The Razorbills are an indie-folk outfit based in and around Gatehouse of Fleet. They’ve been together in one form or another for five years and have spent that time developing from a thoughtful, acoustic three-piece to a livelier five-piece with bass, drums and a good chance of a boogie. Even in their more upbeat incarnation lyrics are at the heart of their music and their songs are always distinctively about something: life, love, loss, religion, politics, parenthood – nothing is out of bounds, and subjects are usually covered with humour and insight borne of long life experience. Teenyboppers they ain’t – with an age range from 18 to 64 their target demographic has to be ‘people in general’, or at least anyone with an interest in a well-crafted song.
Already fairly well known in the region thanks to appearances at the Wickerman, Eden, Comlongon Rocks and Midsummer Music festivals, recent collaborations with resurgent folk-legend Shelagh McDonald have brought them attention from the national music press and their 2012 album ‘To Hell With Youth and Beauty’ has garnered glowing reviews from fRoots magazine (who described them as “…refreshingly individualistic, quirky and brassy”) and R2 magazine (whose 4 star review noted their distinctive songwriting and catchy melodies). The band are about to start work on the follow-up album with Gatehouse’s MW Sound, headed by producer Marcus Samson Wright.
As well as producing and promoting their own music the band are heavily involved in bringing more music to the region: they help to organise Gatehouse’s Midsummer Music festival, the now legendary Mill Sessions (which all began with a Razorbills performance in 2010), and with their fledgling record label Lost Wasp Records they hope to co-operatively promote original songwriting from a variety of local artists.
Current lineup:
Alan McClure – vocals/rhythm guitar/tin whistle
Michelle McClure – violin/vocals
Harry Thomson – vocals/mandolin/banjo/octave mandolin
Jon Noad – bass guitar
Ian McLeod – drums/percussion
website: www.therazorbills.co.uk
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Razorbills
video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twx6_7JJneg
interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQfK-A1F_y8
