Kathryn Joseph is a solo performer who won the SAY (Scottish Album of the Year) award for her record Bones You Have Thrown Me and Blood I’ve Spilled in 2015. James Graham is the lead singer with the excellent rock band The Twilight Sad and Marcus MacKay is a producer who has worked with a variety of successful bands, including Frightened Rabbit, Snow Patrol and Washington Irving. The trio have collaborated to form the band Out Lines. Last year they released the album Conflats on Rock Action Records and tonight they are at Saint Luke’s in Glasgow as part of the Celtic Connections festival. It is the last night of the Glasgow based music festival and inviting such an interesting and talented band to perform seems like a fitting way to draw the festival to a close.
Hamish Hawk is a singer songwriter from Edinburgh. He performs with an acoustic guitar and plays humorous and engaging pop songs with witty and endearing lyrics. His onstage banter is right on key and his songs are enjoyable and charming. His music has a strong sense of location with songs about Fife, Edinburgh and London all featuring during his short and well received set.
Both Kathryn Joseph and James Graham have distinct voices. When they sing together there can be a conflict which presents an eerie and unnerving mood that makes the music that Out Lines create so individualistic and powerful. The band open with the track Buried Guns. Kathryn plays a harmonium, which produces a melodic drone sound, while Marcus handles percussion and beats. It is an attention grabbing opener and one which delights the audience who have managed to pack themselves into Saint Luke’s. The venue is close to capacity and the opportunity to see such an endearing collaboration is without doubt one of the highlights of the Celtic Connections programme.
With only one album, featuring just seven tracks released so far, the band don’t have a rich back catalogue to draw upon. However the set is filled with exceptional tracks from their debut. This Is A Saved Place is an absolute stand out this evening. The track combines spoken word and bitter sweet harmonies and sums up the talents and magnificence of Out Lines. Before leaving the stage the band members mention that are returning to their regular musical endeavours, however there are several opportunities to catch Out Lines live in Scotland in the up and coming weeks. The band perform at Perth Theatre and Concert Hall on the 12th of February, The Tunnels in Aberdeen on the 16th of March and Summerhall in Edinburgh on the 17th of March. Any opportunity to catch Out Lines live should definitely be taken.