Each week we feature a different Scottish artist on the blog including premieres and Q&A’s. Please check out some of the amazing Scottish talent we have discovered over the years.

If you would like to submit a track please get in touch 4 weeks in advance of the release - resonatescot@gmail.com

Featured
Q&A: The Rosellas
Q&A: The Rosellas

“I've had hours of conversations after the set with locals, talking all about the importance of Scotland to my family, and in turn learning more and more about the heritage of the country and its importance to them. I find it very soul affirming and will spend hours more continuing to do so.”

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Q&A: Aylee
Q&A: Aylee

“I hope that if anyone listens to Dressed Up and relates to the lyrics, they take it as a sign to step  back and reflect on why it resonates with them. I want to help anyone who’s caught in a similarly  toxic situation feel less alone and isolated. While yes, “I hate that all my friends were right” about my previous relationship, I’m incredibly grateful to be so far removed from it now, and able to look  back and see that they absolutely were.”

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Q&A: Spyres
Q&A: Spyres

“Touring is definitely one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of being in a band, so we’re absolutely buzzing to get back on the road. A lot of the cities on this run are totally new to us, which makes it even more special. We can’t wait to meet new faces and play in venues we’ve never stepped foot in.”

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Q&A: The Zebecks
Q&A: The Zebecks

“‘Persona’ is the closest we’ve ever gotten to merging the worlds of my poetry and songwriting as I am literally performing spoken word at the end. The vulnerability I tried to express in this song has definitely developed our songwriting as I now feel a lot more open within the band dynamic and this has led to more directed songwriting sessions where we all play a part in the construction of lyrics - knowing that The Zebecks is a really safe space surrounded by my best friends means I feel comfortable bouncing ideas directly off them in real time.”

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Q&A: Former Champ
Q&A: Former Champ

“Many of the songs on this album are about feeling displaced and some are even more directly about Irish Diaspora and Irish Politics. I think anyone who has moved away from their hometown can probably relate to a curiosity about the alternate life they could be leading. The larger concept of sliding doors and endless paths has been a key theme on the album and even informed its title.”

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Q&A: Dylan Winters & The Posterity
Q&A: Dylan Winters & The Posterity

“At first, I was quite particular with arrangements—I had a strong vision and the band helped me bring it to life. Lately though, I’ve been stepping back and letting everyone put more of themselves into the songs, and it’s honestly made everything better. Turns out if you let talented musicians do their thing, the music’s better for it.”

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Q&A: Maz & The Phantasms
Q&A: Maz & The Phantasms

“I think people love the freedom and the warm nature of these grassroots events. Glasgow especially is extremely kind and respectful, and it feels amazing to be able to throw a big party for your community where everyone can be themselves.”

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Q&A: Saint Sappho
Q&A: Saint Sappho

“I was listening through old demos and there was a melody Tammy had been singing along with the piano, she heard me playing it out loud and said "Wait. There's something in that" at first I didn't agree but she was persistent. That melody eventually became the verse of Floating. The moment we began writing the verse was what set the whole song in motion, and everything afterwards naturally progressed into a full song.”

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Q&A: Cowboy Hunters
Q&A: Cowboy Hunters

“One time someone told us that we reminded them of when Lady Gaga and Beyonce collaborated and we've been living off that high ever since. ”

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Q&A: Kirsteen Harvey
Q&A: Kirsteen Harvey

“Oh it’s absolutely amazing! I can’t believe it to be honest! I always find putting on headline shows a little scary, and I get quite nervous on the run up- but the response for the shows, and in particular the Glasgow date has been totally mind blowing! I think it’s going to be pretty special seeing so many people in the one room, who are there to see myself and my wonderful band, play tunes that I just wrote at home!”

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Q&A: racecar
Q&A: racecar

“By the time we came to write and record Pink Car, we were very fortunate to have raised enough money through a successful Crowdfunder campaign (thanks everyone!) to make some of the musical dreams we had for our songs come true. Graham, Lissa, Claire and Kenny (not to mention Aaron Morrison/ Catriona Price/ Gracie Brill!) are all fantastic musicians. It is always a joy to collaborate, most of all when people’s blend of skill and creativity means both realising an original vision and new, exciting elements appearing during sessions".”

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Q&A: PG Ciarletta
Q&A: PG Ciarletta

“For me there is a lot of hard work ahead, but a lot of things to be buzzing about. I would just say taking the music to the people and playing as many places as possible across Scotland and beyond. I just want to go and do what I am meant to do, which is release music, play shows, make content, be nice to folk and work hard.“

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Q&A: Katie Nicoll
Q&A: Katie Nicoll

“My emotions over my Poetry Club gig didn’t fully hit me until Sunday afternoon whilst watching back videos on Instagram. IT WAS AMAZING! The realisation that I’d packed out a room two hours away from where I grew up filled me with a new sense of pride over my music. I feel proud & soooo beyond grateful of the people that made time to come down and support, grateful of the boys in my band, and grateful of all my family and friends.”

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Q&A: Calum Baird
Q&A: Calum Baird

“Playing at the Biennial was superb.  The energy and buzz in the city was infectious and the support from the audiences and fellow musicians at my shows, even though we didn’t always share a language, was so important and helped me feel right at home. “

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Scottish Artists To Watch In 2025
Scottish Artists To Watch In 2025

New year, new bands, new obsessions. Scotland’s music scene is a constantly morphing beast, spitting out fresh talent, combing boundary-defying genres, with the raw energy that keeps the Scottish music scene constantly evolving. Whether you’re into massive indie anthems, left-field electronic experiments, or something that defies categorisation entirely, 2025 is shaping up to be another huge year for grassroots Scottish Music.

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Q&A: Pedalo
Q&A: Pedalo

“I was hyper aware that this was going to be a song that literally anyone can hear, forever, which was honestly a bit scary when it’s such a personal topic. But then the reaction to it has been really touching—I’ve had a fair few people say to me how much they relate to Lighter. Now I’d say it’s the song that I’m the most proud of”

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Q&A: Former Champ
Q&A: Former Champ

“Sometimes stuff just feels right, sounds right. But the mission statement for this band in a writing sense was definitely like Paul Westerberg and all the pathos in the Replacements tunes. These are pop songs first and foremost—they are never going to be perfect short stories like Raymond Carver or whatever—but they do start from that place.”

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Q&A: Odd Luke
Q&A: Odd Luke

“I think it hit me one day a long time ago that I was the only person who hadn’t heard my own voice, you know? It’s one thing to back other people and hide behind that, but I had all these weird little stories building up that just needed out, if nothing else just for me!”

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Q&A: Thundermoon
Q&A: Thundermoon

“It’s epic! We’re so grateful for the support. We’ve worked hard from the roots up, and every bit of recognition feels like a big achievement. Working with a local, musician-run project like New Teeth has helped us stay true to our values. Growing from here feels like a huge positive, especially knowing that these platforms resonate with our music.”

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Q&A: Nü Cros
Q&A: Nü Cros

" This year’s been an amazing year in terms of the shows we’ve been blessed to play, that includes Supersonic in Paris which was a fairytale in its own right. We’ve come a huge way as a band through it all."

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Check out our Resonate Artist of the Week Spotify Playlist here

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Q&A - Liv Dawn

Scottish singer-songwriter Liv Dawn has announced her debut EP, Beautiful Daydream, will be self-released on 18th August. Liv will also perform in the Hug and Pint on the 18th of August, grab a ticket here

The folk-pop vocalist – who was a finalist in the prestigious BBC Radio Scotland Singer-Songwriter of the Year Award in 2019 – has penned five powerful and highly personal tracks, exploring the “the highs and lows” of falling in and out of love, longing for new adventures, chasing dreams and finding happiness in your twenties.

Your new EP 'Beautiful Daydream' is out Friday 18th Aug. Can you tell us more about the inspiration for the EP & what work was involved?

My EP is based on being in my twenties and growing up. I also like taking inspiration from nature and using imagery to express my thoughts and feelings. The EP touches on dealing with heartbreak as well as chasing dreams and finding happiness. Longing to find a place where I belong,

I write about falling deeply in and out of love, dealing with hard times, and finding peace and solace from nature. The EP has been a year in the making as I recorded and produced it with my friend from our home studio. We went to other studios to record drums and strings but recording from home gave us the flexibility to change and develop songs. I found the recording process very challenging but inspiring and I learned a lot.

 

Tell us more about growing up in Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond is a beautiful place and I visit it often. Growing up with the loch at my doorstep and always being able to explore it was great. The scenery is stunning and I love going on walks around the loch. Spending time in Loch Lomond has always helped me appreciate and feel connected to nature.

We saw you were playing the likes of Eden, Belladrum & Leigh Folk Festival this summer. Tell us about your favourite festival experience this year?

I have had an amazing time playing festivals this summer! Eden and Belladrum were very fun as there were many brilliant acts to see and I met great people. Leigh Folk Festival was my favourtite festival experience this year as I won their Open Mic Competition, which was incredible and unexpected! As the winner, I was offered a slot to perform at the festival and really enjoyed myself. I made great connections and everyone who was involved was very supportive.


What can we expect at your upcoming show in the Hug & Pint?

You can expect a really magical and fun night! I will be performing with my awesome band who help bring my songs to life. I will be playing many of my new songs for the first time and I am hoping to showcase the story telling and emotion behind them. I am very excited for people to hear a live version of my EP.

 

Can you share any of your dreams with us?

Music is my dream and I would love to chase the cliche of releasing albums and touring the world. I would love to have a small van and travel around different countries playing gigs and festivals. I would also like to run workshops for everyone to try out music, connect with it and write songs.

 What advice would you give to others trying to find happiness in their twenties?

It is very important to look after yourself and give yourself time to heal. Everything happens for a reason and we go through hard times and heartbreak to learn, grow and become stronger. Find the little things which bring you light. You will be okay and one day you will find the happiness you are searching for.


Get tickets for Liv’s gig at the Hug and Pint on the 18th of August, here

Connect with Liv and her socials here - Liv Dawn



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Q&A - Simone Seales

Intersectional Cellist
Originally from Florida, Simone Seales is a Glasgow-based cellist who completed their postgraduate studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2021. They focus on free improvisation, both tonal and atonal, and devising music for theatre.

Simone is passionate about exploring sound, how sound can reflect emotional states of being and how emotions are embodied. Their creative influences come from Black feminist leaders such as Audre Lorde, Assata Shakur and bell hooks. Within Simone's creative work, they centre Blackness, sexuality, intersectional feminism and anti-racism. They believe Western Classical musicians are capable of making meaningful social change.

This week we caught up with Simone after the release of her debut album ‘I Believe in Living’. Read & listen

Simone, your debut album is out now. Can you tell us more about this project ?

I recorded this album 2 years ago as part of my final assessment for my Advanced Postgraduate Diploma at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. I chose to respond to Assata Shakur's poem Affirmation because, after a year of lockdown and anti-racism chats with organizations, I wanted to communicate in the best way for me, which is through music. I read Assata Shakur's autobiography during my last year of study, and her poem really spoke to me, the language is incredibly evocative and filled with hope, anger, and grief. 

In preparation for the recording, I chose bits of text that really spoke to me and thought of the sounds I could use which corresponded with the way they made me feel in my body. So, the title of each track is what I am responding to from the poem.


Where did you grow up ?

I grew up in Tampa, Florida. I was incredibly lucky to attend public schools with amazing teachers who supported my creativity. Florida is an interesting place, as a Black, gay, non-binary person, I didn't always feel safe there. Coming to Glasgow was really impactful for me, and allowed me to settle into myself both musically and personally.

What's your favourite pass time ?
I'm currently obsessing over the author Patricia Highsmith. I love the movie Carol (2015) and the book it is based on, The Price of Salt. I'm currently reading all of her novels (she wrote 22 books) and I've read 15 of them so far. Hoping to finish them all this year! 

What inspires you the most ?

I'm most inspired by visual art. I love photography, painting, film, sculptures, anything that isn't solely sound-based. Whenever I'm feeling stuck creatively, I like to go to a gallery or museum and read all the little placards and stand staring at a piece of work for however long until I get bored. I find it incredibly exciting that people are able to communicate in ways other than music or text, and it helps me to connect threads of ideas that float around in my brain. 


What goals do you have for your music career ?

I feel very grateful that I can make a living playing a wooden box with strings! What I'd like to do next is perform my own poetry/music shows more frequently, and perform more internationally. Big dream-wise, I'd love to perform with Missy Higgins, and Andrew Bird who are two artists that have greatly inspired me.


What do you think of Scotland's musical landscape ?

Scotland's musical landscape is vibrant. There is so much happening, in Glasgow especially, that it's hard to keep up with it all. I didn't know anything about Scotland before I moved over for my master's, and I couldn't have been luckier to end up here. 


What is your artistic practice?

My arts practice has foundations in improvisation, collaboration, trauma-informed psychology, poetry, intersectional feminism, and queerness. I would probably be an academic if I didn't hate grades and writing papers. I love thinking about the intersectionality of art forms, how people respond to sound, and how improvisation can create space for freedom and new experiences for the performer and the listener.

I am not interested in entertaining people. I want to create and expand on environments where people can sit with themselves and reflect on how they are feeling, and how feelings can shift in short spaces of time. I'm interested in creating safe moments where people can truly be with themselves and accept the discomfort it may bring without judgement. 

 Listen to Simone Seales new album ‘I Believe in Living’ here: I believe in living - album

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