The Scotsman Sessions #277: Colin Hay

Welcome to the award-winning Scotsman Sessions. With performing arts activity curtailed, we are commissioning a series of short video performances from artists all around the country (and beyond) and releasing them on scotsman.com, with introductions from our critics. Here, Kilwinning-born, US-based singer/songwriter Colin Hay performs a cover of Driving With The Brakes On by fellow Scotsman Sessions guests Del Amitri

The Scotsman Sessions were born out of lockdown, out of artists shuttered away and unable to perform to an audience in person. But as restrictions have gradually lifted, contributions to the series have been filmed in the great outdoors, in otherwise darkened venues, in recording studios – and now, in the clearest sign yet that musicians are finally starting to head back out on the road after a 17-month gig moratorium, Colin Hay has filmed his performance in a hotel room in Norwalk, Connecticutt. “Room 336, by the window,” he elaborates.

The Kilwinning-born singer/songwriter has been resident in the US for the past 30 years but remains best known for his time fronting Men At Work, the band he formed after emigrating as a teen to Australia, who achieved international success with their infectious hit Down Under. Since the group split in 1986, Hay has pursued a steady solo career of albums and tours, including an Edinburgh Fringe run in 2016.

His latest album of originals is primed and ready for release early next year but, in the meantime, he has produced a lockdown covers album I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself, featuring renditions of classics by The Beatles, The Kinks, Glen Campbell, Jimmy Cliff, Blind Faith as well as the Dusty Springfield title track.

For his session, he has selected Driving With The Brakes On by fellow Scotsman Sessions guests Del Amitri.

“When I first came to live in Los Angeles in the early 90s, I would listen to Del Amitri’s album Twisted on the way home from the Hollywood club Largo, late at night,” he says. “By the time I got to the S curves on the boulevard, Driving With The Brakes On was playing. Killed me every time.”

I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself is out now on Compass Records, https://www.colinhay.com/

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription at https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions