Sean McGowan's four North dates

SEÁN McGowan is heading out on a Scottish tour in October with dates in Aviemore, Wick, Ullapool and Inverness.

He released his debut album, Son of the Smith, through Xtra Mile Recordings in May and

Seán will play the Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore, on Thursday, October 18; Blackstairs Lounge, Wick, on Friday, October 19; The Arch Inn, Ullapool, on Saturday, October 20; and Eden Court Chapel, Inverness, on Monday, October 22.

The gigs in Aviemore, Wick and Ullapool are free entry.

The first single taken from the album of the Southampton-born musician is Off The Rails.

The track has been described as “searing along with an e-bow guitar drone thrumming underneath while Seán gives the lyrical equivalent of an arm around the shoulder and kiss on the cheek of his mates for being there for him”.

Son of the Smith captures everything live as recorded at SS2 Studios in Southend with labelmate Sam Duckworth (AKA Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.) and Jay Malhotra, drums were done without a click-track, each instrument colliding with the rhythm.

“It feels urgent, like it could tip over the edge at any point,” Seán says.

There’s a spine of a concept running through the album, and one of Seán’s oldest ideas for the record which is a journey across London between Old Street, Oval and Camberwell, itself a trek through Seán’s current sound.

“The city’s breathing,” he begins on opener Mind the Door’, a spoken word mantra upon a solo acoustic introduction via a bus journey to one of the key refrains to come. The mantra returns, announcing the album’s second half, and this time Seán’s bank card is declined on Mind Your Head despite the warm piano promising more exploration.

The album closes with drums rumbling as a metronome for Seán’s pitch-perfect grime-tinged flow into the six-minute Tube journey on Mind the Ga’. He peers out of his misery at the uncaring floods of commuters while lines peel off along the tracks – “keep tellin’ me to mind the gap, as the space between us grows” and “there ain’t no love on the Northern Line”.

The North October dates are:

Thursday 18th Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore *

Friday 19th Blackstairs, Wick*

Saturday 20th The Arch Inn, Ullapool*

Monday 22nd Eden Court Chapel, Inverness

*Free entry show

Tickets are on sale now from www.beyondpresents.co.uk; www.ticketmaster.co.uk and in person from venues and usual outlets.

Listen to Sean's single Off The Rails: