Edinburgh musician/poet/novelist Andrew Ferguson pursues his SIASA project as, prompted by Dylan – and the life experiences of himself and others – he asks “What is Folk?”
Release Date: 28th March 2025
Label: Self Release
Formats: CD / Digital
WHAT IS FOLK MUSIC?
Last time we came across Edinburgh musician/poet/novelist Andrew Ferguson and his ongoing SIASA (Songs in a Scottish Accent) project, he was reflecting upon experiences, memories and emotions from his past and speculating what the future might hold for him on his 2023 album Home At Last.
We enjoyed Home at Last and, it seems, we weren’t the only ones to do so – that album received a nomination for the prestigious Scottish Album of the Year award. And, now, inspired by Dylan and by life experiences enjoyed – or endured – by himself and others, Andrew Ferguson is back with a new album, Different Kinds of Folk.
“What is folk music?” he asks, before recognizing that, as the recent movie shows, Dylan ‘blew the doors off’ that question when he turned up at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival with a Fender Stratocaster slung over his right shoulder. In the context of SIASA, that’s a relevant question to ask – the project has never pretended to be based upon ‘traditional’ music and draws inspiration from rock, country and blues as well as acoustic music which may or may not be folk depending, as Andrew puts it: “…upon which way you sling your harmonica rack.”
TWO GUYS, SEVEN INSTRUMENTS…
As with Home at Last, Different Kinds of Folk is, largely, a home-made affair. As well as writing all the songs and performing all the vocals, Andrew plays electric, lap steel and acoustic guitars, bass and blues box. And, also as with Home at Last, Andrew is helped out by his mate, Graham Crawford who plays drums and sax and provides backing vocals.
Oh – and if you’re hesitating over whether to explore Different Kinds of Folk further, you may be interested to know that all proceeds from sales of the album will go to LinkNet Mentoring, an organization that provides mentoring services for ethnic minorities in Scotland. And – those downloading the album on Bandcamp (or buying the limited-edition CD) will also receive a bonus track of Andrew coving Bob Dylan’s Shooting Star, one of the songs that helped inspire the album in the first place.
TALES FROM THE TAPROOM
The album opens with Reel To Reel, a slice of folk-rock using the ‘full band’ of Andrew’s museum of instruments, as he ruminates on the nature of life itself, drawing on the discovery of a Roman gladiator’s remains and the characters in a Dutch oil painting. Morning Song’ a reflection on past relationships and their fleeting nature has only acoustic guitar, lap steel and harmonica in comparison.
Fingerpicked acoustic is the main accompaniment for Neighbourhood Bar, which tells the tale of a bar’s daytime denizens and reflects on the universal presence of such people in drinking dens across the world. Graham Crawford’s drums and bass pick up the rhythm in St Anthony Street, a tribute to Leith, Edinburgh’s port. And there really is a pub called Jeremiah’s Taproom (as namechecked in the song) on Leith Walk.
TIME TO ‘FLIP’
If the album were released on vinyl, the first side would close with Ballad of Billy Robertson, an extended piece of storytelling about an ex-soldier’s dark night of the soul with only acoustic guitar, harmonica and Ferguson’s weathered vocal for company.
Flipping over to the imagined second side, Backshift deals with one person’s battle against the bottle: “Put on your work ID, you know it tells you who you are,” sets the scene in the opening line. Superman is a heartfelt song about the close bond there can be between father and son.
DARKNESS, AND A HAPPY ENDING
The Plough’s furrow is once again on the dark side of the hill, as the narrator contemplates his broken marriage. This contrasts with the much more upbeat What Do I Know (Change Has Got To Come) with its take down of modern-day Pharisees.
Then – another contrast. World Keeps Turning is perhaps the bleakest song on the album, dealing with injustices ancient and modern, Andrew’s acoustic fingerpicking providing another pared-back accompaniment. Last, but not least, Travelling Through Alone brings the full instrumental ensemble back together for a Springsteen-influenced tale of a journey through previous lives.
Listen to Davy Jones’s Locker, a track from Andrew’s 2023 album, Home At Last, below:
Andrew Ferguson online: Facebook / Bandcamp
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