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Iain Morrison (Musician)

Iain Morrison is a Scottish musician and singer/songwriter. He was born on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. He plays a number of instruments including guitar, piano, drums & various types of pipes. His early musical background was in the classical music of the highland pipes (piobaireachd), being taught by his Pipe Major father using a technique called canntaireachd. He later learnt to play the guitar and has now released several albums on his own Peat Fire Smoke label.

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Iain Morrison (Musician)

Career

Morrison spent most of his early years on the Isle of Lewis. He was taught to play the highland pipes by his father PM Iain M Morrison. He later learnt to play the guitar and developed his own style as a singer/songwriter. He also plays piano and drums. Influences which also include The Waterboys and Neil Young led to him becoming the writer and singer with the Glasgow based Indie band Crash My Model Car. They were signed to V2 Records and released an album 'Ghosts & Heights' before disbanding in 2009 for Morrison to concentrate on his solo writing. Due to his early background in the classical music of the highland pipes (piobaireachd) he was commissioned in 2010 by the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow to write songs to form a show based on these ancient pipe melodies. The show received a 5 Star review from the Scotsman newspaper. He won 'Composer of the Year' at The Scots Trad Music Awards in 2010. He appeared on the BBC’s Transatlantic Sessions programme in 2011 singing 3 of his own songs alongside Bela Fleck, Danny Thompson & Jerry Douglas. He sang the part of ‘Orpheus’ for Anais Mitchell’s ‘Hadestown’ show in Glasgow in 2011. To record his new album 'To the Horizon, Sir' Morrison travelled to Vermont to the studio home of producer & friend Michael Chorney (Hadestown Orchestra, Anais Mitchell, Dollar General, Justin Vernon, Ani Difranco). New tracks for the album were created with Iain and Michael joined by musicians Geza Carr (drums) & Robinson Morse (double bass). Returning to Scotland the album was completed with musicians including long time collaborator and friend Pete Harvey (The Leg, Meursault) on cello.

Discography

Solo

• Bulleted list item Empty Beer Bottles & Peat Fire Smoke (2004)
• Bulleted list item Skimming Stones... Sinking Boats (2008)
• Bulleted list item Trust the Sea to Guide Me (2010)
• Bulleted list item To the Horizon, Sir (2012)

With poet Daibhidh Martin

• Bulleted list item Haunted Bird (2011)

With Crash My Model Car

• Bulleted list item Ghosts & Heights (2007)

With Poor Old Ben

• Bulleted list item Drawing Faces to Forget (2003)

External link

• Official website www.iainmorrisonmusic.com

References

• Bulleted list item Reviews
• The Herald
• Folk Radio UK
• UK Folk Music Magazine
• The Scotsman gig review