Mull Historical Society will release new album ‘In My Mind There’s A Room’ on July 21st.
Sessions for the album took the songwriter – real name Colin MacIntyre – back to his roots, when his grandparent’s home back on Mull was transformed into a recording studio. Memories came rushing back, invigorating his work with a rare sense of energy.
Alongside this, he felt the urge to incorporate different voices into his work. As a result, Mull Historical Society’s new album ‘In My Mind There’s A Room’ boasts a literary flavour, with guest appearances from 13 authors.
Some of the names will be familiar to you, with Colin MacIntyre joined by the likes of (deep breath!) Ian Rankin, Nick Hornby, Jacqueline Wilson, Val McDermid, Jennifer Clement, Booker-winning Sebastian Barry, Alan Warner, 2021 US National Book Award-winner Jason Mott, Scottish poet laureates’ Jackie Kay and Liz Lochhead, and Booker-shortlisted Stephen Kelman. All in all, quite a run.
Featuring 14 tracks, the album is available to pre-order now. Mull Historical Society’s very own Colin MacIntyre introduces it thus…
It has been a great creative experience and challenge to work with all the authors’ original words and their ‘rooms’. For some time I’ve had the ambition to bring my worlds of music and writing together — and to set myself the creative challenge to collaborate using somebody else’s words for the first time. How does Elton work with Bernie? The chance came when my grandparent’s home of 40-plus years on Tobermory seafront on the Isle of Mull, was – unbelievably – transformed into a recording studio.
My grandfather was the Scottish poet, and bank manager of Mull, Angus Macintyre. He was a unique character and remains my biggest inspiration…. I hadn’t stepped into that room in 21 years. So I decided to reach out to some of my favourite writers, many of whom have inspired me in words and song, to ask if they would write some original words on a significant room to them, that I would then mould into lyrics and record in this significant room to me: the room where my grandfather wrote and regaled many a visitor, where I sat at his feet. Over two magical, but intense spells, I stepped back into those rooms again. In my mind there are now 14 rooms.
TRACKLISTING:
- NOT ENOUGH SORRY – Jennifer Clement
- 1952 – Liz Lochhead
- WAKE UP SALLY – Alan Warner
- KELSHABEG – Sebastian Barry
- PANICKED FEATHERS – Nick Hornby
- THE RED FLAME DINER – Stephen Kelman
- SOMEBODY ELSE’S LIFE – Jacqueline Wilson
- MY BEDROOM WAS MY ROCKET – Ian Rankin
- SEEDS – James Robertson
- MELTWATER – Jackie Kay
- ALL EMPTY ROOMS MUST BE MOURNED – Jason Mott
- ROOM OF MASKS – Val McDermid
- ANAGLYPTA – Liz Lochhead
- MEMORIES OF MULL – Angus MacIntyre
