SAY Award 2020 - the shortlist

During this crazy year, where there have been no gigs since March, music fans have had way more time than usual to go back through their record collection and to add to it by discovering new music.

Tim Burgess has helped shine a light on the art of the album, with over 500 listening parties to date! And over the last few nights he has held parties for all of the shortlisted albums for the 2020 Scottish Album of the Year Award, with the winner set to be announced tonight (Thursday 29/10).

With everything going on in the world, I think the SAY Award 2020 is the most important year for the award yet. It really does give us all a night to reflect on our creative and talented nation and appreciate the music, the art, the nights out and the friendships that often come through a shared love of music.

It's worth taking a moment to think of the artists, bands and labels across Scotland who are still getting music out into the world during current restrictions. Those that are still creating - thank you.

And my thoughts go out to venues, staff, promoters, sound engineers and all the crews that help to put on incredible events throughout Scotland; from stadium shows and festivals, through to modern venues like the Hydro and all the incredible small venues across the land. Your work alongside bands and artists brings so much joy to so many people and I can't wait to get out to gigs again. Imagine the atmosphere at those first shows where we can go wild! 

I can't begin to imagine how difficult things are for you, take care.

So the SAY Award 2020!

Over 300 albums were nominated for the award and the 10 remaining have a chance to win an incredible £20,000! 

That kind of money can make a huge difference to bands and artists; established or new. And speaking of new, I should highlight that eight debut albums make up the shortlist this year! 

The 10 shortlisted albums in the running are;

Blanck Mass - Animated Violence Mild

Bossy Love - Me + U

Callum Easter - Here Or Nowhere

Cloth - Cloth

Comfort - Not Passing

Declan Welsh & The Decadent West - Cheaply Bought, Expensively Sold

Erland Cooper - Sule Skerry

The Ninth Wave - Infancy

NOVA - RE-UP

SHHE - SHHE

Personally, I've really fallen for the Erland Cooper album and bought it on vinyl at the weekend. It's a truly beautiful and emotive album. And I'm also very fond of the Callum Easter album and wish I had followed up on recommendations from people to check it out much earlier than I did. It's got a real charm and warm feel to it and I love the variety throughout.

The eponymous debut album by Cloth has won many fans and their #timstwitterlisteningparty last night was very enjoyable and insightful. I think it might be the favourite to win.

I've enjoyed attending a number of SAY Award ceremonies over the years. This time people from all over the world can attend! Simply subscribe to The SAY Award YouTube channel.

The ceremony will begin at 7pm tomorrow night - Thursday 29th October.

Previous winner include; Auntie Flo w/ Radio Highlife, Young Fathers w/ Cocoa Sugar, Sacred Paws w/ Strike A Match, Anna Meredith w/ Varmints, Kathryn Joseph w/ Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I've Spilled, Young Fathers w/ Tape Two, RM Hubbert w/ Thirteen Lost & Found and the inaugural winner back in 2012 was Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat w/ Everything's Getting Older.

Read on for a little bit about the shortlisted albums for 2020.

Good luck to all and well done for making the shortlist.

ABOUT THE SHORTLIST Blanck Mass - ‘Animated Violence Mild’ Animated Violence Mild was written throughout 2018/2019 at Blanck Mass’ studio outside of Edinburgh. These eight tracks are the diary of a year of work steeped in honing craft, self-discovery, and grief - the latter of which reared its head at the final hurdle of producing this record and created a whole separate narrative: grief, both for what I have lost personally, but also in a global sense, for what we as a species have lost and handed over to our blood-sucking counterpart, consumerism, only to be ravaged by it. Bossy Love - ‘Me + U’ Glasgow-based, enigmatic, alt-pop duo Bossy Love - comprising Scottish producer, songwriter and drummer John Baillie Jnr (Dananananakroyd / BABE), and Indonesian/Australian vocalist and songwriter Amandah Wilkinson (Operator Please), released their highly-anticipated, debut, 12-track album, ME + U in November, amidst a storm of critical acclaim. Further developing their style for emotionally candid and confessional, yet anthemic, IDGAF lyrics, atop propulsive, rich, pop production, ME + U was selected by The Guardian in their list of Best Albums 2019, before highlighting Bossy Love a second time; in their list of Amazing Musicians To Watch Out For In 2020: “Me + U is the stuff fantasies are made of… best Scottish pop act since Chvrches.” Callum Easter - ‘Here or Nowhere’ Callum Easter’s dark poetic vision find its most compelling form yet on Here Or Nowhere – a sparse, stark, deeply personal and by turns hopeful, menacing and despairing clutch of intuitively retro-futuristic songs united, as he explains, by “a feeling that the world is fucked up and a belief that people can fix it together.” It’s entirely written, performed, recorded and even mastered by the artist himself between his flat and his studio, save for backing vocals from Sisters Jacqui and Pauline Cuff (Soho/Leith Congregational Choir), as captured by Tim London. Cloth - ‘Cloth’ Recorded at Scottish indie mainstay Chem 19 with engineer Derek O’Neill (King Creosote, The Phantom Band), Cloth is the self-titled debut album by the acclaimed Glasgow-based three-piece. At once hauntingly sparse and sonically grandiose, Cloth weaves a gentle spell over its 10 carefully crafted tracks. Minimal, chiming guitars, punctuated by deep electronic grooves, set a lush backdrop for Rachael Swinton’s soaring voice, as she recounts tales of lost friendships (‘Curiosity Door’) and melancholic reverie (‘Brooklyn’). The album artwork for Cloth was designed by Glasgow-based artist Jamie Johnson. Comfort - ‘Not Passing’ NOT PASSING All standards are falsehoods I am no less a woman than a cis-gendered runway model Prejudices are not opinions There is no debate Let them think i look like a man Let them think I am mentally deluded I am cultivating in the cracks of their disgust I have nothing to live for but myself My womanhood needs no permission This record is for the people who don't make it Who don't feel safe enough to live it Who will be Who are We deserve our beauty And the world will catch up to us Declan Welsh & The Decadent West - ‘Cheaply Bought, Expensively Sold’ Recorded at 7west and produced by Glasgow staple Chris Marshall, the album affirms the message that politics are always personal. They’re tethered to our every day and whether it’s through music, social media or conversations with friends, this need for collective comfort and camaraderie is more important than ever. As opener and single ‘No Fun’ cheekily asks in a London accent, who even listens to guitar music anymore? For Welsh and The Decadent West, it’s a need to create messages of solidarity to those that feel lost and unheard, providing an insatiable, refreshing contrast to the squawking suppressors. Erland Cooper - ‘Sule Skerry’ ‘Sule Skerry’ is the second album in a triptych by the contemporary composer and multi-instrumentalist Erland Cooper. Described by MOJO as “Sonic postcards from Cooper’s native Orkney”, the series examines the air, sea and land, as celebrated by Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown. Sule Skerry is bookmarked by Cooper’s solo debut, Solan Goose (an album of the year at 6Music, The Quietus, Music OMH and more) and by 2020’s Hether Blether. On Sule Skerry Erland Cooper takes inspiration from the sea, describing the album as “a nautical map, something to refer back to when you get lost at sea”. The Ninth Wave - ‘Infancy’ From explorations of self-torment and paranoia (“This Broken Design”) to not being accepted by society (“Flower Into Wounds”) and the overwhelming fatigue of living in a superficial culture(“Half Pure”), “Infancy” is, at its core, a mirror of the darkest facets of living in modern society. The Ninth Wave’s uncompromising message is delivered in a gargantuan, electrifying sonic style that can’t fully be likened to anyone who’s come before them. NOVA - ‘RE-UP’  «Re-Up» exists to replenish the underground and remind them what Nova is really about. DIY written all over the album’s DNA, Nova offers her unfiltered truth on crime, clubs, afters and getting money and self-growth. Bassy trap sits side by side with lo-fi hip hop and heavy grime features beats by $1000 Wallet, Inkke and Kami-O, AJM, T.Morgan & Evil M, all local producers based in Scotland, complemented with imagery of drunken street fights, a twisted game of Monopoly and sniper staring down the viewfinder. SHHE - ‘SHHE’ SHHE’s self-titled debut album is a sparse, evocative and atmospheric journey of introspection and exploration of identity that demonstrates her ability to capture movement, change and the light and darkness that haunt the human condition. It was impacted by her time in Iceland, where she began work on a project that explores the connection between sound, landscape and sleep. The album is an encapsulation of Shaw’s breath-taking gift for wrapping carefully constructed electronic soundscapes around delicate yet self-assured vocals and lilting melodies. SHHE has found herself on the precipice of unlimited creativity and she’s ready to dive in head first.

The SAY Award longlist to shortlist

The Scottish Album Of The Year Award has been such a welcome addition to the Scottish music scene, celebrating, valuing and highlighting the incredible talent and love our nation has for music.

Over 300 eligible nominations were received for the 2019 SAY Award and 100 judges each had 5 votes to produce the longlist of 20 albums listed below. Read on for full info about the cut to the shortlist.

Prior to the longlist being announced I tweeted 5 albums that I would have voted for if I was a judge. 4 of them have made the longlist! Sadly L Space's Kipple Arcadia didn't.

So I'm personally rooting for the following;

Carla J Easton - Impossible Stuff;  This is a huge step forwards from my sister’s work with TeenCanteen and Ette (as much as I love both those albums), a real coming of age as a songwriter and performer. Packed with hooks, melodies, honest, clever and playful lyrics. This is the album Carla has always wanted to make. Don't just take my word -The Skinny review

Andrew Wasylyk - The Paralian; I had Andrew's last album down as a potential winner in 2018 and it didn't even make the longlist! His show at the Mackintosh Church in Glasgow last summer supporting The Pastels was sublime. A real talent with an incredible ear for music. Don't just take my word - The Skinny review

Free Love - Luxury Hits; progressing all the time on their own path, playing life affirming live shows, it was through the SAY Award that I first discovered Free Love when they were known as Happy Meals. Brilliant experimental pop. Don't just take my word - The Skinny review

Edwyn Collins - Badbea; full of energy, ideas and soul. I love Edwyn Collins, he is a national treasure, an incredible songwriter and performer. I look forward to his show at the QMU later this month. Don't just take my word on it - The Guardian review

Unlike the more celebrated Mercury Music Prize, there is no listing fee or cost to participate and the general public can 'Have their SAY' and cast a vote to influence which albums will proceed to the shortlist.

The SAY Award public vote is open from midnight on Monday 12th August until midnight on 14th August. The longlisted album with the most votes will automatically gain a place on the shortlist, as well as a guaranteed minimum prize of £1,000, It also means that this album will be in with a chance to be hailed as Scottish Album Of The Year 2019 with the winning artist receiving a £20,000 prize.

To vote - head to www.sayward.com from Monday 12th August. Anyone who votes is automatically entered into a ballot to win a pair of tickets to the exclusive invite-only SAY Award ceremony, which this year takes place at the Assembly Rooms in the heart of Edinburgh on Friday 6th September.

The winner of the public vote will join nine other shortlisted titles chosen by the SAY Award judging panel who will be selecting from;

The SAY Award Longlist for 2019 is: 1. Aidan Moffat and RM Hubbert – Here Lies The Body 2. Aidan O’Rourke – 365: Vol. 1 3. Andrew Wasylyk – The Paralian 4. Auntie Flo – Radio Highlife 5. Brìghde Chaimbeul – The Reeling 6. C Duncan – Health 7. Carla J. Easton – Impossible Stuff 8. CHVRCHES – Love Is Dead 9. Edwyn Collins – Badbea 10. Fatherson – Sum Of All Your Parts 11. Fergus McCreadie Trio – Turas 12. Free Love – Luxury Hits 13. Graham Costello’s Strata– Obelisk 14. Karine Polwart with Steven Polwart and Inge Thomson– Laws of Motion 15. Kathryn Joseph – From When I Wake The Want Is 16. Kinnaris Quintet – Free One 17. Mastersystem – Dance Music 18. Niteworks – Air Fàir an Là 19. Sean Shibe – softLOUD 20. The Twilight Sad – It Won/t Be Like This All The Time

The 72-hour public vote opens on 12 August, closing on 14 August before the Shortlist is announced on 15 August as part of a special BBC Radio Scotlandshow from 21:00. Developed by the Scottish Music Industry Association, 2019’s campaign is delivered in partnership with Creative Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council, YouTube Music, Harviestoun Brewery, Ticketmaster New Music, PPL, Sweetdram, The Queen’s Hall and charity partner Help Musicians Scotland.

Previous winners of The SAY Award include Young Fathers ‘Cocoa Sugar’ (2018), Sacred Paws ‘Strike A Match’ (2017), Anna Meredith ‘Varmints’ (2016), Kathryn Joseph ‘Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I’ve Spilled’ (2015), Young Fathers ‘Tape Two’ (2014), RM Hubbert ‘Thirteen Lost & Found’ (2013) and the inaugural winner Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat ‘Everything’s Getting Older’ (2012). Follow The SAY Award’s 2019 journey on Twitter @SAYaward, Instagram@sayaward and Facebook @SAYaward

2017 Scottish Album of the Year Award - the nominations

 

The chance to nominate an eligible album for Scottish Album of the Year was open throughout March and the list of nominees is quite incredible; truly highlighting the incredible artistic talent that graces and enhances our small nation. Bands and artists from all kinds of genres are there, we have old bands, brand new bands, DIY releases, major label releases and DIY label releases.

Arguably Scotland's biggest band - Biff Clyro is on the list, old timers enjoying a new lease of life Deacon Blue are there, we have Fatherson, Frightened Rabbit, Amy MacDonald, KT Tunstall, Emeli Sande, the exceptional talent that is King Creosote, the mighty Mogwai, the Mary Chain, personal faves Teenage Fanclub, the effervescent Travis, the returning Trashcan Sinatras and the energetic Twin Atlantic.

Scottish indie/DIY labels (and self releases) are well represented by the likes of Randolphs Leap. Hector Bizerk, TeenCanteen, Ette (Bandcamps number 4 album of 2016), Little Kicks, Machines In Heaven, HQFU, Modern Studies, Mt. Doubt, Rick Redbeard, Sacred Paws.....and much, much more. This is a growing scene and one that offers a real treasure trove of talent.

Scottish hip-hop is represented, folk, country, electronica, classical, avant garde.....there is something for everyone, so much to explore and treasures to discover.


Just 20 albums will make the longlist, that is then whittled down to 10 for the shortlist and they go

through to the SAY Award ceremony in Paisley on 28th June.

The SAY Award has been a welcome and exciting addition to the Scottish music calendar since inception; previous winners are Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat (2012), RM Hubbert (2013), Young Fathers (2014), Kathryn Joseph (2015) and Anna Meredith (2016).

The format of nominees, longlist and shortlist maintains interest and builds excitement and anticipation. The 4-month run from the start of March to the end of June offers music fans around the world ample time to explore Scottish artists from all backgrounds.

However, it is impossible (at least for me) to listen to every single album that has been nominated. That is probably why the SAY Award have 100 judges to start with!

Here is a list of some of the albums I've enjoyed, it will be interesting to see how many make it through to the longlist and the shortlist. Could the winner be among them? Those marked with an * are my own top 10/shortlist, but I look forward to discovering albums as things progress towards the ceremony in Paisley on 28th June.

Barrie James O'Neill - Cold Coffee

* Ette - Homemade Lemonade

Fiona Soe Paing - Alien Lullabies

* HiFi Sean - ___Ft

HQFU - HQFU

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Damage and Joy

* King Creosote - Astronaut Meets Appleman

Machines In Heaven - Phenomenology

* Mark W Georgsson - Faces and Places

* Modern Studies - Swell To Great

Mt. Doubt - In Awe Of Nothing

Pictish Trail - Future Echoes

Rick Redbeard - Awake Unto

* Sacred Paws - Strike A Match

* Stephen Solo - Pii

* Teenage Fanclub - Here

* TeenCanteen - Say It All With A Kiss

The Little Kicks - Shake Off Your Troubles

* The Pooches - The Pooches

Trashcan Sinatras - Wild Pendulum

The SAY Award is a prestigious and exciting arts prize produced by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), with confirmed partners for 2017 including Paisley for UK City of Culture 2021, Creative Scotland, TicketWeb and PPL. Boasting a lucrative £20,000 prize for the winner and nine runner up prizes of £1,000 each, the award celebrates, promotes and rewards the most outstanding Scottish albums released each year. Respected by artists and valued by the industry, The SAY Award is responsible for a surge in musical discovery and an explosion of impassioned debate on social media. The SMIA is encouraging artists, labels and the general public to submit eligible albums released between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017. #SAYAward #SAYeligible17

The SAY Award shortlist

The Scottish Album of the Year Award (the SAY Award) has been a welcome addition to the Scottish music and arts scene since its inception; highlighting the quality and diversity that our nations artists create year on year and provoking debate about what albums should make the shortlist and of course; who should win.

The ten albums on the shortlist are noted below; the fact that the likes of King Creoste with his critically acclaimed From Scotland With Love, Withered Hand with his brilliant New Gods and The Twilight Sad with their most acclaimed album of their career, haven't made the shortlist has already created heated debate amongst Scottish music fans.

Little known acts like Happy Meals are on there - I have really fallen for their album since wondering who the hell they were when they popped up on the long list.

Let's see who is on the shortlist - in no particular order;

Last years winners Young Fathers are shortlisted again with Dead. They won with a mini-album/mixtape last year that created a heated debate regardless of the quality. The band followed that up by winning the Mercury Music Prize and have been gathering incredible critical acclaim and a growing fanbase.

The band are fiercely independent, prolific and are developing a reputation for fierce live performances. Dead has already won the Mercury - can they do the double? They may well be back on the shortlist again in 2016 with their latest album White Men Are Black Men Too.

The Amazing Snakeheads Amphetamine Ballads sent them careering around the globe causing havoc with their energy and passion. They imploded in February this year to the dismay of many.

Will their sole release win them the SAY Award? It's a menacing album mixing all kinds of stuff - The Doors crossed with punk, rock n roll and jazz at times - as evidenced on Flatlining below.

I caught them at the Wickerman Festival last summer and they were sensational live. They wouldn't be my own personal choice but would be popular with many.

Kathryn Joseph is someone I can see winning the award. Appearing from nowhere with a beautiful Vic Galloway session and causing some Scottish bloggers to melt with her Bones You Have Thrown At Me And Blood I Have Spilled album. I have yet to hear a bad word about this album or her live performances.

Listen to the gorgeous The Bird to get an idea of the beautiful sounds and imagery she creates.

Happy Meals have already won a new fan in me. Their name caught y attention when the SAY Award longlist was announced and I was transfixed by the gorgeous and eclectic sounds they create on their Apero album. It is just so gorgeously different - think Stereolab crossed with Kraftwerk in the year 2025. 

I really hope to see them live in the near future. 

Belle and Sebastian have made the shortlist with Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance. I reviewed the album on release HERE 

It is a brave album; dealing with personal illness, incorporating disco influences, yet remaining distinctly Belles. As per the review, I think there are some incredible songs on the album. Stuart Murdoch is an exceptional songwriter and I certainly wouldn't be surprised if they won.

Paulo Nutini is on the shortlist with Caustic Love. Paulo is a huge artist with worldwide appeal and this album has won him new fans, including those who perhaps poured scorn on him and his music in the past.

I haven't heard the full album however a couple of my best friends have been won over by it. Performances and songs like Iron Sky below highlight why he may become the most mainstream artist to win the SAY Award to date.

Honeyblood are a band that have worked exceptionally hard over the last year to promote their eponymous album that was released on Fat Cat, a label that has taken Scottish acts to their hearts over the years.

Honeyblood (the band and album) is very old school indie guitar music - so no surprise that I quite like it. Humour, warm guitars and good hooks are evident throughout. That said, I'd be surprised if they win and have done well to get to the shortlist.

Paws are another act on the Fat Cat Records label and their album Youth Culture Forever has understandably found favour in America where they have toured extensively. The slacker/grunge guitar sound can be exceptionally catchy at times but it isn't without depth and there is so much more to them as evidenced on their near 12-minute epic War Cry which has echoes of Nirvana, quiet verses then truly exploding into life.

SLAM are veterans of the Glasgow music scene, so in that sense it is good to see them on the shortlist with their Reverse Proceed album. It must be around 10-years since I have seen or heard SLAM in action, however I am reliably informed that they are still leading their field.

Judge for yourself with this continuous mix of the album;

Mogwai's Rave Tapes didn't make the shortlist but Rock Action label mates Errors have made it with Lease Of Life. Pardon the pun but they seem to have had a new lease of life - I was surprised when I caught them live in Glasgow Green for the Commonwealth Games last summer. They put on an incredible show to match their sonic soundscapes.

Errors have a real chance of winning for me. They seem to be progressing as a band, unafraid to explore and experiment, willing to bring friends (Cecilia Stamp on guest vocals) into their inner circle and gathering some fantastic reviews.

Check Through The Knowledge Of Those Who Observe Us for evidence of the expansive, melodic and experimental sound that Errors are capable of creating. The songs were created on the Isle of Jura and this epic 13-minute closer is a song with plenty of dreamy space, not in a rush, building gloriously.

So there you go - my top 3 in no particular order would be Happy Meals, Errors and Kathryn Joseph. My outsiders would be Honeyblood and Paws. But technically each artist has a 10/1 chance of winning!

The SAY award ceremony is at the ABC in Glasgow on the evening of 17th June.

SAY Award 2014 shortlist

The Scottish Album of the Year Award (SAY Award) has been a welcome addition to the Scottish music calendar since it was established in 2012.

The Award really highlights the incredible diverse musical and artistic talent throughout Scotland.

The winning artist receives a cheque for £20,000 - a lot of money to some of the artists on this years shortlist and previous winners; RM Hubbert in 2013 for Thirteen Lost and Found and Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat in 2012 for Everything's Getting Older.

I'm surprised albums by Adam Holmes and Adam Stafford didn't make the cut from the long list - two beautiful albums.

The shortlist is below and the winner will be announced at the Barrowland ceremony on 19th June. Good luck to all the artists below and well done for making the shortlist.

Biffy Clyro - Opposites
Starting with a big hitter - the mighty Biffy. A double album that gave them plenty of scope to show how far they have come as a band - musically and lyrically. Biffy have a knack for writing anthems and there are some wonderful warm guitar sounds on Opposites.

Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
Boards Of Canada came back from the wilderness to take everyone by surprise with the release of this album. Another unique talent that produce some beautiful soundscapes that build and take the listener on a journey.

Chvrches - The Bones Of What You Believe
I blogged about this album HERE and if anything my affection for it has grown. In with a real chance and I'm sure it would be a popular choice. Pop with a cutting edge.

Edwyn Collins - Understated
I'm very fond of Edwyn Collins music and the man as an artist. Dilemma is a very strong album taking in Edwyn's fondness for Velvet's style ballads and his love of Northern Soul, also rocking out at times. Too Bad (That's Sad) was one of my faves from 2013.

Hector Bizerk - Nodoby Seen Nothing
The lyrics, humour and social commentary in some of the songs I've listened to are clever. This just isn't for me at all.

Mogwai - Les Revenants
Mogwai are in quite formidable and prolific form at the moment. Their Mogwai play Zidane show was a highlight from last summer and their latest album Rave Tapes and tour saw them in powerful and mesmerising form. They play by their rules and their rules only. Les Revenants finds them in mellow form at times with xylophones and acoustic guitars. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today? is a stunning cover song featuring Stuart Braithwaite delivering a brilliant vocal performance.

RM Hubbert - Breaks Bone
Can Hubbert follow up last years victory? He is certainly in with a chance after delivering a strong and very personal album. Hubbert's guitar playing is wonderful and unique.

Steve Mason - Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time
Following on from the wonderful Boys Outside album, Mason is in typically eclectic form. Mason's voice is lovely, he sounds like he is harmonising with himself. It is just so sing song and likeable. Mason also has a fantastic ear for a tune; be it acoustic or electronic. Monkey.... allows him the space to fully explore his talent; instrumental tracks separate the full songs. Lonely is a standout for me from a brilliant album.

The Pastels - Slow Summits
I would personally be delighted if The Pastels walked away with the prize next week. I've been into them since the early 1990's, discovering them through Teenage Fanclub and enjoying their wonderful contribution to music. The Pastels love of music shines through in their albums and Slow Summits is a real highlight from a long career. From the pure pop of Check My Heart to the melancholy loveliness of Summer Rain, to the stunning largely instrumental title track - The Pastels have produced a brilliant album.

Young Fathers - Tape 2
I bought this album after the journalist Nicola Meighan played a couple of tracks whilst standing in for Vic Galloway on Radio Scotland. They've come a long way since I first saw them playing with my sisters old band Futuristic Retro Champions. There is a real melting pot of influences encompassed in Tape 2; I hear echoes of Marvin Gaye and Massive Attack amongst others. A win for Young Fathers would really make a statement for the wonderfully rich, eclectic music scene that we have in Scotland and that the SAY Awards celebrate.