There is a lot to celebrate over at Shy Bairn Records at the moment, and a great deal has happened in the seven years since its inception. The statistics speak for themselves – 36 Singles, 3 LPs, and 3 EPs from 8 different artists and bands, but more than that, main man Ed Leighton has created a cool label based around an incredible roster of modern creatives, small but perfectly formed, compact and bijou!
To celebrate their birthday, they have dropped two remixes by artists who, for me at least, bookend the label’s story to date.
I’ve been writing about Charlotte Grayson‘s music right from the moment the formative label released her first single, and over that time, she has proved to be a versatile and gifted songwriter, from the infectious and relatable indie of “Drunk Girls” to the sublime folk-pop of “Old Flame.” And if her latest release, “Get Outta My Yard,” was a rock ‘n’ soul groover, its birthday remix feels like a Screamedelica-era Primal Scream makeover – vibrant, spacious, upbeat, and slightly lysergic. If you’re going to remix a song, giving it a new purpose and a new lease of life, this is precisely how you do it.
Lurcher, to me, the newest addition to the gang, having recently launched their latest EP, With Love, via a hometown showcase, now presents a remix of the brilliantly named “Hartlesspool.” What I have heard of the band so far reminds me of The Fall, only perhaps more melodic but no less bellicose, dripping with caustic social commentary and challenging opinions. What their remix, when it drops, will result in is a scary thought!
And when you realise that the label is also home to the gorgeous music of The Woven Project, you must then acknowledge that this is a label with no shortage of taste or talent.
So raise a glass, give good cheer, and buy their releases, a present to the label but mainly yourself – music that is as diverse as it is brilliant. Your life will be all the better for it.