Findlay Napier
Encyclopedia
Findlay Napier, is a Scottish
musician
, guitarist
and songwriter
.
to join the first ever intake of the BA (Scottish Music) course at the RSAMD.
It is somewhat of a miracle that Napier is a musician at all. After a disastrous false start with piano lessons he had all but given up on music. It was only after attending Feis Spe (part of Feisan nan Gaidhael) that his love of music was rekindled. In 1994 he was invited to a Feis
for teenagers in Fort William
that brought together young traditional musicians from across the Highlands and Islands. It was there he was introduced to piper Dougie Pincock and Jim Hunter who encouraged him to give up on percussion, learn to play the guitar and start singing. Later Jim Hunter would encourage Napier to start writing songs.
After graduating from the RSAMD in 1999 he played with a series of Scottish traditional music bands in Glasgow. In 2000 he had been working as Margaret Bennett’s accompanist and had toured with her in Scotland and France. After working on the “In the Sunny Long Ago” with producer Martyn Bennett
he was invited by Gillian Frame, Hamish Napier and Simon McKerrell to join Back of the Moon
. That year Back of the Moon recorded their debut album “Gillian Frame and Back of the Moon”.
Back of the Moon toured extensively from 2000 till 2007 releasing three albums and finishing with a final gig in the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C.
on the 21st November 2007.
While recording Back of the Moon’s second album at Watercolour Music in Ardgour
Findlay was approached by producer and engineer Nick Turner to begin a Song Writing project which they later named “Queen Anne's Revenge
”. They began writing on the evening of 14 December 2003 (Nick’s 42nd Birthday) and had written four songs by the next morning including “Ship in a Bottle” and “Out All Night”.
Before the demise of Back of the Moon, Napier began working on a project called Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers
at first this project was to bridge the gap between the traditional roots of Back of the Moon and the contemporary song and arrangements of Queen Anne's Revenge
. However as the project developed it moved further from traditional material towards the contemporary Indie Folk
sound they are known for today.
Findlay has hosted the 'Late Night Session' at Celtic Connections
for the last two years and is the organiser of Hazy Recollections a mini festival that celebrates and connects acts whose music meets at the boundaries of the indie, folk and roots scenes.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
Biography
Napier was born in Glasgow in November 1978 and that winter, during coldest winter on record, his parents moved to Grantown on Spey. It was there that he would spend the rest of his life until 1996 when he moved back to GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
to join the first ever intake of the BA (Scottish Music) course at the RSAMD.
It is somewhat of a miracle that Napier is a musician at all. After a disastrous false start with piano lessons he had all but given up on music. It was only after attending Feis Spe (part of Feisan nan Gaidhael) that his love of music was rekindled. In 1994 he was invited to a Feis
Féis
A Feis or Fèis is a traditional Gaelic arts and culture festival. The plural forms are feiseanna and fèisean .-History:In Ancient Ireland communities placed great importance on local festivals, where Gaels could come together in song, dance, music, theatre and sport...
for teenagers in Fort William
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
that brought together young traditional musicians from across the Highlands and Islands. It was there he was introduced to piper Dougie Pincock and Jim Hunter who encouraged him to give up on percussion, learn to play the guitar and start singing. Later Jim Hunter would encourage Napier to start writing songs.
After graduating from the RSAMD in 1999 he played with a series of Scottish traditional music bands in Glasgow. In 2000 he had been working as Margaret Bennett’s accompanist and had toured with her in Scotland and France. After working on the “In the Sunny Long Ago” with producer Martyn Bennett
Martyn Bennett
Martyn Bennett was a Scottish musician who was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada...
he was invited by Gillian Frame, Hamish Napier and Simon McKerrell to join Back of the Moon
Back of the Moon
Back of the Moon is a Scottish musical group which plays both new and Scottish traditional tunes and songs cast in modern sounding arrangements. Since forming in 2000, the band have toured annually throughout the UK, Canada, USA and eight different European Countries...
. That year Back of the Moon recorded their debut album “Gillian Frame and Back of the Moon”.
Back of the Moon toured extensively from 2000 till 2007 releasing three albums and finishing with a final gig in the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on the 21st November 2007.
While recording Back of the Moon’s second album at Watercolour Music in Ardgour
Ardgour
Ardgour is a district of Lochaber on Ardnamurchan peninisula on the western shore of Loch Linnhe, in Highland Scotland.The term Ardgour, together with Kingairloch, is applied to a large area of countryside around the village, from the Glensanda Superquarry, Kingairloch and Kilmalieu in the south...
Findlay was approached by producer and engineer Nick Turner to begin a Song Writing project which they later named “Queen Anne's Revenge
Queen Anne's Revenge
Queen Anne's Revenge was the name of English pirate Blackbeard's flagship, used by him for less than a year, but an effective tool in his prize taking....
”. They began writing on the evening of 14 December 2003 (Nick’s 42nd Birthday) and had written four songs by the next morning including “Ship in a Bottle” and “Out All Night”.
Before the demise of Back of the Moon, Napier began working on a project called Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers
Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers
Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers began playing together in October 2007. The project was inspired by a song, "The Bar Room Mountaineers", that Findlay had learned from Scots singer Geordie MacIntryre while studying Traditional Music at the RSAMD in Glasgow. The story goes that with his...
at first this project was to bridge the gap between the traditional roots of Back of the Moon and the contemporary song and arrangements of Queen Anne's Revenge
Queen Anne's Revenge
Queen Anne's Revenge was the name of English pirate Blackbeard's flagship, used by him for less than a year, but an effective tool in his prize taking....
. However as the project developed it moved further from traditional material towards the contemporary Indie Folk
Indie folk
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s from singer/songwriters in the indie rock community showing heavy influences from folk music scenes of the 50s, 60s and early 70s, country music, and indie rock. A few early artists included Lou Barlow, Beck, Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith...
sound they are known for today.
Findlay has hosted the 'Late Night Session' at Celtic Connections
Celtic Connections
The Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of traditional Scottish music and also features international...
for the last two years and is the organiser of Hazy Recollections a mini festival that celebrates and connects acts whose music meets at the boundaries of the indie, folk and roots scenes.
Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers
- "File Under Fiction- Watercolour Music- May 2011
- Valentine's Day (Single)- Watercolour Music Feb. 2011
- Raise a Glass (Single)- Watercolour Music Feb. 2010
- When Harry Met Charlie (EP)- BRM/Karmic/Watercolour- 2009
- “Out All NightOut All NightOut All Night is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 19, 1992 to July 9, 1993 for one season. The series stars Patti LaBelle, and was created by Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz, and Rob Edwards.-Synopsis:...
”- BRM/Karmic- 2008
Queen Anne's Revenge
- “Just One Umbrella?” – Watercolour Music - 2008
- “Queen Anne's RevengeQueen Anne's RevengeQueen Anne's Revenge was the name of English pirate Blackbeard's flagship, used by him for less than a year, but an effective tool in his prize taking....
” – Watercolour Music - 2005
Back of the Moon
- “Luminosity” – Footstompin Records- 2005
- “ Fortune’s Road”- Footstompin Records- 2003
- “Gillian Frame and Back of the Moon”- Footstompin Records- 2001
as a Session Musician
- “Orain Do Mhullie”/“A Song for Mull”- Arrangements, Guitar and Backing Vocals
- "Beside the Waves of Time" – Iona Leigh Arrangements, Guitar and Backing Vocals
- “No. 1 Scottish”- RSAMD- Lead Vocal, Guitar
- “Thall an Loch Aillse” – Mairi Sine Campbell- Arrangements, Guitar and Backing Vocals
- “Glasgow Skyline”- Gillian Frame and Padraig O Neill – Guitar and Backing Vocals
- “Finlauy MacDonald” – Finlay MacDonald- Vocals
as Producer
- co-producer (with Phil Cunningham) "Scottish Music At The RSAMD - The Future Of Our Past" Greentrax Records 2010
- co-producer (with Back of the Moon) “Luminosity” – Footstompin Records- 2005
TV work
- “Garaids” BBC Alba 2008- Performer, Assistant Musical Director
- “Around Scotland” BBC Education 2007- Musical Director, Presenter
- “Scotlands Music with Phil Cunningham” BBC Scotland 2007- Performer
- “” MnE- 2007- Arrangements, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Awards
- Best Scottish Album – “Out All Night” – Irish American
- Best Scottish Album – “Out All Night” – Mid West Irish Times
- Best Scottish Album – “Out All Night” – Blarney on the Air
- Song of the Year- For “Ship in a Bottle”- The Garden Sessions Radio Show
- Folk Band of the Year- The Scottish Trad Music Awards (with Back of the Moon)
- Best Up and Coming Band- The Scottish Trad. Music Awards (with Back of the Moon)
- The Bolad de Loic Raison- Best Folk Band- Lorient Festival Interceltique (with Back of the Moon)
Nominations
- Songwriter of the Year MG Alba Trad. Music Awards
- Song of the Year- “George” – The Garden Sessions Radio Show
- Best Live Act- The Scottish Trad Music Awards (with Back of the Moon)
- Album of the Year – for “Luminosity” (with Back of the Moon)
- Finalist “BBC Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year 2002”