SAY Award

The SAY Award judges somehow managed to whittle down the top Scottish albums of this past year to just 20. With the shortlist announcement looming and the gong-giving ceremony pending, two of our lead music critics quiz each other on the longlist. Who do Megan Merino and Kevin Fullerton think will be victorious on the night?

AYES ON THE PRIZE

PICTURES: EWAN WOOD

Which nominee would you want to see live after hearing their record?

Kevin Fullerton: I saw AiiTee live at the AMPLIFI showcase earlier this year, and nothing has really done her voice justice on record apart from this new EP Better Days . It’s made me want to see a full show rather than a little snippet. She has the kind of powerhouse vocals you don’t generally hear on the Scottish music scene. Megan Merino: I really want to see Kobi Onyame’s Don’ t Drink The Poison brought to life. It’s the kind of heavily orchestrated and produced rap album that I absolutely love; that Kendrick Lamar or Little Simz vibe.

Which artist do you think is most likely to top the charts?

KF: In Scotland you think of popularity as the sort of fairly standard Scottish indie style, so things like Callum Easter and Declan Welsh And The Decadent West. MM: I could see AiiTee in the charts for her more dancey songs. I’d love for her to be our next Scottish pop princess.

Which album do you want to listen to more than once?

MM: Fergus McCreadie’s For estFloor because of its instrumental complexity. It’s the kind of album that delivers something different with every listen. With free jazz, obviously there’s all these improvised solos, so every time you’re locked on to a different player or sound. KF: I’ve rinsed Kathryn Joseph’s For You W ho Are TheW ronge d for months. She’s continuing the style th t she er ected on her first lbum but dding lot more l yers. Her first two albums breathed the same air as PJ Harvey’s W hiteC halk era, but this third one feels like she’s created her own world.

Which album provides the perfect soundtrack for a train journey?

KF: Hamish Hawk’s album is one you could find yoursel getting lost in. ust ll the noise and complexity of his lyrics; there’s a new story in every song. MM: For me it’s the Andrew Wasylyk album because of its meditative, epic quality. It’s something that I could feel completely immersed in.

Which album is most likely to contain something you’d get tattooed on your body?

MM: A line from Annie Booth’s Lazybody which s tisfi es my lo e o s d girl indie. It s ll to do with the lyrics which re er ect combin tion o bstr ct nd on the nose. KF: s undee l d ndrew sylyk s Balgay H ill:Mor ni ng In Magnol ia h s lots o iconogr hy on it th t I would h ily h e t ttooed on me.

If every longlisted album was a world, which one would you want to live in?

MM: or me unc n s Alluv ium . It eels like uto i n dre m l ndsc e th t s o timistic nd idyllic but erh s not uite tethered to re lity. KF: I li ed ne t to lg y Hill or the m ority o my li e nd I couldn t see the rom nce ndrew sylyk fi nds in it. o I d lo e to li e in his ersion o lg y Hill which is be uti ul re erie. ut llum ster s System is the world s it is ngry nd rustr ted with the olitic l l ndsc e th t we ll h e to e ist in I m r id.

Which of the longlisted albums surprised you the most?

KF: I w s ery sur rised by llum ster s System . I w s e ecting something con ention lly indie but it w s ctu lly uite e eriment l. He s drilling down into single rhythm nd seeing how r he c n t ke it be ore it tires itsel out. MM: roc isk l s Si ren Spi ne Sysex sur rised me. It s sort o mech nic l electronic lbum th t uses so m ny cr y sounds I e ne er he rd be ore. It s so iscer l nd str nge but weirdly be uti ul s well.

A night out is on the cards and you need to get in the mood. Which album are you putting on?

KF: s thirtysomething indie l d lt isco s U nl earni ng or The Ninth e s H eavy Like A H eadache re the kind o thing I would h e listened to be ore he ding to n indie nightclub. e lly b ro ue re lly big. MM: U nl earni ng would be my nswer to which lbum should be costume rty theme bec use there s so much to work with within th t dr m tic gl m rock energy.

Who do you think deserves to win this year’s SAY Award?

KF: I would lo e to see em win. He s h d n e citing ye r nd his M4 is fi lled with he rt ssion nd wide r nge o sounds nd them tic interests. He s the right kind o s y c reerist nd I think he ll hit it big. He s m de incredible strides o er the st months. MM: ebecc sm nt h s my ote. W ith Lov e, From G lasgow im ressi ely uses nd electronic genres nd ushes the bo t out on wh t kinds o lbums you c n cre te s roducer nd cur tor. s success ul techno s well I think this shows such ers tility nd music l rowess.

FULL LONGLIST

AiiTee: Better Days Andrew Wasylyk: Balgay Hill – Morning In Magnolia AnnieBooth: Lazybody Bemz: M4 CDuncan: Alluvium CallumEaster: System ConstantFollower: Neither Is, Nor Ever Was DeclanWelshAndTheDecadentWest: It’s Been A Year DuncanLyall: Milestone FergusMcCreadie: Forest Floor HamishHawk: Heavy Elevator HenHoose: Equaliser KathrynJoseph: For You Who Are The Wronged KobiOnyame: Don’t Drink The Poison TheNinthWave: Heavy Like a Headache Niteworks: A’Ghrian ProcFiskal: Siren Spine Sysex RebeccaVasmant: With Love, From Glasgow SeonaidAitken: Chasing Sakura WaltDisco: Unlearning

The SAY Award shortlist is announced on Thursday 6 October with the award ceremony taking place at Albert Halls in Stirling on Thursday 20 October. Many thank s to Assai Recor ds in E di nbur gh, w ho al low ed us in to thum b the recor ds and s hoot these phot ogr aphs , w hich w ere taken by our very ow n Ew an W ood.

PICTURE: SONIA SIEFF CARDY A

With a major exhibition hitting Edinburgh, Megan hitting Edinburgh, Megan Merino fi nds out about the Merino fi nds out about the rich history of hand knitting rich history of hand knitting and hears why the time is and hears why the time is right to ditch those tired old right to ditch those tired old myths about grannies and myths about grannies and winter woollies winter woollies

For centuries, knitwear has provided people with high-functioning apparel that bridges the practical, sophisticated and glamorous. KNITW EAR: Chanel To W estwood (which debuted at London’s Fashion And Textile Museum) is a thorough celebration of the form through several decades, weaving together fashion, design and history. ‘There’s something about knitwear that’s innately comforting,’ insists exhibition curator Dennis Nothdruft. ‘We all have a favourite sweater and

I think they are garments that kind of transcend time and space.

There are certain things that you can just associate with a place.

Scotland is the home of amazing knitwear that it’s produced for many centuries, so bringing the exhibition to Edinburgh was definitely n tur l fit.

Many of the show’s pieces come from an extensive private collection owned by rk nd leo utterfield o int ge.

‘We’ve done quite a few exhibitions with them,’ Nothdruft explains. ‘I love other people’s collections, because there’s already a narrative that the collectors have put in and so, as a curator, to have a narrative structure to deal with is quite interesting.’ With iconic pieces by Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, i ienne estwood nd omme es r ons on dis l y fashionistas will be in their element.

But by focusing on knitwear and its evolution through the decades, this exhibition also uniquely captures the zeitgeist of when each garment was made. As Nothdruft notes, ‘we can read history through objects so you can actually see what’s happening in society by looking at these pieces of clothing.’

The new-found freedom post-World War I, for example, is demonstrated through a collection of knitted ski and tennis wear, and Chanel’s iconic neutral-coloured striped and checked twin sets. he s were ery ery stylish dds othdru t. ‘You can see the modernism and you can see its applications and how so many people adopted that particular style. There w s mo ement in the s where olklore bec me ery o ul r you h e the s with ull skirts nd little cockt il sweaters, a very different rechercheé type of femininity that c me ter orld r II nd then you get the s nd tot l cultural revolution.’

In a World War II ‘make do and mend’ section, pamphlets to teach women how to unravel old jumpers in order to knit new ones are on display, as well as garments made from

This is the knit (previous page main picture): Jinx by La Fetiche with Di Gilpin, (clockwise from below) fashionable folkloric knitwear items from the 1930s and 40s, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel on the beach in Etretat, 1920s twin set by Chanel, Paloma by La Fetiche with Di Gilpin, hand knitted Shetland wool sweater

PICTURE: CHANEL PRIVATE ARCHIVES

unconventional materials such as industrial webbing. Specially commissioned contemporary pieces also feature to represent the future of knitwear, including several works by Scottish designer Di Gilpin.

‘To showcase Scottish hand knitting was very important to me and they’ve chosen a really nice cross-section of techniques that we use,’ says Gilpin, from her studio in St Andrews. ‘There re two outfits rom etiche which re rom utumn winter nd s ring summer nd then we h e l rge intarsia piece [a technique used to create patterns with multiple colours] which is either going to be hung or wrapped.’

Hand knitting is a key part of Gilpin’s philosophy. ‘There’s something so subtle bout it nd so much more refined th n machine knit,’ she explains. ‘There has been a real resurgence in hand knitting over the last ten years and there are some fabulous designers and makers of wool out there. But there’s also still a lot of misogynistic attitudes towards hand knitting too: a lot of people still think that this is done by their grannies sitting in corner by the fire.

As co-author of The G ansey K nitting Sourcebook , Gilpin is particularly keen to bust those stereotypes with intricate and technical methods that showcase knitting as an artform. ‘The construction of Gansey is something that all designers that I’ve worked with are fascinated by. It’s not just knit two, purl two. I work to formula a huge amount, and lots of my work is sequence based. There’s a really strong maths and physics grounding in it. It’s the relationship between the hand, the needles and the yarn. These three things allow you to explore and be incredibly inventive. I really want people to see that through the exhibition, to celebrate knitting and so many fantastic designers.’

Through the display of knitwear from the Edwardian era right up to the present day, K N ITW EAR: C hanel To W estw ood aims to give visitors a new-found appreciation for the principles of knitting and its application in response to the world’s constantly shifting social landscapes.

‘The technique, whether it’s by machine or by hand, is a process that goes back to the beginnings of time,’ says Dennis Nothdruft. ‘And I think there is something so relatable about that in ways that a lot of other exhibitions around fashion are not.’

KNITWEAR: Chanel To Westwood, Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh, Saturday 15 October–Saturday 11 March.

PICTURE: SONIA SIEFF

MARK THOMSON Glenfiddich Whisky ambassador

This is my favourite bit of Margaret Howell knitwear. I’ve always been a fan of hers, and now autumn is taking hold, it’s the perfect layer. As it’s a linen cotton knit, it’s quite lightweight but really cosy and a great shape due to the shoulder construction. A timeless wardrobe staple.

Four names in the Scottish arts and culture world share a thought or two about their most treasured items of knitwear

ASTA PETKUNAITE Artist, designer, and founder of Pascal & Co vintage shop

My favourite piece of knitwear at the moment is my hand-knitted gilet. It’s quite the labour of love, which clocked up a few months’ worth of hours as I tried to decipher an original 1960s pattern for the very first time! Being a self-taught knitter, this was a ‘step up’ from knitting simple straight scarves. I love a vest/gilet design, as it’s a wonderful inter-seasonal wardrobe staple. I love to layer mine with different blouse and shirt combinations. I also love the alpaca and merino wool blend which means it’s not too itchy.

CELIA JOICEY Director of Dovecot Studios

My favourite piece of knitwear is a long, stripy Missoni scarf. It drapes, loops and slips effortlessly across any outfit. I like to buy a piece related to each exhibition I work on, and this scarf is from a 2015 Italian retrospective about Ottavio and Rosita Missoni’s creative process of knitting artwork into fashion forms.

Noteworthy

JULIA BILLINGS Natural dyer, horticulturist, knitter, and founder of Woollenflower

This was made while moving from Melbourne to Glasgow and, since its stitches were knitted in both places, I remember both of my homes when I wear it. Designed by Danish knitwear designer Marianne Isager, it’s a beautiful, fluid and cosy canvas for the subtle shades of both sheep’s wool and natural dyes. Knits

PAISLEY’S HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL RETURNS IN SPOOKTACULAR STYLE, WITH AN INTERACTIVE FIRE GARDEN AND SPRAWLING SPIDER’S LAIR

Thousands are expected to attend one of Scotland’s best-loved autumn events

Bringing Paisley town centre thrillingly to life in what promises to be its most spooktacular incarnation to date, the Paisley Halloween Festival (Thursday 27 – Saturday 29 October) is a highlight of Scotland’s autumn calendar and one of the biggest and best events of its kind anywhere in the UK.

With a theme this year of ‘Heroes, Myths and Legends’, this free-toattend and family friendly festival is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors over three thoroughly atmospheric evenings, bringing enormous benefit to the area’s local community. It’s been organised by Renfrewshire Council, who have partnered with the internationally renowned circus specialists Cirque Bijou in celebration of Scotland’s phenomenally successful Year of Stories 2022, and forms part of EventScotland’s National Events Programme.

Live performance is back on the festival’s agenda following a three-year absence and, to mark the occasion, it sounds like the organisers have gone to town, with each evening’s entertainment taking place from 6pm–9pm. Why not check out an exciting superhero rooftop battle and gravity-defying vertical dance performance from Scottish aerial dance company All or Nothing. While theatre-makers Megahertz will be putting on their own dance show, featuring the extraordinary efforts of 25 incredible performers.

And that’s not all! Amongst this year’s eye-catching attractions are a giant interactive walk- through fire garden, a fire-breathing dragon, a sprawling spider’s lair featuring the giant Arachnobot spider, and some eerie illuminated digital face puppets that will be taking to the streets to spook and dazzle you.

Returning festival favourites looking to impress include the illuminated Spark! LED drummers and flamethrowers PyroCeltica, while local youngsters have worked together to create a large-scale installation celebrating their everyday heroes. There will also be street food and drink to savour, choir performances and children’s art workshops. And spoken word pieces

performed by local school and community groups will be projected onto a giant video wall.

With the festivities taking place against the spectacular backdrop of Paisley’s 850-year-old Abbey, Paisley Halloween Festival is a wonderful showcase for local creative talent and ingenuity, as well as a fantastic excuse to bring people back together. Moreover, it’s an event that should prove accessible to many. Paisley town centre is easy to reach from anywhere in central Scotland, and is a less than a tenminute train ride from Glasgow.

We’ll leave it to the artistic director of the festival’s co-organisers Cirque Bijou, Julian Bracey, to tell you what makes this a must-see event: ‘Paisley town centre’s historic architecture is a fantastic canvas on which we’ve been able to create a dramatic visual spectacle, which will be brought to life by some hugely talented performers. This is an event not to be missed and we can’t wait for people to see it.’

The Paisley Halloween Festival runs from Thursday 27 until Saturday 29 October across Paisley town centre. More details can be found by visiting paisley.is.

EAT DRINK SHOP eat drink shop

EDINBURGH COCKTAIL WEEK

Edinburgh Cocktail Week rolls into town this month, with a whopping 120 bars showcasing signature cocktails priced at a mere £5 for wristband holders. The Festival Square Cocktail Village also returns; open daily, it will feature 21 pop-up bars, street food, music and events (cocktails and comedy anyone?). New for this year is the interactive Mirror Mirror Bar on the roof of The Glasshouse Hotel, and if pretty drinks make you hungry, you’ll be pleased to hear some local restaurants are getting in on the act too, with signature cocktails at El Cartel, Superico, Dine, Heron and Luckenbooths. (Jo Laidlaw) n Friday 7–Sunday 16 October, edinburghcocktailweek.co.uk