Bird on a Wire
Boo Hewerdine
Boo Hewerdine has been a songwriter and performer for over thirty years. At the age of 19 he signed his first record deal. Later, his next band, The Bible, released the cult album Walking The Ghost Back Home. There followed the Steve Earle produced Eureka before the band called it a day. Since then Hewerdine has been a solo performer, musician, song-writer, producer, A&R person and mentor.
He has made 10 solo albums including last year’s Before which received incredible reviews.
As a musician he has played with Eddi Reader (producing her Sings the songs of Robert Burns, Angels and Electricity and Simple Soul), Brian Kennedy, Heidi Talbot (producing In Love and Light), Kris Drever (wrote his breakthrough single “Harvest Gypsies”), Chris Difford (produced and co-writing The Last Temptation of Chris and Pants) and Buffy Sainte-Marie amongst others.
As a songwriter his songs have been recorded by many people including kd Lang (“My Last Cigarette” on her top 20 album Drag) , Eddi Reader (Wrote five songs for her #4 gold album Eddi Reader), David McAlmont (Wrote top 40 single “Look at Yourself” and the song “Who Loves You” on his adored album A Little Communication) , Paul Young (wrote the single Hard Cargo on the top 40 album Paul Young), Hepburn (including co-writing top 20 single Bugs), Alex Parks, Brian Kennedy (numerous songs including "Ghost Music” on this top 20 album A Better Man and his show stopping “Different God”, The Corrs (co-write the song “Lifting Me” which was the basis of a worldwide Pepsi campaign), Sia (co-wrote songs on her first major label releases) , Sofia Carson (Recorded a Swedish language version of “Muddy Water” which went to #2 in the Swedish charts, Suggs (co-wrote the song “invisible Man” on his album The Three Pyramids Club), Mel C (co-wrote the Rick Rubin produced song “Angel on My Shoulder”) , Emma Bunton (co-wrote the song “Looking for Love” on the album Life in Mono), Findlay Napier, Kris Drever, Nashville Bluegrass Band (Wrote “Slow Loaner” on their Grammy Nominated album
American Beauty), Heidi Talbot, Jack Savoretti (Co-wrote the hit single “Dr Frankenstein”), Natalie Imbruglia (co-wrote several songs including “Something Better”) , Clive Gregson (Multiple co-write across various albums), Jerry Douglas (Recorded “Footsteps Fall” on Lookout for Hope on his #5 Billboard Top New Age Albums) , Chris Difford, Sarah Jane Morris, Europe (Co-wrote “Kingdom United” on 2019 album Walk the Earth which was #2 in the Swedish Album. Charts and the top 40 across Europe), Peter Jöback (co-written song “Undress Me” on #2 Swedish album I’m Worth It), Nolwenn Leroy (wrote “Davy Jones” on her multi-platinum Ô Filles de l’Eau which was the basis of a live show that toured Francophone territories for two years) Kym Richey (co-wrote “Word to the Wise” and “Keys” on critically acclaimed album Wreck Your Wheels) and he has worked with many others.
Eddi Reader’s version of his song Patience Of Angels was in the charts for months and was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award. Eddi has recorded over fifty of Boo’s songs. The following year he was a judge for the Ivor Novello awards.
He has also written music for TV and film, including Fever Pitch (based on Nick Hornby’s best selling memoir) and Shane Meadows’ Twentyfourseven which won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
As a producer he has worked with Eddi Reader, Jill Jackson, Findlay Napier, Heidi Talbot, Dan Whitehouse, D Cullen, David McAlmont, Kirsty McGee, The Strypes, and Alex Parks #5 platinum album Introducing including co-writing the top 20 single “Cry”.
As an A&R person he helped run the Ignition label, currently home to Primal Scream and The Cortinas.
As a mentor he has been running songwriting workshops for over 15 years. Residentially in Samsø (Denmark), Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre - Moniack Mhor, Halsway Manor, Tillton House and many other venues. He has also mentored PRS staff. His bi-annual weekend workshops at the Blue Boar have run for over 10 years attracting hobbyists and professionals alike.
Findlay Napier
Findlay Napier is one of Scotland's finest singer songwriters. In 2018 he was the first solo act to be nominated for Live Act of the Year at the Scot’s Trad. Music Awards. Described as Micheal Marra meets Elvis Costello, a Caledonian Loudon Wainwright III or a Scottish James Taylor this master storyteller's songs are full of earthy humour, hopeless love and biting satire.
His remarkable 2015 solo debut VIP: Very Interesting Persons (produced by Boo Hewerdine) was number two in the Daily Telegraph’s top dozen folk albums that year and categorically commanded him musical VIP status.
In 2017 he turned those same supreme songwriting and storytelling gifts, allied with magpie-minded imagination and truly magnificent vocals, to his adoptive home town Glasgow on VIP’s hotly anticipated follow-up.
Findlay was part of Folk by The Oak’s successful “Shake the Chains” touring and album project. 2019 saw his Story Song Scientist’s collaboration with award winning songwriter Megan Henwood tour across the UK in support of their eponymous fIrst EP. A tour and 2nd EP are due 2021. He is currently working with Blazin’ Fiddles piano/producer Angus Lyon on an LP of new songs called “It Is What It Is”. His third solo album will be released in late 2021 when he supports Eddi Reader on her autumn tour.
This year with his wife Gillian Frame and composer/producer/multi-instrumentalist Mike Vass he released The Ledger. The album, a time capsule of the 50’s folk scene, contains ten traditional Scottish folk songs. They performed The Ledger at the prestigious TED summit in Edinburgh and at Celtic Connections.
Findlay is also the host of Celtic Connections “Late Night Sessions”, director of Glasgow Songwriting Festival and recently appeared in season two of Starz network’s flagship show The Spanish Princess.