ABOUT

 

As a kid,  I took to music like a fish to water, learning first recorder and playing in competitions and then training in classical piano, flute, saxophone and clarinet.   When I became a very young Mum, I had to leave University and instead I went into being a music teacher from home and a gigging singer/musician with my sister Loretta and my Dad Tommy, playing all sorts of events, but always playing other people’s music.

 

In 2010,  the loss of my Mum hit me hard . Eventually I decided to try to redirect my grief into something positive. I returned to University (ROYAL CONSERVATOIRE of SCOTLAND) at age 45 after a gap of 25 years and graduated in 2019 with a BA (Hons) in MUSIC,  For my fiftieth birthday, my family had been hoping to arrange a dream trip to Africa but with the pandemic upon us, they switched plans and booked me two weeks in a recording studio instead. I finally set upon collecting the songs I had written over the years for my debut album LIVING ROOM to celebrate being 50 years young.

 

Though I was brought up around Jazz music, or maybe because of that – I rebelled and was drawn to rock music and ultimately strong female songwriters like Tori Amos and Stevie Nicks. I developed and performed my own song-writing fusion of Country,  Celtic,  Folk,  Blues, Jazz and Pop - but never released any official recordings until now . 

 

The title of the album derives from the closing song IN MY MOTHER’S LIVING ROOM,  a tribute to my Mother Marie’s Celtic heritage and the ties that bind us all to our Mothers and their Mothers before them. The songs span 3 decades of my life from student to teacher to mother to student to grieving daughter and now to recording artist. We recorded the album on the Isle of Lewis at Black Bay Studio with my brother Jami as producer, my son Anton Reid on Drums/Guitar, Pete Fletcher as our wonderful engineer and amazing guest musicians Neil Johnstone  (Cello) and Louisa Barron (Violin)  and my daughter Mhairi as video director and photographer.   

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I’ve been influenced by many other amazing songwriters including  Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper,  the Finn Brothers (Crowded House),  Kirsty MacColl, Carole King and many more.

 

I hope these songs can bring to you the comfort, counsel and joy that music has brought to me.