Under the Radar: Grayling

At the age of 15, Emma Murdoch, aka Grayling, was given a guitar by her father, but it was only in her early 20s that she began performing in public, throwing herself in at the deep end by busking at Loch Lomond Shores.

Several years on, she has become an accomplished songwriter, developing an elegant, country-tinged pop sound guaranteed to appeal to a broad range of palates. In 2023 veteran producer Dan Gautreau got in touch after discovering Grayling on a “ones to watch” list compiled by the BBC’s Vic Galloway. This resulted in him inviting Murdoch and her band (which includes Admiral Fallow’s Joe Rattray) to record at his Anstruther studio, a deal with his First Cut publishing company and a six track EP mastered by the Grammy-winning Greg Calbi, who has worked with Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan and Lady Gaga.

Due out in early summer, it will be preceded by the single Half Price Fantasy on 22 March, with plans afoot for a special live launch at an exotic Scottish location. In the meantime, Grayling will perform as a six-piece band, headlining King Tut’s in Glasgow on 24 January followed by Stirling’s Tolbooth three days later.

Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, www.borntobewide.co.uk Find them on Twitter @olafwide and @newfoundsound

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