Stirling band Constant Follower 'excited' to play at Lochinver: Landscape of north-west has special significance for frontman Stephen McAll
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Experimental folk band Constant Follower has included a north-west Sutherland date in its latest tour.
The Stirling based band will play at Lochinver Village Hall on Sunday, October 30 - the last in a string of seven live performances and the only one north of Inverness.
The two dates in the Highlands are of special significance to the band whose debut album Neither Is, Nor Ever Was was heavily inspired by the landscapes of the Highlands.
Constant Follower was created by Stephen McAll, a singer, guitarist and songwriter and features Andrew Pankhurst (guitar), Amy Campbell (backing vocals/synth) David Guild (bass) and Gareth Perrie (keys).
Stephen, who grew up in Glasgow, suffered a traumatic incident as a teenager that led him to spend time in and take solace from the remote landscape of north-west Scotland.
Aged just 17, he was randomly attacked on the way home from his girlfriend’s house and sustained head injuries which left him partially paralysed and unable to write or play a guitar.
He said: “I spent the next decade between home and a cabin on Scotland’s western coastline, where I eventually relearned to play guitar and began composing again.
“The peace and beauty of the landscapes up and down the north-west coast were central to healing from that attack and finding the inspiration to write again.”
He continued: “The album is in some ways a soundtrack or score to living in these landscapes, so it is important to us to come and play the music in this area, and for me to come back there for the first time with the band too.
"We're extremely excited to get to play in these beautiful, more remote parts of Scotland."
The band has just been named on the shortlist for the Scottish Album of the Year Award 2022 for Neither Is, Nor Ever Was.
“The SAY Award nomination has been amazing for turning more new people on to our music, so we hope to see folk from the north-west coming out to see it performed live,” said Stephen.
Tickets for the tour are available at constantfollower.com/live
