Argyll News: Mull's Singing Shepherd on Argyll Tour :Argyll,music,band,tour,

Singing Shepherd

And you could hardly choose a better title for the tour and the album than Fields of Dreams.
Iain Thomson – the Singing Shepherd – and the band take to the road at the beginning of June, launching the Fields of Dreams album that the Mull singer-songwriter has been working on for the last three years.

Iain has gathered together a legendary support band with Marc Duff and Gregor Lowrey, the trio regulars, augmented by Charlie McKerron, Maeve MacKinnon, Gordon Maclean, Richard Werner and John Somerville.

‘It has been a wee while coming’, Iain tells For Argyll, ‘but it has been worth the wait as the end result will show, I hope. We have spent many hours getting the right sound and it is a credit to the efforts of Marc and Richard who have spent so long in the studio getting it to all gel together’.

Marc Duff has had his first foray into production on this album and has played many of the instruments as well. Richard Werner has twiddled the knobs at his BandB studio in Edinburgh and has brought some interesting percussion into the mix.

Marc of course was previously a member of Capercaillie and was instrumental in getting fiddle magician Charlie MacKerron to bring his spell into the sessions at the top end of Leith walk.

Gaelic songstress Maeve MacKinnon then weaves her superb backing vocals into Iain’s clever lyrics. Gregor and Gordon create the solid foundations. John Somerville will fit in on the Lochgoilhead and Glasgow Arches concerts when Gregor has other commitments.

Singing Shepherd at work

Iain has had an interesting time over the years having moved to Mull to shepherd at Killiechronan and built his singing reputation, locally and much further afield, playing a mixture of his own compositions, clever covers a twist and the traditional songs with which tourists and locals alike enjoy a sing-along.

He then moved to the mainland to further his career in shepherding, singing and business. That led on to many long hours on the road driving great articulated lorries up to Inverness and down the M6 to Coventry and Birmingham. Great times to weave a tune or craft a lyric as the miles were eaten up.

More miles took Iain overseas on a shearing trip to New Zealand – inspiring even more songs and music.

Then came the long road home to his adopted love, the Isle of Mull, with a new love and an instant family as well. Aileen has been the inspiration and the drive as well as Iain’s best cheerleader on the later parts of the journey back to the Fields of Dreams.

Iain has always dreamt of having fields of his own and that is more likely on Mull than in the suburbs of Glasgow – hence the new album’s title and the content of many of the songs.

So now it’s time to hit the road and get the album out to a wider audience and that begins on May 30th in Balmaha. The road then leads through Lochgoilhead and then over to Mull for gigs at An Tobar and Creich Hall on the 1st and 2nd of June respectively. Back then, to the mainland for Kilchrenan, Benderloch and big finale at The Arches in Glasgow on the 5th of June.

A second tour throughout Scotland follows in the autumn.

Oban FM presenter, Campbell Cameron says this is Iain’s best work yet: ‘the songs are strong, topical, thought provoking and real. Iain brings us a contemporary album with a traditional edge. The Old Country, Fields of Dreams and Glen Cannel are becoming favourites of mine – but they are all strong. He has a unique singing voice that has matured beautifully with all the miles travelled’.

Catch the band on tour – schedule below – or online and judge for yourself .