A TV documentary pairing some of Scotland’s best-known writers and musicians – such as crime novelist, Ian Rankin, with Aidan Moffat, from the band, Arab Strap – is being broadcast tomorrow.
Ballads of the Book is being screened on stv and is about an arts project that has brought together writers such as Rankin, Alasdair Gray and AL Kennedy to contribute the lyrics to music being written by the likes of Idlewild, Trashcan Sinatras, The Delgados and Sons and Daughters – as well as Arab Strap.
The programme follows the project from conception through to live performances and the release of an album – released on the fifth of next month.
The project is the brainchild of Roddy Woomble, singer with best-selling band, Idlewild.
Says Roddy: “The album is like a time capsule capturing 2006 – 2007 in Scotland. This has never really been tried before, which is really exciting.”
Gray, who collaborated with Chemikal Underground’s Alun Woodward on a track, created the cover art for the CD.
The song-writing pairings are:
Mike Heron and John Burnside
De Rosa and Michel Faber
James Yorkston and Bill Duncan
Foxface and Rody Gorman
Lord Cut-Glass and Alasdair Gray
Aidan Moffat and Ian Rankin
Norman Blake and John Burnside
Karine Polwart and Edwin Morgan
Sons and Daughters and AL Kennedy
Alasdair Roberts and Robin Robertson
Strike the Colours and Rody Gorman
Aereogramme and Hal Duncan
Malcolm Middleton (Arab Strap) and Alan Bissett
Trashcan Sinatras and Ali Smith
Vashti Bunyan and Rodge Glass
King Creosote and Laura Hird
Emma Pollock (Chemikal Underground/ The Delgados) and Louise Welsh
Idlewild and Edwin Morgan
