Joining Skipinnish
As some of you know, in December last year, I decided to leave Manran. I have been touring for ten years now and I felt it was time to take a break from it all for the year. I wanted to do more writing and see if I could get my own solo career up and running. One of the main reasons for leaving Manran was that I wasn't able to get any time to do my own solo work. Life on the road can be funny at times and you sometimes need to take a step back and see what is important to you and what you want to focus all of your time and energy on.
In February I got a phone call from Angus MacPhail asking me if I would like to become the new lead singer of Skipinnish as Robert had decided to leave the band. This came as a complete surprise to me but at the same time it was a very easy decision to make. I've played with Skipinnish throughout the years at various gigs and weddings, and I have recorded for them on a couple of their albums. Skipinnish are a great band who have been around for many years and are also one of the busiest bands on the scene. Although I wanted to take a break this year, most of Skipinnish's gigs are in Scotland, with a few trips away here and there, which means I will get home to my own bed most of the time! This was a huge plus for me and being able to sing all of their brilliant songs made it an even easier decision!
Since joining the band I have had one of the busiest years ever since becoming a professional musician. With gigs every weekend and rehearsals and teaching through-out the week, I've not had time to sit down and think about why I wanted a break in the first place. The boys in the band are great fun and the atmosphere is so relaxed. For the first time in a long while I'm enjoying playing music again and I hope it continues for a long time to come. One of the best things about being with Skipinnish is that the band are allowing me time to take on solo work for my own band which is very important to me. Although, Skipinnish are so busy it will be hard to find the time to tour with my own band, I am happy that I now have the opportunity to do so.
I knew it would be hard to take over from another singer in a well established band and I hope I've done a good job so far. The direction the band is going in really excites me and I'm looking forward to the future and singing these great songs to audiences all over the world.
