Into Scottish Creatives: Colin MacIntyre

It’s been a while since we last did an Into Scottish Creatives interview and we can think of no one more appropriate to kick things off again than with the talent that is Colin MacIntyre who has been at the forefront of the Scottish cultural scene since the early 2000s. Colin has made and released a number of albums via his Mull Historical Society moniker and has also authored five books including the recent An Island Burning, part of the Mull Mysteries Crime series. Into Creative’s John Welsh caught up with Colin recently to talk about the new album, collaborations, books, upcoming tour and a lot more besides.

Into Creative (IC) – Your new album In My Mind There’s A Photograph is out at the end of May. You work with a number of acclaimed authors on it. Can you tell us about the album and how the songs/collaborations came together? 

Colin MacIntyre (CM) – The album has world-leading authors collaborating with me on commissioned words on a single significant photograph to them. Them being “Bernie to my Elton”. Some of the authors I knew a little already, and I have collaborated with Irvine Welsh before when I gave a song for a TV film he wrote. But I admire them all and simply reached out, a few I’d met at literary festivals and such. After the room concept I just knew it was going to be photographs — and now I realise several of my songs have ‘photograph’ in the lyrics (Watching Xanadu, The Final Arrears, The Lights…) so they are a universal thing. The authors have taken me around the world in a sense, from Gaza to 9-11, Inverness to China. I also feel that the project is shining a light on human suffering and asking ‘why is one person’s image of home, another person’s image of war?’ 

IC – The previous record In My Mind There’s A Place preceded the new album and there is a clear link between the two. Was that intentional in terms of where you were musically at the time and looking forward or was it more a case of exploration and discovery, particularly on working with other creatives? 

CM – I didn’t know when I was making the “Room” album that this was going to become a series, but it became pretty clear to me after finishing the last album that I enjoyed the creative challenge and ambition, and also that it was a fresh way for me to challenge format. I’m also looking to do new things but hopefully these albums have close links with my MHS releases to date. They are songs about humans living in the world and all my songs will, and are, about that. But yes, the exploratory element appeals too, getting to expand my collaborative skills and it is exciting to be given a chance to enter the ‘frames’ of these talented authors from around the globe in such an intimate way. I always want to learn and gain insight through my creativity and this provides an opportunity to do this, while always wedding my two worlds of music and writing. 

IC – You’ve also written a number of books with your new novel An Island Burning just published. What’s the theme of the book? 

CM – The book has several interweaving themes of loss, community and the mystery and folklore that all places have; maybe on islands those elements are even more pronounced. Migration and the effects of this on refugees is also a theme. There are a cast of Mull characters — many of whom were in the first book in my Mull Mysteries series — and my main protagonist Sgt Ivor Punch has several visitors to the island including a man who says he is Robert Louis Stevenson. Another theme is that the novel is a play within a book — the chapters are ’scenes’ and there is a climax in the Mull theatre. I wont say anymore… 

IC – There is a certain juxtaposition between your music and your books – how do you decide on what to work on at any particular time or do you see the two very much working alongside each other? 

CM – I do see all of my creativity as connected in a sense. There are recurring themes across my work and it seems to work for me to juggle several things at once. I have a lot of ideas and this way of working also ensures that I don’t put all my ideas into one thing. 

IC – The new album will be released by the label Last Night From Glasgow – how did that relationship occur? 

CM – I have admired the label and their incredible ethos and growth for some time. I contributed a poem to a book they published in 2017. Then we met last year and I felt I knew Ian and the team already in a sense, they also knew my MHS music from day one, so it was a very natural and easy decision to take. It’s all about connection and what feels right and I’m excited to be collaborating with them. I also felt a sense of returning ‘home’. 

IC – There is quite a musical contrast on the two singles off the new album released to date, “Where Are The Heroes” (punky) and “Cattle Bells” (gospel choir). In terms of putting the music to the words, is that purely down to you or is their input from the authors and if so, can you expand on how that works?

CM – Yes that is the case, and maybe with this album there are more styles apparent, possibly inspired by the settings of the authors word/photographs. The London African Gospel Choir do run across the album too, and as a huge Paul Simon / ‘Gracelands’ fan, this has always been an ambition. I think the glue across the album is each song is a human story, inspired by a photograph. All decisions on putting their music to the words is my choice; I also often add words and title the songs etc. 

IC – If you had to pick one author (dead or alive) to collaborate with, who would it be and why?

CM – Marilynne Robinson (it might yet happen!) and George Orwell. But there are many in truth… Though in a sense my picking the MHS moniker and my writing of the ‘MHS’ in a sense was inspired by reading ‘1984’, so in a sense Orwell has collaborated with me, as he has inspired so many. 

IC – It is also 25 years since the debut album “Loss” was released. What plans do you have on that and will fans hear some songs from it on the upcoming tour?

CM – I am definitely playing songs from ‘Loss’ and across my, now, 10 albums to date on the tour — I’m even taking requests so fans can send those in! I do also have further plans this/early next year to mark 25 years of ‘Loss’ with shows playing albums in their entirety. 

IC – You’ve also written a musical – “Culloden”. Can you tell us about the backstory to this and when fans can see it? 

CM – The backstory is I’ve always written songs that I feel have a musical leaning to them, though not all have been released, many haven’t. So for 20 years I’ve had writing a musical as an ambition. Then about 6/7 years ago I found my subject of ‘Culloden’. I was also writing some electro-pop material in this period and realised, yes, those songs are for the musical. So it is a multi-genre telling. My debut novel was adapted for the stage at the Play, Pie & a Pint and I hugely enjoyed the learning and collaboration of that process, and seeing your words come to life on stage, that was my toe in the water to the world of theatre and I got the bit to do more. This musical feels like that for me. I hope to have news of it being staged soon. 

IC – New album, new book, new musical. How does Colin MacIntyre relax? 

CM – Good question! As I mentioned earlier, the connection between all these does help in terms of starting points / leaping-off points for each of my new things. But I also enjoy the process of being creative and since childhood it has been an instinctive play I ‘go’. I relax with sports, dog walks, listening to podcast I love, family and friends. 

IC – You are from Mull. What is the music scene like there and is there any bands/artists you would like to highlight? 

CM – Mull has had a rich history of music makers over many years. Great covers bands, Trad musicians, jazz and rock/pop. Many, including my uncle’s covers band ’The Wave Band’ have inspired me since childhood. They lit the spark, as well as folk like Dylan, The Beatles, Neil Young, Buddy Holly and others. One of the pleasing aspects of this album series is also that they are made in Mull, in a new studio that is amazing for the community. When I was a kid growing up there dreaming of Abbey Road I couldn’t have imagined this happening (and getting to master the ‘Room’ album at Abbey Road). I’m proud the new album is “Made on Mull”. The studio is run by Gordon MacIean who is a great musician and engineer. Gordon’s son, Sorren MacIean, is a successful artist in his own right, living on Mull. Sorren’s partner Hannah Fisher is another amazing musician and artist and they are both in-demand collaborators. It has been great to have them all on the new record. 

IC – The tour kicks off in June with additional dates in September. Who will join you on the tour and will there be any surprise guests at any of the gigs?

CM – There will be some surprise guests, and on Mull I will have Gordon, Sorren & Hannah, and at Stirling, Glasgow & Edinburgh I will have Sister John, LNFG label mates guesting too. But look out for an author or two as well… 

IC – You recorded a football song for Scotland’s 2024 Euro campaign Go Scotland Go with the Tobermory High School Pipe Band and your gran! How do you think Scotland will do in the upcoming World Cup and are you tempted to play the song on the June dates?

CM – I’m more than tempted! You read my mind… It was fun to do the song — football has played a huge part in me and my family’s life, and i also managed to spend time with Queen’s Park FC as a student. The legendary Eddie Hunter was the manager… it was a culture shock from the football of Mull but I gave it a go! Music won out though. 

IC – Thinking back to all the gigs you have attended as a fan, what one stands out as the most memorable and why?  

CM – I’m sure there’s many. But I saw Midlake playing ‘The Trails of Van Occupanther’ in a venue right on the Atlantic in Florida (I was also playing the venue around then) and it was a memorable night. Me and my wife cycled down on a beautiful night to hear this album we loved right at that time to hear it played in a small club. I met them after and the night was also memorable because their support was Sarah Jaffe, another Texan. She blew us away and we’ve kept in touch. In fact, I covered her song ‘Clementine’ on my MHS album ‘Wakelines’ produced by Bernard Butler. 

For more on Colin MacIntyre/Mull Historical Society head to the website here.

John Welsh
@welshjb

Links:

@MullHistorical @colinmcIntyre @LNFGlasgow