Description
"bruised yet beautiful" | Nicola Meighan, THE HERALD
"The more you Listen, the better it gets. One of my favourites of this year, for sure [...] Very, very special indeed.", Lauren Laverne, 6Music
"a genuine uniqueness" | THE METRO
"ten tracks of emotionally raw, meticulously crafted songs replete with naturalistic, gothic and intensely personal imagery" | Bill Cummings, GODISINTHETVZINE
"10 tracks make for one of the most emotionally raw records written by a Scottish songwriter" | Jonathon Rimmer, THE NATIONAL
SCOTTISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR winner 2015
Kathryn Joseph released her debut album "bones you have thrown me and blood I've spilled" in January 2015; what started as an album "kickstarted" by dedicated fans has quietly and organically become a much loved, critically acclaimed album of 2015 – and in June – became the winner of Scottish Album of the Year (the longlist included Young Fathers, Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai and Paulo Nutini)
Prior to her debut release – Kathryn Joseph was regarded one of Scotland's best-kept secrets; prodigiously talented and criminally underrated her voice possesses the other-worldly quality comparable to Ms Newsom and Björk; but she is by no means of an ilk. Better compared with Anthony Heggarty; she is an artist in every way; unique and soulful, and at the core a beautiful unnerving truth.
Kathryn Joseph's debut album "bones you have thrown me and blood I've spilled" paints a delicate moving, at time visceral but always intricately beautiful description of her life until now. Lyrically compelling and sonically stunning, her album evokes a stark, cinematic journey. Written in a period during which life took Kathryn between northern bothies, east coast beaches, the forth bridges and ultimately the east end of Glasgow where she recorded the album.
It was captured predominantly live in just a week by Scottish music industry veteran Marcus Mackay at the diving bell lounge (Frightened Rabbit, Snow Patrol, Trembling Bells, Alasdair Roberts, Sparrow and the Workshop).
Kathryn's on record, and sometime-live collaboration with Marcus offers an unmissable, heart heavy and gut wrenching but understated performance. Those lucky enough to catch her at one of her rare performances are sure to be captivated, moved and perhaps a little disturbed.
Kathryn Joseph's first limited edition pressings onto white vinyl (250 copies) and handcut CDs sold out quickly. It has since been re-mastered and been made available for wider distribution.
Kathryn's first single release the bird \ the worm is now available as download and aa side on 7" (limited to 250 copies). Accompanying the already heard title track "The Bird" is the previously unheard "The Worm" a song that was recorded with the rest of the album but never made it on -and since the re-master and playing live with Marcus on percussion, it made sense as a single in its own right. On release, it made Drowned in Sounds single of the week.
For Kathryn's official video for The Bird – she and SCOTTISH BALLET Creative have collaborated with Eve Mcchonachie as director, and Sophie Laplane as choreographer/dancer to create a beautiful, moving and picturesque video set on a West coast beach at sunset.
Radio sessions have included
Live at the Quay with DJ Roddy Hart
Marc Riley at 6 Music.
BBC Introducing with Vic Galloway, Radio Scotland
The Janice Forsyth Show
Loose Ends with Clive Anderson
The Bird has been playlisted on Radio Scotland daytime and Amazing Radio. Kathryn has had 6 Music champions include Lauren Laverne (headphone moment, and 6 music recommends), Tom Robinson, Tom Ravenscroft, Marc Riley, Gideon Coe and Shaun Keaveney. She was breakout track of the week for Jon Kennedy as well as Scotland's Jim Gellatly.