Islands, by Andrew Duncan

Islands

by Andrew Duncan

supported by

	/

Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

£7 GBP or more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Comes in professionally crafted gatefold digipak with liner note booklet with artwork and graphic design by Ariyel Feasey

Includes unlimited streaming of Islands via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 3 days

Purchasable with gift card

£8 GBP or more

1.	The Abbey 03:13	buy track
2.	Calgary Bay 09:58	buy track
3.	The King's Caves 08:44	buy track
4.	Dunvegan 06:31	buy track
5.	The Old Man of Hoy 08:24	buy track
6.	The Calanais Stones 08:50	buy track
7.	The Golden Road 06:22	buy track

about

The tracks on this album are inspired by the seven Scottish islands I visited as a child during my summer holidays growing up. Each track is about somewhere of significance on each island:

Iona – The Abbey
In 563 AD, Irish monk Columba sailed to Iona from Ireland and founded a monastic community which became an influential centre for the spread of Christianity in Scotland and across Europe. The Benedictine Abbey is one of the oldest Christian religious centres in Western Europe and thousands of tourists and pilgrims travel from across the world to visit every year.

Mull – Calgary Bay
The long, sweeping, white sands of Calgary Bay can be found in the north-western corner of the Isle of Mull, west of the hamlet of Calgary. A broad area of fertile machair (a grassy meadow that grows on sandy soil) lies between the village and the sea. The beach is nestled between two low hills on one of which sits Calgary Castle overlooking the bay. Fort Calgary in Canada pays homage to Calgary Bay with its name, and became the city of Calgary, Alberta.

Arran – The King’s Caves
Legend says, while waiting out the winter of 1306 in a cave on Arran, Robert the Bruce (King of Scots) watched a spider’s many attempts to spin its web. Every time the spider fell, it climbed back to the same spot to begin again. Robert the Bruce took inspiration from the spider and continued his campaign against the English, resulting in the Scots victory at Bannockburn in 1314.

Skye – Dunvegan
Dunvegan Castle was built in the 13th century and has been the seat for the chiefs of the Clan MacLeod ever since. It is home to the Fairy Flag, a Clan MacLeod heirloom made of silk. There are numerous traditions and stories associated with the flag, most of which deal with its magical properties and mysterious origins. The flag is on display in the drawing room of Dunvegan Castle and, despite its tattered appearance, is considered the most precious treasure of the MacLeods.

Orkney – The Old Man of Hoy
The Old Man of Hoy is a magnificent 137-metre-tall sea stack on Hoy, part of the Orkney archipelago. Formed from red sandstone, it is one of the tallest stacks in the United Kingdom. The Old Man of Hoy is popular with climbers and was first climbed in 1966. Eroded by the fierce and damaging Atlantic storms, the stack is believed to be no more than a few hundred years old but may soon collapse into the sea. The best views of the stack can be seen on the ferry journey from Scrabster to Stromness or from the summit of St John’s Head – the highest vertical sea cliff in the United Kingdom.

Lewis – The Calanais Stones
Found on the Outer Hebridean island of Lewis, these extraordinary standing stones are believed to have been erected 5,000 years ago. They are older than Stonehenge and provided a focus for spiritual reflection and ritual activity. Open to the public, people can walk around this ancient site and marvel, first hand, at the ancient stones’ majesty and mystery.

Harris – The Golden Road
An hour’s drive south from the Calanais Stones is the Isle of Harris’ Golden Road with extreme, undulating bends and 21 miles of single tracked, smooth tarmac. This road tends to be relatively quiet as taking the main road down the west of the island is much quicker. It is assumed it got its name due to its immense construction cost as it took so long to navigate through Harris’ rugged and rocky eastern coastline. The Golden Road makes for a totally breath-taking journey, with stunning scenery round every corner.

credits

released May 5, 2022

PERSONNEL:

Andrew Duncan - Drumkit and Compositions
Mike Anning - Alto and Soprano Saxophone
David Bustos - Tenor Saxophone
Julien Durand - Guitar
Cameron Sheehy - Piano
Matt Hollick - Double Bass
Bethany Daniels - Vocals
Henry Etherington - Vocals

ALBUM CREDITS:

Recorded in Studio 1 at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (March 2022)
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Niccolò Conti
Original artwork and album design by Ariyel Feasey
Photography by Gareth Howell
Produced by Andrew Duncan

This album is dedicated to my love, Beth. Without her, none of this would have been possible.

© Andrew Duncan 2022. All rights reserved.

license

about

Andrew Duncan Birmingham, UK

Andrew Duncan is a freelance drummer from Scotland based in Birmingham, UK. He has vast experience playing in a wide range of musical settings including small jazz groups, big bands, funk and soul bands and musical theatre ensembles. As a bandleader, he fronts his own sextet and chordless quartet consisting of key musicians within the Birmingham jazz scene while being a sideman in multiple groups. ... more