A nation that is now renowned all over the world as a hotbed of creativity, imagination and progressiveness in all areas, Scotland’s music scene is flourishing like never before in recent years. Spanning all manner of genres and niches, artists from around the country continue to seep out from cramped practice spaces and bedrooms filled with recording equipment in order to make themselves heard on a global scale. With many flying the nest and venturing to far-flung festivals and conferences such as SXSW and CMJ to The Great Escape and Liverpool Sound City, it’s safe to say that profited-oriented industry figures and genuine music fanatics are equally fixated on what’s happening up here in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee et al.
Despite the fact that we continue to diversify as a nation at an exponential level in both the cultural and creative realms, a study from earlier this year has indicated that the BBC have covered far fewer stories relating to Scotland in comparison to last year and this is most certainly reflected in this year’s BBC Sound of 2017 longlist.
Although polls of this nature aren’t the be all and end all by any stretch of the imagination, this sort of accolade can go a long way to legitimising a burgeoning band in the eyes of the casual listener and to entirely neglect Scotland and its fiercely expanding scene is a complete travesty.
A by-product of their overall dearth of coverage of the country and any developments made, the dismaying lack of exposure given to homegrown talents was initially brought to our attention by a tweet from Creative Scotland’s head of music Alan Morrison and we wholeheartedly agree with the fact that its omission of the country’s rising stars is a stain on the list’s credibility.
With that said, here’s just a smattering of Scottish artists that have made considerable strides forward over the course of the year and thus would be more than worthy of such recognition from the United Kingdom’s biggest broadcasting company.
BE CHARLOTTE
With the aforementioned Alan Morrison stating that the lack of Be Charlotte on the list rendered it ‘meaningless’, we’d be inclined to wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment given how much progress she’s rightfully made over the year.. Becoming a regular feature on ‘ones to watch’ lists, receiving Radio 1 airplay on various occasions for tracks such as ‘Discover’ and recent single ‘Machines That Breathe’ not to mention tearing the roof off the BBC Introducing stage at T in the Park, it’s safe to say that the young singer/songwriter more than fits the bill for inclusion. Capable of truly captivating live performances that have the ability to inspire and soften even the most disgruntled cynic, Charlotte recently expanded her appeal internationally after undertaking a tour of Southeast Asia before triumphantly returning home to pick up the Big Apple prize at The Scottish Music Awards. If that’s not an artist that’s on track for a resoundingly successful 2017 then we don’t know what is.
BABY STRANGE
We’re well aware that Baby Strange have been a fixture on our radars for several years but 2016 has saw the band tear through any perceived plateau that may have been in front of them. Turning in sets of rugged, propulsive punk rock in venues throughout the country alongside their equally worthy companions WHITE, the trio have certainly made their ascent towards the mainstream’s blinding glare whilst maintaining their underground philosphy and roots. Recently racking up support slots with Jamie T, their debut album Want It, Need It was a testimony to everything that causes them to incite riotous responses from every crowd they’re placed in front of and there’s no telling where they’re headed to next.
KLOE
Capturing hearts and minds wherever she goes with her refreshing transparency and scintillating electro-pop bangers, KLOE’s omission from the BBC’s list is another one which is baffling to say the least. Spending her time traveling all over the UK and US as she continues to hone and streamline her hook-filled sound, she has amassed a rabid, cult-like following in not just the UK but across the planet. Consolidating her success with recent singles UDSM’ and ‘Liability’, KLOE’s exuberant sound is one which continues to immerse audiences into a world of double vodkas and torrid relationships and it’s one which everyone has began to take notice of.
MAN OF MOON
First intercepting the brains of everyone that came across them with the fusion of psychedelia and krautrock that was ‘The Road’, there was a reason why we named Man Of Moon our ‘Rising Stars Of 2015’ and they’ve since went on to make our word seems completely prophetic. Seemingly expanding their musical palette every time they step into the studio, this year’s Medicine EP provided highlight after highlight and would soon lead them on a highly successful tour. Primed to end their year on a high whilst supporting Super Furry Animals in their native Edinburgh, it’s plausible that they’ll waste little time in bringing us more new material to dissect and fawn over during the early stages of 2017.
CATHOLIC ACTION
Biding their time over the past couple of years and allowing the steadily building hype to simmer, 2016 has been the year that Catholic Action relented and gave fans exactly what they were after. Releasing numerous tracks over the past 11 months including ‘LUV’, ‘Rita Ora’ and ‘Breakfast’, the band have continued to diversify and expand their fanbase with eccentric, multi-faceted indie rock. Preparing to head to Austin, Texas for SXSW next March, it’s likely that they’ll have a whole host of American converts by the time they step on the plane back to the less unny climes of their homeland.
A small excerpt of Scotland’s overwhelming levels of talent, the crucial and unavoidable aspect of this situation is the fact that the whole country’s music scenes have been ludicrously overlooked despite just how far-reaching and divergent it’s become in recent years. With so many artists continuing to cast off any preconceived idea of music being just a frivilous hobby or distraction and dedicating their time to perfecting their craft, we certainly hope that the culture departments of organisations such as the BBC find it utterly impossible to overlook Scottish artists in the future.
