Digging into the politics and poetry of Ayrshire mining communities.

As a Glasgow-based Ayrshire native, Gray is already firmly established in the international folk community, as a session player, as a past member of the award- winning Paul McKenna Band, and the recipient of a prestigious Celtic Connections New Voices composing commission.

The ten track album Fixed Assets out on 25/08/23 is deeply musical, lyrically compelling, beautifully considered and arranged, with the powerful poignancy of Rab Wilsons poetry and Grays responsive composition and refined musical handling distilled into an evocative, respectful, acoustically adventurous exploration of living history.

The topic has not dictated the treatment here sonically, you could just as easily file it with John Martyn as with Bonnie Light Horseman. The production confidently incorporates 90s style indie/grunge tones on full-band songs like Michty Wheels and Jim Armitage, with a natural feeling jazz-style punctuation on Fallen Weemin. The same techniques are used with great effect on the more stripped back Rab Gray which showcases Grays warm and unaffected vocal style. Moody, trance-like electric guitar and a perfectly layered flute piece supports Wilsons spoken word on Coal, moves into bare bones folk and field-recording style for the dextrous guitar of Memorials, and drops into clarity to beautifully articulate the traditional-style arrangements on Dalmellington. In all pieces, Grays wide-ranging and expressive musicality is on display.

Access Guide and Tickets for Personal Assistants

You can view/download The Glad Cafe's Access Guide here. If you require a ticket for a Personal Assistant/Gig Buddy (at no extra cost), please contact kim@thegladcafe.co.uk.