Talented six prove they have Music Plus
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
SIX young singer songwriters from the Highlands starred at their own showcase – and proved the best possible advert for the scheme that had helped them get the gig off the ground.
National project Music Plus had provided mentoring, the chance for all six to record and also help to stage and promote the event at Mad Hatters, Inverness, on Saturday.
And though some had different gold star strengths – from confident introductions to mastering the technical challenges of playing onstage – all pulled out the stops.
The smooth-running event gave each musician the chance to perform two or three songs in front of the audience largely of family and friends.
And having decided the running order alphabetically, the group ended up with good contrasts between the musical styles on offer.
ALICE BENTLEY (17) from Dingwall, opened the show with Lois, one of the songs that went down well at her recent Easter Showcase gigs. And inviting two of her Music Plus colleagues – Molly Nolan (fiddle) and Josh Mackenzie (guitar) – up to join her, added a new depth to the sound. Jemma Tweedie and Imogen Hay then joined Alice on backing vocals for Enjoy Myself and she finished with Scottish Rain, a song that was one of the most memorable of the night.
IMOGEN HAY (14) from Kirkhill, wore a circlet of flowers on her hair – the kind you can buy at summer festivals. It contrasted with her first song, Winter Waltz, with Imogen singing and playing clarsach and Molly on fiddle. There was an irresistibly sad and longing quality brought by lyrics like “Every time I close my eyes, I get a little closer to home” and the intriguing scene-setter “Cousin, I close my eyes ... 1000 nights filter away”.
For those who had seen Imogen guest at The Duplets’ concert at Eden Court last year, there was a welcome chance to hear again the teenager’s heart-stopping Little Birds.
The lyrics again paint pictures “... on a battlefield dressed in blood, a man was praying silently, he knew he was a pawn on a chessboard ... no-one stopped the knight from taking the pawn”.
Imogen’s voice drew us in. And for both audience and the other musicians, there was no mistaking a real performance that silenced the room and made the atmosphere electric.
It was probably the performance of the night, taking the emotional connection between listener and musician to a new level.
JOSH MACKENZIE (20) from Inverness, had a hard act to follow, but chose two songs he normally performs with his band Lionel – and the rockier style and able guitar-playing, instantly took the crowd to a different place. Toy Soldiers, Josh told us, was a really new song “so bear with me”. But that and the performance of Five am Lights – with Molly on keyboards and Imogen and Alice on backing vocals – went without a hitch. And for anyone who has heard Lionel in action, it’s good to see a different side to Josh’s rock frontman.
MOLLY NOLAN (15) from Evanton, came to us already having proved how able she was as a multi-instrumentalist – we’d already seen her accompanying others singing, playing fiddle and keyboards.
Her own first song Raindrops saw her singing at the piano with a gentle, clear voice that complemented her instrument. Explaining that she usually performed Behind Your Eyes with someone else, Molly turned in a confident solo performance, but brought on Alice and Imogen on backing vocals to finish with the more upbeat Runaway. Introducing it, Molly smiled: “This one is quite optimistic compared to the other ones, so it’a better one to end on!”
JEMMA TWEEDIE (19) from Nairn, showed just how much a young performer can learn in a year of gigging around Scotland and putting together all the skills needed to release her debut EP Two Hands.
It was that song she chose to perform first, accompanying herself on guitar and deftly picking up the tempo almost instantly for the first fast song of the night.
She has her own unique way of phrasing her words and music, though in Paper Doll – with the briefest of introductions – that almost worked against hearing some of the lyrics clearly.
But with Dylan Tierney joining Jemma for You And I, she had chosen the right song to end her mini-set on a high.
DYLAN TIERNEY (15) from Inverness, has an urgency and a determination about him that leaves you in no doubt how serious he is about his music.
Imogen and Molly joined him onstage for backing vocals as he opened his stint with I Did.
Like Alice’s Scottish Rain and Imogen’s Little Birds – it’s an accomplished piece of songwriting that makes you hang on every syllable.
The contrast between the husky, croaky edge to Dylan’s strong voice and the smoothness of the girls’ vocal accompaniment worked well.
Dylan has been compared to Jake Bugg – and watching him perform, you can see why.
Dylan told us Do You Ever was “a personal song, written for my mother”, who is dead.
It’s a heartfelt and heartbreaking song that doesn’t venture anywhere near the sentimental.
Adding Molly’s fiddle accompaniment was, again, an inspired touch. Shake My Love lifted the pace with a stageful of the Music Plus musicians ending the night on a real high.
The final word went to Music Plus project manager Stace Lockhart, who probably expressed the feelings of a lot of those of us merely watching.
“Seeing a night like this fills me full of hope,” he began.
Earlier he had pointed out that it’s hard for young people to get gigs.
But with the quality of the talent, the performers’ quietly efficient stage arrivals and departures – and also their mastery of communicating with their audience about the songs and their music – as a promoter you’d be mad not to think a regular showcase gig for teens by teens might be a great idea.
