This week, a podcast I’ve listened to since (at least) 2008 drew to an end — Tuesday saw the release of the final episode of BBC Radio Scotland’s Scotland Introducing podcast.
Every other week, deejay and writer Vic Galloway would play four tracks from unsigned Scottish bands. Some of the music was to my taste. Some wasn’t. And some was so catchy that it prompted me to explore more of the artist’s catalogue.
I couldn’t tell you the number of bands that really caught my attention, that I ordered EPs or bought music off of Bandcamp over the past twelve years. Off the top of my head — and some of these bands are now sadly defunct — Aerials Up, Admiral Fallow, The Scottish Enlightenment, The Seventeenth Century, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Beatnic Prestige, The French Wives, Macanta (a Gaelic language band, no less!), Emily Scott, Withered Hand, Mersault, The Moth and the Mirror, q without u. I know that barely scratches the surface.
My most recent discovery was Siiga, whose forthcoming album I just ordered on Friday. His song, “Gemini Rising,” was on an episode of Scotland Introducing earlier this summer, and it punched me right in all the feelings.
It’s been a great musical journey these last dozen years with the Scotland Introducing podcast.
I’ve checked out Vic Galloway’s radio show on BBC Radio Scotland a number of times — with time zone differences, I can listen to it in the afternoons at work — and will do so again in the future, so the music will live on. There’s always new bands and new music to discover!
