T in the Park: Five singer-songwriter acts
Singer-songwriters might be ten a penny these days, but T in the Park has managed to lure five of the best acts to Balado this weekend.
Frank Turner
The Eton-schoolboy-turned-folk-troubadour is bringing backing band The Sleeping Souls to Kinross with him this summer in support of his fourth studio album, England Keep My Bones, with its follow-up due some time next year. Turner’s solo project is vastly different from the paint-stripping racket he created whilst fronting hardcore punk band Million Dead, but ultimately more successful, as proven by his sellout gig at the Wembley Arena, when around 12,000 fans turned up to see him perform. A raft of nominations, an award for ‘Best Live Act’ along with over 60,000 copies sold of his latest studio album have placed Turner firmly at the forefront of the British singer-songwriter scene.
Did you know?
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Hide AdFrank Turner’s song ‘Peggy Sings the Blues’ is a tribute to his late grandmother who, according to Turner, had him ‘drinking whisky and playing poker at age 10.’ The song can be found on the England Keep My Bones album, which takes its title from a line in William Shakespeare’s ‘The Life and Death of King John’.
When?
Main Stage, Sunday July 8
Download this: The first single from England Keep My Bones, If Ever I Stray.
Beerjacket
‘Beerjacket’ is the term used to describe that feeling of warmth one feels on leaving a pub after a good session, and rather appropriately, is what Peter Kelly, aka Beerjacket, manages to achieve with his brand of alt-folk. Six albums in eight years, global airplay and a raft of support slots with bands such as Arab Strap, Rilo Kiley and The National have propelled Kelly’s music from a room in Lanarkshire to the a much wider audience. And, as Kelly noted in a 2009 interview, ‘all without a manager, PR, publisher, record label, agent or other band members to thank or blame.’ Somewhat ironically, Beerjacket was designed as a temporary vehicle for Kelly to rid himself of the music scene via a solo ‘farewell’ performance. That the complete opposite happened is Scotland - and folk music’s - gain.
Did you know?
The multi-talented Kelly designs and draws a lot of his own album artwork.
When?
Friday July 6
Download this: The hauntingly beautiful Drum.
Amy Macdonald
Another of Glasgow’s children, Amy Macdonald plays T in the Park barely a month after releasing her third studio album, Life in a Beautiful Light. Debut album This is the Life (released five years ago) has amassed 3 million sales worldwide, spawning five singles including the title track, which has won awards for ‘Best International Single’. Follow-up album A Curious Thing has racked up 1.5 million sales, whilst Life in a Beautiful Light topped the charts in three countries including her native Scotland, and entered the UK charts at number two. Over the past five years, Macdonald has become much more confident when performing live, with an unmistakeable Caledonian swagger making its way onto her studio recordings as well. Whilst no stranger to T in the Park, having performed here in the past, Amy Macdonald is sure to deservedly draw one of the weekend’s biggest crowds.
Did you know?
Amy Macdonald was first inspired to pick up a guitar after seeing Travis play at T in the Park in 2000. Macdonald is self-taught, teaching herself the basics on her father’s guitar before starting to play in pubs and coffee houses in Glasgow aged 15.
When?
Saturday July 7
Ben Howard
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Hide AdThe Devonshire singer-songwriter first appeared on our radar with his excellent cover of ‘Call Me Maybe’, by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen, for the Radio 1 Live Lounge. Howard manages to steer an upbeat slice of bubblegum pop in an almost jazzy direction with rather favourable results. However, it would be remiss not to point to Howard’s self-penned songs as an example of his talents. A little bit Jose Gonzales, a little bit Maroon 5, Howard is steadily making an impression with his own brand of alt-indie. Expect large crowds for Ben Howard at T in the Park this weekend, as he just might be going places.
Did you know?
Howard is signed to the same label as Frank Turner, Island Records, and is strongly influenced by both Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.
When?
Saturday July 7
Download this: The Fear, one of Howard’s standout tracks.
James Morrison
Ostracised at school by his peers for choosing music over sports and crippled by low self-esteem as a result, James Morrison relocated to Cornwall whilst in his teens, where he found a more welcoming outlet for his musical tendencies. The 27-year-old has also collaborated with artists such as Nelly Furtado, Jason Mraz, and Jessie J, who is also appearing at T in the Park this weekend. The singer-songwriter draws on a number of personal experiences in his music, with songs on his recent album ‘The Awakening’ being influenced by becoming a father, and coping with his own father’s death from alcoholism and depression. His haunting vocal melodies combined with provocative guitar and piano accompaniment have helped Morrison stand out from the crowd.
Did you know?
Morrison attributes his almost-frail singing voice to a severe bout of whooping cough that, he says, nearly killed him, with doctors having to rescusitate him four times.
When?
Sunday July 8