of Supergrass, Gary Numan and the Sex Pistols.

Nevertheless, he has kept his feet firmly on the ground. And, when he wasn"t rehearsing, even helped his mum out on cleaning duties when she was short-staffed at Tesco in Galashiels.

Craig, who thanked everyone for their support, said: 'The last two years have been pretty mad. I"ve been working on this album for most of it and trying to make this a full-time career. I"ll continue to work at it but at the end of the day I just love to play guitar, sing and write, so everything is good!'

Craig will also play Jedburgh Town Hall on November 28 and Tower Mill in Hawick on November 29 as part of a three-date tour of the Borders to promote his album which will be on sale, along with his single.

He will be supported by Borders Got Talent winner Naomi Chapman, from Stow, and Borders band Katie and the Dulfudds, featured in the paper last week.
- Border Telegraph

FRIDAY night sees TD1 Radio (Galashiels) join forces with Radio North Angus (Arbroath) Cuillin fm (Skye) Celtic Music Radio (Glasgow) Leith FM

(Edinburgh) Two Lochs Radio (Gairloch) and Central fm (Falkirk) to try and

help Finola Forman and her single parent mum Henrietta.

We are broadcasting a live show, Finola"s Big Night Out, from The Dockers

Club in Leith on the night of April the 10th. The night is to raise funds

and awareness of the plight of young disabled adults in Scotland who want to go to college.

The entertainment will be live music played by some of the newest young

talent from Scotland who want to help their peers who want the right to

further education.

Fourteen-year-old year old Jack Robinson who has already played with Lulu and Sandi Thom, Sandi has helped Jack with his new album released soon. Sxiteen-year-old Naomi Chapman a up and coming singer songwriter who won Borders Got Talent and is in talks with The Big Sky Label. 23 year old Craig Jeffrey who is fast becoming a name everyone will know, Craig has played on the same bill as some of the biggest names in the business and just released his debut album Don"t Blow Away.

Craig has appeared on ITV Border"s Lookaround programme on several occasions and recently he was on STV"s The Five Thirty Show. Both

Emmerdale and Coronation Street have noticed this young Scottish lad's

talent by playing his music in different scenes and on a lot of episodes.

This is all to help Finola from Edinburgh who suffers from Cerebral Palsy

and has the same dream as a lot of our young adults 16-23 in Scotland; she wants to go to college. Because of her condition and complex needs she will have to go to college in ether England or Wales where they have 56 such establishments that cater for young disabled people.

In Scotland there are no colleges that cater for our young people with severe disabilities and even worse they find it almost impossible to get funding to attend college. In Finola"s case the local authorities say that there may be funds available of £32,000 this year to help towards the £75,000 a year it will cost to send her to college.

If she lived south of the border this would not be an issue as all costs

would be met by the Government like they are here in Scotland for all able

bodied people. This surely must be discrimination and must be addressed,

this is Scotland where we pride our self"s on the fact that we have produced some of the greatest educated minds in the world. So why should our young disabled people not get that chance of further education as they do in the south of the UK?

Finola"s mother Henrietta has setup The Finola Trust to help raise funds for

her daughters education, she has since found out she is not alone. There are families all over Scotland in the same boat as her and Finola and Henri now wants to help them through the Finola Trust as well.

She is looking for any young person and there families in Scotland who are going through the same problem of raising funds for college to get in touch with her through the Trust website www.finolatrust.co.uk Together as one voice they may be heard.

You can tune in from 7.55pm on Friday 10th April to hear the whole event

broadcast live on TD1 Radio.

David Henderson

Station Manager

Galashiels Community Radio - TD1 Radio
- Border Telegraph

by Ally McGilvray
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Craig Jeffrey is pictured at the launch of his debut album, Don't Blow Away, in the Volunteer Hall in Galashiels last year. But, following his appearance on Coronation Street this week, he may need a bigger stage to play on in future.
HE struggled to get a gig in front of a handful of regulars in his local two years ago; but now, after launching his debut album, his songs are being played to an audience of millions in one of the most famous pubs in the world.

Galashiels singer-songwriter Craig Jeffrey made a special guest appearance on ITV1 soap Coronation Street last week.

His song Lula, from recently released album Don"t Blow Away, was played on the jukebox in the Rovers Return as landlord Steve McDonald was caught in a dilemma between partner Michelle Connor and lover Becky Grainger, during the first of two episodes on Friday night.

The 23-year-old, who shot to stardom after supporting Scottish chart-topper Paulo Nutini at a Rock Against Racism gig in the Borders after his dad entered him into a competition on a local radio station, was following in the footsteps of some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Snow Patrol, Leona Lewis and Amy Macdonald, who have also had their tracks played on the show which is watched by around 10 million viewers every episode.

Speaking to the Border Telegraph after watching the show at his home in Galashiels, Craig, who has also given permission for his songs to be played on rival soap Emmerdale, said: 'It"s a good feeling especially after all the hard work putting the album together over the past two years.

'Lula, which for me is about being skint and working in the music industry, is one of my favourite songs and to have it played in millions of homes in every corner of the country on prime time telly is pretty awesome.'

Corrie is one of the most popular programmes on British TV and is beamed to countries around the globe. The award-winning soap opera is one of the longest-running programmes on the box and celebrates its 7000th episode later this month.

Craig"s dad and manager, Bill Jeffrey, said: 'It"s surreal. Two years ago he struggled to get a gig in the Ladhope and now he"s headlining the jukebox in the Rovers Return.

"I remember an interview with Snow Patrol where they were asked when they knew they had really made it, and they replied it was when they heard their song being played on Coronation Street."

But he added: 'We nearly missed it because we had the grandchildren over at the house to watch it and they were so excited but then the phone started ringing from friends and family to say they had heard Craig on TV.'

Craig launched his 12-track album, which was recorded at Big Sky Studios in Tweedbank, to rave reviews during a promotional tour of the Borders in November last year.

It followed the release of charity single, Hard To Say, which he penned in memory of his grandparents, who lost their lives to cancer.

Earlier in 2008, he performed in front of thousands of revellers at some of Scotland"s biggest music festivals, where he supported the likes of Supergrass, Gary Numan and the Sex Pistols.

And, this year, he plans to promote the album throughout the UK.

Craig, who will support Scottish chart-toppers the Macdonald Brothers at a charity fundraiser organised by Edinburgh radio station Leith FM in April, added: 'It"s been an amazing start to 2009 with the song appearing on Coronation Street but we couldn"t have done it without the great support we have received from the Borders.'

amcgilvray@bordertelegraph.com
- Border Telegraph

Galashiels singer-songwriter Craig Jeffrey hit the small screen this week when his latest single, Hard to Say, featured in an episode of Emmerdale on ITV.
The track was released as a single last month to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support and so far is thought to have sold around 3,000 copies.

Craig’s dad Bill, who manages the 22-year-old, said: “I sent the show’s producers a CD just before the release in September but we didn't think they would actually play it.

“We didn’t even have the telly on, but then the phone kept ringing with people that had heard it. It’s not every day that a young lad from the Borders has music played on Emmerdale.

“Craig couldn’t take it in, to think of the millions of people that watch Emmerdale, not just in this country, but all over the world.

“It’s a massive compliment that they think it’s good enough to feature on the show.” - The Southern Reporter