Adventures Close to Home Present: Alasdair Roberts and David A Jaycock

Alasdair Roberts (Drag City) is Swabian-born, Kilmahog-bred alumnus of Appendix Out and single-handed re-reinventor of the Scots ballad tradition. He’s a recent Wire cover star, and has been hailed as ‘a genius’ in fRoots for his treatment of traditional tunes as well as for his songwriting, which, drawing on mythic motifs and ancient tunings, seems to reflect and distort the ballads he sings. A keen collaborator, already this year Alasdair has recorded a Gaelic language album with Lewis singer Mairi Morrison; he’s recorded the soundtrack for ‘Dighty Burn’, a short film by Michael Windle and Edward Summerton and is currently writing and arranging new material to be recorded later in 2011. Adventures Close To Home

'David A Jaycock's accomplished guitar playing creates a still, bright core to the music, there’s always something amiss, awry: a keening, vintage synth; a diabolical fairground-organ lilt in the sweetest of tunes; a darkening drone in the distance; or a sinister chorus of voices. While drawing subtly from classical, folk and blues techniques, Jaycock colours his take on acoustic guitar’s traditional warmth with an edge of thoroughly chilling British oddness.' Frances May Morgan, Editor, Plan B Magazine