There’s nothing like songs for dreich nights in a Scottish winter. With more rain than light, you need something to bring warmth to the night. It’s a wee country, known for its whisky, warm people, and wild weather. Besides drinking and humor, music is a saving grace in the harshest weather. Whether it’s folk tales by the fiddle, soulful sounds against the rain, or spoken word whistling in the wind – we thank you for the music. As an appreciation post, we decided to take a look at the Scottish Sofar performances that get us through those dreich nights.
1. Nekkuro Hána – Lizardman | Sofar Glasgow
Never did being a “Lizardman” sound so tempting. The Glasgow band formed after meeting at a fermentation therapy session making all things Kimchi, and while the bandmates seem to be working on other projects now, the fermenting lives on in this Sofar performance. From Japanese influence to psych rock fuzz, their sound grows, changes, and develops into something special for your songs for dreich nights.
2. Cara Rose – Where Would I Be | Sofar Glasgow
Cara Rose claims the cold can’t catch her and we believe it. There is honesty and purity in the Glaswegian singer-songwriter’s voice. In this Sofar video, the artist asks “Where Would I Be?” As the piano brings fullness to Rose’s rich vocals, we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
3. The Fergus McCreadie Trio – Jig | Sofar Glasgow
He may have received a Mercury nomination and won the SAY awards, but Fergus McCreadie’s sound keeps his feet firmly on the moss-covered ground—definitely the kind of feeling we need from songs for dreich nights. With his latest album Forest Floor inspired by the Scottish wilderness; the jazz trio are the wind, the rain, and the rainbow showers that Scotland consistently offers. We recommend listening to this Sofar with a glass of whisky, the wood burner blazing, and a Harris Tweed blanket on the shoulders for good measure.
4. Sean Focus – Fly 2 Afrika | Sofar Edinburgh
Edinburgh rapper, producer, and engineer Sean Focus brings us Afrocentric warmth in a recent Sofar performance from the capital. “Fly 2 Afrika” is exactly what many of us might opt for on a typical dreich night in Scotland. Influenced by his Zimbabwean heritage and upbringing in Edinburgh, Sean Focus has been a pioneer in the Scottish rap scene.
5. Maarya – Sweet Cherry | Sofar Aberdeen
The electric guitar can’t help but speak in a late-night language. When the nights blur into days, Maarya’s “Sweet Cherry” tells tales to make sense of it all. The Scottish and Scandinavian singer-songwriter infuses the sharp Aberdonian wind into a wistful breeze of jazz and soul, a nice way to cap your playlist of songs for dreich nights.
Words by Maeve Hannigan
Photo credit: Maarya performing Sofar Aberdeen, image via YouTube
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