Sam Grassie - Caisteal Abhail EP (Self Release) [Folk]

The Slow Music Movement
2 days ago
1 min read

*** This blog post first appeared in TSMM's November 9th Newsletter, where you can get all the tips (and more) first ***

The cover for Sam Grassie's Caisteal Abhail EP, showing a silhouette of a bird flying over a shimmering sea, framed in a circular vignette. Text reads "Sam Grassie Caisteal Abhail" above and below.

Grassie has made it into the newsletter before, appeared a few times in the blog (RIP Avocet), not to mention contributed to TSMM’s record label. A genuine modern day troubadour who bounces between canal boats, vans, sofas and flats, he’s also increasingly involved in bringing together the UK’s up and coming and overlooked folk artists into collectives, compilations and consequently the spotlight, not to mention cementing himself as one of the UK’s finest, new generation, fingerstyle guitarists.

Sam Grassie playing acoustic guitar seated indoors, near a microphone. Background features ornate woodwork. Black and white image, contemplative mood.

The new EP is a diary of sorts and muses on friends, places, memories and life’s ups and downs. He’s helped along by a few mates who you might recognise from this fine compilation, as well as a reunion with Iona Zajac from Avocet. The EP is guided by Grassie’s impressive picking, and augmented by some perfectly judged double bass, pedal steel and vocals and even manages to incorporate some sax without losing his favoured, ageless folk vibes. Everything was recorded straight to tape up in his native Scotland, and he produced and engineered it too. He’s a talent.