Scottish Celtic rock band Skerryvore was formed in 2005. The first lineup included Tiree brothers Daniel Gillespie and Martin Gillespie, together with Fraser West and his friend Alec Dalglish, both from Livingston, West Lothian. With the addition of fiddler Craig Espie and bassist Barry Caulfield, the band’s line-up was expanded, broadening the range and diversity of musical genres they could incorporate into their sound.
The band took its name from the Skerryvore lighthouse that located 19 km (12 miles) off the coast of Tiree.
Initially, Skerryvore played in Scottish West Coast halls and bars. As their popularity and visibility grew, the band started to appear at festivals throughout the UK and eventually toured the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe.
Skerryvore’s sound is characterized by a mix of fiddle, accordions, bagpipes and whistles, together with guitar and vocals, supported by driving bass, drums and keyboards.
The band’s studio albums present a wide range of musical influences, combining traditional Celtic music with rock, Americana, and even some jazz.
The band celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2015 by launching its own 6000 capacity ‘Decade’ festival, following this up with successful ‘Oban Live’ events throughout the next four years.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Skerryvore released the single, ‘Everyday Heroes,’ recorded from home, and assisted by a variety of musicians from across the country. It reached number one in the official Scottish charts and raised thousands of pounds for National Health Service staff charities. Also recorded in isolation, the single ‘You and I’ spent seven weeks, in January and February 2021, on BBC Radio 2’s playlist, unheard of for a track from an independent label.
‘Together Again,’ released in July 2021, also made it to Radio 2’s playlist, celebrating the beginnings of a return to meeting up with friends again.
In 2020, Skerryvore released a live album recorded at Scottish venues in late 2019. The band returned to touring the USA in September 2021, followed by European and English Tours in November 2021 and their Scottish Winter Tour in December 2021.
Discography:
West Coast Life (Skipinnish Records, 2005)
On the Road (Skipinnish Records, 2007)
Skerryvore (Tyree Records, 2010)
World of Chances (Tyree Records, 2012)
Chasing the Sun (Tyree Records, 2014)
Decade (Tyree Records, 2015)
EVO (Tyree Records, 2018)
Live Across Scotland (Tyree Records, 2020)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
What is the name of their fiddler?
Craig Espie is the fiddler. we have updated the profile accordingly.