Alasdair Roberts Popular Books

Alasdair Roberts Biography & Facts

Alasdair Roberts (born 8 August 1977) is a Scottish folk musician. He released a number of albums under the name Appendix Out and, following the 2001 album The Night Is Advancing, under his own name. Roberts is also known for his frequent collaborations with other musicians and writers, as well as for being a member of the folk supergroup The Furrow Collective. Early life Roberts was born in Geislingen an der Steige, Germany, the son of former folk guitarist (and partner of Dougie MacLean) Alan Roberts (1946–2001) and his German wife Annegret. He has two sisters. He was raised in Kilmahog, a hamlet close to the small town of Callander, near Stirling in central Scotland, where he started playing the guitar and writing music. He has long been based in Glasgow. Appendix Out In 1994 Alasdair Roberts formed Appendix Out with school friends Dave Elcock and Kenny McBride and started playing small venues. Roberts was also a classmate of Ladytron's Helen Marnie. While attending a Will Oldham concert in 1995, he offered a demo tape to the American singer, and a contract with US label Drag City soon followed. The band's first release was a double A-side single, "Pissed With You/Ice Age", and the band released its first album around a year later. Between 1997 and 2001, Appendix Out released three albums, two EPs and some limited-edition recordings that were never widely distributed. They recorded a session for John Peel's BBC radio show in 2001. The line up of the band changed frequently, with Roberts the only constant member. Solo career After three full-length albums with Appendix Out, Roberts recorded his first solo album, The Crook of My Arm. This album consisted almost entirely of solo vocals and guitar in marked contrast to the occasionally experimental sound of the Appendix Out records. All the songs are traditional, and Roberts credited the singers from whose performances he'd learnt the songs (these included his father, Alan Roberts, and Alan's sometime musical partner, Dougie MacLean). Since then, Roberts has released two further albums of traditional folk songs – No Earthly Man and Too Long in This Condition – plus three albums of original songs: Farewell Sorrow, The Amber Gatherers and Spoils. A fourth, A Wonder Working Stone, was released in January 2013, credited to Alasdair Roberts and Friends, a group of musicians which includes among others Stevie Jones, Rafe Fitzpatrick, Olivia Chaney and Alex Neilson. In 2015 Roberts released a self-titled album, a return to relative sparseness of earlier albums, and in 2017 Pangs, which was again a more collaborative album, featuring musicians with whom Roberts has previously worked – Stevie Jones, Tom Crossley and Alex Neilson – and backing vocals from Debbie Armour. Each album has a distinct character, and Roberts songwriting has shifted in recent years from the relative economy of Farewell Sorrow and The Amber Gatherers to a much denser wordplay, filled with allusions to mythology, esoteric spirituality and gnosticism, on Spoils and other recent releases. In 2012, musician Steve Adey covered "Farewell Sorrow" on his The Tower of Silence album. Collaborations Roberts is quoted as saying "Collaboration is extremely important to me. I reiterate – extremely". His collaborations have taken many forms. Accompanying musicians A large number of musicians have played with Alasdair Roberts when recording or performing under his own name. These include: Electric bass: Gerard Love, Gareth Eggie, Bill Lowman, Will Oldham, Paul Oldham Stand-up bass: Stevie Jones Fiddle: Rafe Fitzpatrick, Alastair Caplin, Elle Osborne, John McCusker Drums: Alex Neilson, Shane Connolly, Rian Murphy, Tom Crossley Guitar: Gordon Ferries, Gareth Eggie, RM Hubbert Cello: Isobel Campbell, Christine Hanson Piano: Tom Crossley, Isobel Campbell, Emily MacLaren Vocals: Emily Portman, Will Oldham, Tom Crossley, Niko-Matti Ahti, Debbie Armour Jouhikko: Pekko Käppi Viol: Alison McGillivray Harpsichord, harmonium: David McGuiness Harp: Kirsten Koppel, Bill Lowman Pipes: Donald Lindsay Group, ensemble and duo work In 2001, Roberts collaborated with friends and label-mates Will Oldham and Jason Molina, both playing on their albums and on the one-off album, Amalgamated Sons of Rest. With members of the Second Hand Marching Band, Roberts is part of The Robert Tannahill Project, dedicated to performing the songs of Scots poet Robert Tannahill. Roberts took part in a week-long residency in Aldeburgh, titled "Revenge of the Folksingers" and led by Concerto Caledonia's David McGuinness, in December 2010. Other participants included the members of Concerto Caledonia, Jim Moray and Olivia Chaney. Roberts contributed an original song, as well as singing songs by Ivor Cutler, Benjamin Britten, Hamish Henderson and from the traditional repertoire. An album with the same title and selection of songs was released in 2011. In 2010, Roberts performed a suite of songs written by the Icelandic artist Benni Hemm Hemm as part of the Reykjavik Arts Festival Roberts collaborated with Karine Polwart on a series of performances in Stirling, London and Sidmouth Folk Week in 2010 and 2011 (also joined by Corrina Hewat in Stirling and London). The pair released a recording of the traditional song, Captain Wedderburn's Courtship, as a 7" single in 2011. Roberts collaborated with Mairi Morrison, a Glasgow-based Gaelic singer from the Isle of Lewis, on an album of traditional songs, Urstan, released in March 2012. The Fruit Tree Foundation is a mental health initiative featuring nine Scottish songwriters, writing mainly in pairs. Roberts contributed songs with James Yorkston and Rod Jones to the resulting album, First Edition. Roberts contributed to Pumajaw's Curiosity Box album (2008), and, as writer and performer, to Jackie Oates' Hyperboreans album. With Alex Neilson, Lavinia Blackwall and Michael Flower – under the group name Black Flowers – Roberts played on the album I Grew From a Stone to a Statue. Roberts sang the lead vocals on Draughty Old Fortress on David Rotheray's album The Life of Birds. Roberts collaborated with RM Hubbert on a version of The False Bride for Hubbert's 2012 album, Thirteen Lost & Found (Chemikal Underground, CHEM166). Roberts appeared on tracks of the 2013 album by Lisa Knapp, Hidden Seam. Along with Emily Portman, Lucy Farrell and Rachel Newton, Roberts is part of The Furrow Collective. They have released three albums: At Our Next Meeting (2014), Wild Hog (2016) and Fathoms (2018). Theatre, film and literary work Roberts played hurdy-gurdy on the soundtrack of the 2003 film Young Adam. This was later released under the title Lead Us Not into Temptation by David Byrne. Roberts contributed a newly written song, Dighty Burn, as soundtrack to Edward Summerton and Michael Windle's 2011 short film Dighty. In early 2011, Roberts took part in a three-month residency at the School of Scottish Studies, under the title "Archive Trails". He collaborated with pup.... Discover the Alasdair Roberts popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Alasdair Roberts books.