Grantown folk musician Findlay Napier gearing up for ‘homecoming’ gigs
Grantown folk musician Findlay Napier will be returning north for two gigs and is looking forward to some home comforts.
It’ll be back to the heartland that he loves so much for rising star of the British folk scene.
Although Glasgow-born, Napier’s family relocated to the Strathspey capital when he was just a tot.
And he spent his childhood and teenage years there, and grew to look on the town as being home.
Napier is fresh from his outstanding contribution to this year’s 21st Century Folk project hosted by BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine and on the back of a stack of hot reviews for his latest album, Outsider.
He is all set to take his show on the road for his second UK promotional tour of 2025, spanning October and November.
In preparation, Napier is returning to ‘home turf’ with a pair of shows later this month at Edenvillie Community Hall by Aberlour, on Friday (September 26) and then at Abriachan Village Hall just outside Inverness on the following night.
He said he is looking forward to spending some valuable time back in the strath, where his parents Marie-Louise and Peter, still live.
Napier recalls: “I have great memories of my time at Old Spey Bridge in Grantown.
“I attended both primary and secondary schools there and enjoyed a childhood spent either running free in the woods or swimming and kayaking in the river.
“I’ll be staying at the family home while I’m in the area for these shows which is all the excuse I need to take in some trail running in Anagach woods and, if the weather allows, on the Cromdale hills.”
His latest album, produced by Boo Hewerdine, attracted a lot of attention from the media when it was released earlier this year.
This included a major feature in The Herald, a slot on BBC Radio Scotland’s Arts Mix, much praise from BBC Folk Show presenter Mark Radcliffe and buckets-full of love from the critics.
One of the leading music writers in the UK, Marc Higgins, described the collection as ‘strong and exciting,’ and it became Featured Album of The Week on The Iain Anderson Show at BBC Radio Scotland.
His tour features a run of dates from Glasgow to London and more details can be found here.