As part of Scotland on Tour, the exciting initiative to support the recovery of Scotland’s live music industry, the up-and-coming folk group Eabhal will launch their new album Aisling at The National Piping Centre, Glasgow on Friday, May 20.
Eabhal formed as a band while all five members were based on the Hebridean island of Uist. As well as performing traditional songs alongside contemporary and self-penned tunes, the five-piece also draw influence from other musical cultures and unite these in their music.
Their new album Aisling showcases an array of new arrangements, as well as both Gaelic and English songs. A lot of the material came together remotely during lockdown and the title of the album Aisling (Gaelic word for dream) is in reference to the creative process the band followed while putting the album together – combining their musical ideas from a distance.
Jamie MacDonald, the fiddle player with Eabhal said: “We are delighted to be launching our second album Aisling at The National Piping Centre in partnership with Scotland on tour. The album is a culmination of our creative work so far and it draws heavily on geographical influences. Each track has a strong connection with a place and a time, as well as drawing inspiration from the people we have met throughout our travels as a band. This launch gig is the first of a stretch of dates touring the new material and we can’t wait to get back on the road.”
Scotland on Tour will take place over a period of 12 months between April 2022 and 2023, the remaining confirmed concerts taking place at The National Piping Centre Ainsley Hamill’s Not Just Ship Land on Thursday, June 23 and Mary Ann Kennedy & Finlay Wells on Sunday, July 10.
Finlay MacDonald, Director of Piping at The National Piping Centre, said: “We are delighted to be working with Scotland on Tour to help bring live music back to stages across Scotland. This is a fantastic initiative that supports performers and promoters, alongside venues that would not usually be part of these band’s usual touring circuits.
“We can’t wait to help Eabhal officially launch their new album Aisling and we’re really looking forward to getting the exclusive first listen at this concert. It will be great to see live music back on our stage once again, allowing us to get excited for our own in-person Piping Live! festival that will we back later this year.”
Scotland on Tour supports the creation of hundreds of concerts and performances at much-loved arts centres, town halls and community venues across Scotland. More than 120 artists are set to perform at more than 100 venues across the country as part of the initiative.
The project, which has been created and managed by Active Events, was made possible by £750,000 of Scottish Government backing and will focus on increasing the number of opportunities to showcase and enjoy live music, while bringing exciting acts to the doorstep of city, towns, villages and rural communities.
The year-long Scotland on Tour bill includes both emerging and established artists with genre-spanning acts appearing across the breadth and width of the country, with rock, pop, jazz, classical, folk, trad and acoustic genres all being showcased.
Tickets for these and a raft of other shows are on sale now at www.scotlandontour.com.
