Inyal blend folk and a city vibe for their debut album

While undeniably traditional in form, it does, however, also cross genres and as such is a work that is very much of its time. It is also an album that, despite its Highland roots, seems to be something of an ode to Glasgow and that city’s vibrant musical scene.

Streaming music sites have long borne the brunt of musicians’ anger as important revenue streams have dried up. For younger artists, however, who cannot remember a time when CD sales were buoyant, they are increasingly being seen as a boon – a way to get music out and listened to and also, importantly, a gateway to new music that can be dipped into and tasted without money changing hands.

Hamish Macleod, Inyal’s guitarist and electronics whizz, explains.

“Because of streaming there’s no financial risk involved when you seek out and try new music. So if you don’t normally listen to jazz or rock or trad or whatever, you’re able to dip in without being a tenner out of pocket.

“I’ve found so many bands through Spotify and its suggestions so I see it as a positive force.”

This exposure to myriad musical styles is clear to hear. At times reminiscent of Jamie XX, at others Four Tet with elements of Gaelic song courtesy of Radio 2 Young Folk Award winner Josie Duncan, this is a delightfully unexpected album.

“We didn’t strive to make something that wasn’t identifiably trad,” says Macleod. “But with everyone being based in Glasgow, and being exposed to the music that goes with that, I think it’s a natural product of what we listen to and engage with on a daily basis.

“We weren’t trying to break out of any ‘trad box’ type of thing.”

Glasgow is clearly an inspiration to the band being, as Macleod suggests, “one of the best places for music in the country”, and the city’s musical spirit runs through the album like an artery, giving new life to old tunes and infusing them with an ethereal beauty of their own.

“Glasgow’s always been such a melting pot of different ideas and a place where people come together and collaborate,” says Macleod.

“I was brought up on Lewis and Skye and when I’m home I tend to listen to the likes of Daimh, a bit of Breabach. Soaring pipe tunes. But when I’m in Glasgow I listen to, say, London dubstep. Something which reflects how grimy and nocturnal the city is.”

Inyal may be Glasgow-based but they hail from across the country.

“[Piper] Conal McDonagh is from Poolewe, Josie is from Stornoway, [drummer] Owen Sinclair is from Orkney by way of Wick, while [fiddler] Robbie Greig is from Leith,” says Macleod. “We met through traditional music and it started out quite gradually.

“I asked Robbie and Conal to come and do some rehearsals with me to indulge an idea I had. Then we got offered a gig so we had to have some music of at least listenable quality so we enlisted Owen on drums, mostly because he had a driving licence ...

“About a year after that the Gaelic department at Glasgow University, where I was studying at the time, commissioned us to do a short suite Gaelic song arrangement so that’s when Josie came on board.”

Glasgow, as home to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – and its traditional music course – and Celtic Connections, is once again the hub of the traditional music scene in Scotland. There are live sessions to be found every night of the week and members of Inyal play an active part.

“I’m involved to an extent,” says Macleod, “but Robbie and Conal in particular are out playing more nights than they’re not. It’s such an amazing scene to meet people.”

Inyal, the album, is a reflection of the diversity of that scene. It is also an ambitious album, peppered with soaring soundscapes that help give it an almost cinematic feel.

“We wanted to make something that sounded big when we went into the studio,” says Macleod. “We’d written string parts for everything so there was some orchestration going on and we were really committed to making a proper studio album, something that was unique and couldn’t necessarily be transferred to a live setting. So we worked really hard to make it the biggest sound we could.

“We had a huge help in that from Mattie Foulds who runs Caribou Recording who really co-produced the album,” says Macleod. “He also reined in some of our dafter ideas. Having his input throughout the process was really valuable.”

The lines between electronic, traditional and even the likes of hip-hop are now so blurred that when bands such as Inyal incorporate different genres they do it with a confidence and style that is refreshing.

“It might, 20 years ago, have seemed like a gimmick to fuse these disparate styles,” says Macleod. “You can listen to some stuff from a while ago and you can always see the join, so to speak. Now I think people are better at fluidly incorporating their musical ideas into one thing.

“We were really eager to make sure that when we started using synths and electronic music that it wasn’t tacked on. That there was nothing superfluous. Everything that was there had to contribute to the music, and contribute in a meaningful way.”

As well as concentrating on Inyal, like most traditional musicians, Macleod has other collaborative projects on the go.

“From meeting folk on the session scene you get to know so many different musicians and everyone has a certain set of skills and brings something new to the table, so I’m exploring that and trying out as many different things as I can.

“For instance myself and Josie are doing a Gaelectronica gig on Saturday at the CCA in Glasgow which Inyal couldn’t do so instead we’re doing it with a percussionist called Signy Jakobsdottir. It’s electronics and Gaelic song but having Signy along means it’s going to be a lot more ambient and textural so even small changes in the line-up allows you to try a different set of ideas.”

After that, there will be the usual schedule of summer festivals for Inyal before a full tour at the end of the year.

“We’ve got Knockengorroch in the summer and then Inverness because we had to cancel our album launch there thanks to the Beast from the East. After that the next big dates for us will be at the end of November and December when we’ll be going all over Scotland as well as Newcastle and London.”

Inyal’s sweeping soundscapes are sure to provide the backdrop to many a late-night gathering as we move into the long days of summer and beyond. Their ambition, talent and professionalism is such that this self-titled album is sure to be just the first in an exciting and genre-busting future.

Inyal by Inyal is available now as a cd and download