The Scotsman Sessions #420: Alas de Liona with Carron Miller

It’s a long way from the Mojave Desert to Scotland and the environments are contrasting to say the least, but Californian singer/songwriter Alas de Liona has found her niche in Edinburgh, having first landed in the capital to complete studies begun at Santa Barbara’s University of California.

“I stayed to pursue music and because I found a fantastic, welcoming community of artists here,” she says. “I’m originally from a very hot desert climate and I loved the climate also!”

De Liona was brought up in a musical household, living in a small desert town from a young age. A childhood of outdoor play under big skies fired her imagination and maybe there was something in the quiet expanses of her rural ’hood that echoed when she arrived in Scotland.

Alas de Liona (right) and Carron Miller

Certainly her current single, Vine Song, a live version of which she has recorded with guitarist Carron Miller at Colorsound rehearsal studios in Haymarket for her Scotsman Session, is a bridge between cultures with its vineyard imagery infused with Celtic folk pop top notes. The song has particular resonance for de Liona: “it’s the first song I performed here in Scotland and remains special to me.”

De Liona played a handful of pub gigs on her initial visit to the city in 2019, catching the ear of Proclaimers manager Kenny Macdonald along the way. Locked down in Edinburgh for some of 2020, she developed her songwriting, with the pace of city living influencing some of her more upbeat tracks.

Post-pandemic, the city drew her back for more gigs and recording. Her debut EP Radio Astronomy was released in 2021 and there have been plum support slots with Travis, The Proclaimers, Rufus Wainwright, Hamish Hawk and a Celtic Connections show with Kathryn Joseph and the Tinderbox Orchestra. More recently, she lapped up her opening set for Emeli Sande at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Bandstand as part of the popular Summer Nights concert series. Having secured a Global Talent Visa in summer 2023, Scotland is now her full-time base.

She hails Kate Bush, Fiona Apple and Tori Amos as influences on her delicate alt.pop sound, while another female singer/songwriter looms large for her evocation of Celtic mysticism, romanticism of environment and the transporting qualities of her music.

“My influences are hard to pinpoint because there are so many and each part of the patchwork makes up my musical identity,” says de Liona, “but I’d say Enya has been my favourite artist for many years and I find nods to her often in my music.”

De Liona has just released her debut album Gravity of Gold, produced by Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones and trailed with the release of Vine Song. Previous single Analogy looked at dealing positively with painful memories and elsewhere she provides a soothing soundtrack to accompany her lyrics on anxiety and peace, imagination and aspiration, saying “I’m so looking forward to finally getting this album out into the world.”

Gravity of Gold is out on 13 September on Deli Owner Records. Alas de Liona plays Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, on 19 September and Old Hairdressers, Glasgow, on 26 September