The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dougie MacLean
Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, August 18
Scots troubadour Dougie MacLean has become famous for many things, from appearing on the soundtrack of the Daniel Day-Lewis film The Last of the Mohicans to seeing his tracks covered by artists including Ronan Keating, Paolo Nutini and Amy Macdonald.
But there are two things his name is synonymous with – the ‘unofficial’ Scots anthem Caledonia, released 40 years ago on his debut album – and his connection with Perthshire.
“It’s where I grew up, where my wife Jenny and I raised our children and where our grandchildren now live,” says Dougie of his home county.
“My father and grandfather worked the fields and walked the mountains near where I live. I know it intimately, the weather, the nature, the history – it’s part of who I am. It’s such a diverse county and it never ceases to inspire me.”
T his is MacLean’s 44th year as a travelling musician – “from Alaska to Sydney, Denmark to New Zealand,” he says – and apparently the shows just get better and better.
“This year has been a great one so far,” he says, “and it’s been extra-satisfying to have played so many well-attended solo concerts and festival performances.
“It was my plan to get back to the essence of what I do, which is ‘one man, his songs and his audience’, and it’s great to know this is what people want as well. The response has been fantastic so far.”
For this show in Glenrothes, Dougie will have a deep well of tracks to draw upon from throughout his career, but also new songs from last year’s New Tomorrow record, which he made with his son Jamie.
“He’s a very creative and versatile musician,” says the proud father.
“It was more like a duo album, really. I wrote the songs and he arranged and played most of the instruments and produced the recording in our home studio.
“It was a fun process – there are recording of songs that have become really popular at concerts over the last couple of years, like Shadow of the Mountain, Wild and Windy Night and the song about my grandson New Tomorrow, as well as other new ones that were written in the studio.
“For me songwriting is an ongoing thing, I never know what the next subject matter will be. It’s like being a magician – somehow they just keep appearing.”
The sense, however, is that it’s during one of his live shows that MacLean’s work really comes alive.
“We have a laugh,” he says of his rapport with his crowd.
“I tell stories, explain a little about the songs and encourage the audience to sing with me. I never get tired of revisiting my songs.”
dougiemaclean.com