Hootananny, Inverness hosts Duncan Overmeer’s launch of album ‘Rumour Mill’ on the 28th of April.
Duncan is no stranger to our local music scene having faithfully built an audience around the Highlands playing in churches, village halls, living rooms and bars alike.
His eagerly anticipated Debut Album “Rumour Mill” will be released on 29th April 2013 (Rumour Mill pre-order) through his micro-indie label Bruadar Records.
A homespun debut album from the Highland songwriter, offering up tales of treacherous love, restlessness and small town gossip.
Duncan tells us how he was eager to create a vibrant melting pot of sounds, gathering together a small group of musical friends from all corners of the country and brought them to a quiet studio tucked away in the hills for 3 days to record the album as a live makeshift band. Cut off from internet and mobile reception, they all lived together – sleeping in the studio at night and taking turns to cook meals – letting the song arrangements develop organically.
“It was an incredibly creative few days” says Duncan “Everyone knew the songs beforehand, but only a couple of the guys had previously played together and I deliberately left everyone to explore their own ideas before we all met up. It was a chaotic and wildly rewarding experience”. The result is a beautifully diverse, lush collection of tracks cut through with vivid emotion and honest intentions.
The artwork for the release has been a similarly collaborative and homespun effort amongst old friends. The initial CD release features limited edition screen-printed cases, handmade by Highland artist/printmaker Emma Noble with images adapted from original paintings by Edinburgh-based artist Kate Green. Duncan explains: “It’s a bit of a nod to rural industry that I find really inspiring… long worn traditions, the culture of the old ways. Things that survive still, but only in small pockets of the landscape.”
As a reviewer my duty is to lead the proverbial horse to water, sometimes the water is shallow and stagnant but this soul searching offering is deep and alluring and I urge you to drink.
From the lyrically meandering beauty of ‘Words on The Walls’ and ‘For Those Who Sing…’ to the laid back folk-rock of ‘As Our Fathers’ or the cheerily cynical title track, ‘Rumour Mill’ is an album of gentle twists and turns to wrap yourself up in.
Album launch gig will see Duncan perform tracks from the album with a full band at Hootananny’s Inverness, Sunday 28th April, 9.30pm
See our last interview with Duncan Overmeer.
