Published: 24 Aug 2018
Scotland’s national music prize, The Scottish Album of The Year (SAY) Award, has just announced which ten enthralling albums have made 2018’s Shortlist. The Shortlist represents an incredibly strong, diverse and important selection of albums created by artists living and working in Scotland.
The Shortlist for The SAY Award 2018 is as follows:
BABE - Kiss & Tell
Best Girl Athlete - Best Girl Athlete
Franz Ferdinand - Always Ascending
Golden Teacher - No Luscious Life
Karine Polwart with Pippa Murphy - A Pocket of Wind Resistance
Kobi Onyame - Gold
Mogwai - Every Country’s Sun
Out Lines - Conflats
Siobhan Wilson - There Are No Saints
Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar
The SAY Award celebrates and champions the best of Scottish music whilst recognizing creativity and artistic endeavor encompassing a broad spectrum of musical genres.
Scotland’s world-class music is driven by the diversity of the artists who make it, and this year’s SAY Award shortlist shines a spotlight on the breadth of talent we have living and working here- Alan Morrison, Creative Scotland
The Shortlist was chosen by a highly-respected panel of judges including Strawberry Switchblade’s Rose McDowall, BAFTA award-winning film maker Lynne Ramsay and curator of National Museum Scotland’s ‘Rip It Up: The Story of Scottish Pop’, Stephen Allen. Each Shortlisted album has automatically won a guaranteed £1,000 prize, with the winning album (decided on the night of the Ceremony) being awarded £20,000.
The Shortlist was exclusively revealed earlier this evening at a special BBC Radio Scotland Quay Session hosted by Roddy Hart. The live show and broadcast included previews of new material from pop-duo Sacred Paws whose debut album, ‘Strike a Match’, won the coveted SAY Award in 2017. Also performing was Lomond Campbell (Longlisted in 2012 for Found’s celebrated album ‘Factorycraft’), and Dunfermline’s finest post punk quintet The Skids, famous for their hits ‘Into the Valley’, ‘Working for the Yankee Dollar’ and ‘Masquerade’.
The 72-hour voting window, which closed at midnight on Wednesday, saw a record number of Public Votes being cast by engaged music fans, all hoping to secure their favourite Longlisted album a place on the 2018 SAY Award Shortlist. The winner of the Public Vote was Franz Ferdinand for ‘Always Ascending’.
Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland said: “Scotland’s world-class music is driven by the diversity of the artists who make it, and this year’s SAY Award shortlist shines a spotlight on the breadth of talent we have living and working here. These ten albums contain music that will touch the listener’s heart or set their feet dancing – sometimes both at the same time. They draw in influences from near and far, as pop hooks, folk melodies, international rhythms and post-rock firepower paint a widescreen portrait of what Scottish music can be in the 21st century. Creative Scotland is proud to support an award that embraces such a dynamic group of musicians, veterans and newcomers alike.”
Paul Thomson of Franz Ferdinand said: "This year has been a particularly good one for music coming out of Scotland and the SAY Award longlist and shortlist reflects that. We’re delighted to be up there with the hard hitters.”
Louisa Mahon, Head of Marketing, Communications and Events at Renfrewshire Council, said: “This year’s SAY Award shortlist reflects the breadth and diversity of Scotland’s music scene and we are delighted to welcome all of the shortlisted acts to Paisley Town Hall for the Award next month. This is one of the biggest nights in Scotland’s musical calendar and our third consecutive year as hosts. Music is in Paisley’s DNA and it is fair to say we love the SAY Award. A massive congratulations to all of the acts on the shortlist and we look forward to celebrating together in Paisley on September 6.”
Bruno Baudry, CEO of Harviestoun said: “Congratulations to all those who have made it to the Scottish Album of the Year Shortlist! Harviestoun are very proud to support the very best talent in the Scottish music scene. As a proudly independent Scottish brewer who constantly experiment in pursuit of the perfect beer, using our roots as our inspiration and ingredients, we are thrilled to team up with an award with similar values to our own.”
Peter Leathem, Chief Executive Officer at PPL said: “We are very proud to support the SAY Award once again in 2018. Scotland produces a consistently strong musical output across a variety of genres and the SAY Award plays a key role in championing a diverse range of Scottish artists. We look forward to finding out who the winner will be on 6 September.”
Tallah Brash, Music Editor at The Skinny said, "It's wonderful to see such a diverse mix of artists in this year's shortlist, each with excellent records. I don't envy the judges having to whittle it down to decide a winner in September."
You can listen to and learn more about each album on The SAY Award Shortlist by visiting sayaward.com.
The SAY Award 2018 judges are Derek Robertson (Editor-in-Chief at Drowned in Sound), Davy Wales (Performer Development Specialist at PPL), Sarra Wild (DJ/Promoter), Stephen Allen (Head of Learning and Partnerships and curator of ‘Rip It Up: The Story of Scottish Pop’ at National Museums Scotland), Mark MacKechnie (Promoter at Riverside Festival / Electric Frog / Melting Pot), Bob Last (Co-founder, Fast Product), Caroline MacLennan (Director at HebCelt Festival), Rhiannon Mair (Producer with projects including Laura Marling, Bryde, Emma McGrath and Kimberly Anne) Rose McDowall (Musician, Strawberry Switchblade), Lynne Ramsay (BAFTA winning film director) and David Martin (Creative Director at Hidden Door Festival).
The final award ceremony takes place on Thursday 6th September in the elegant surroundings of Paisley Town Hall, with support from Renfrewshire Council.
All ten Shortlisted artists will receive an exclusively designed, commemorative award, created by the winner of The SAY 2018 Design Commission.
The SAY Award is produced by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), in partnership with Paisley Is, Renfrewshire Council, Creative Scotland, Harviestoun, TicketWeb and PPL. The SAY Award is delighted to be supporting Help Musicians Scotland in 2018, as the award’s official Charity Partner.
Launched in 2012, The SAY Award celebrates, promotes and rewards the most outstanding Scottish albums released each year. Respected by artists and valued by the industry, it is responsible for a surge in musical discovery and an explosion of impassioned debate on social media. Previous SAY Award winners are Sacred Paws’ ‘Strike A Match’ (2017), Anna Meredith’s ‘Varmints’ (2016), Kathryn Joseph’s ‘Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I’ve Spilled’ (2015), Young Fathers’ ‘Tape Two’ (2014), RM Hubbert’s ‘Thirteen Lost & Found’ (2013) and Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat’s ‘Everything’s Getting Older’ (2012).
BABE ‘Kiss & Tell’: BABE, Glasgow’s premier secret party band, are back after a two year absence with new album ‘Kiss & Tell’, the follow-up to the often unclassifiable, yet class, 2014 debut ‘Volery Flighty’.The band, made up of singer-leader Gerard Black, guitarist Thomas Ogden, bassist Amaury Ranger (Francois and the Atlas Mountains) and new drummer/producer John Baillie Jnr (Bossy Love) have regrouped and refocused to deliver a record as much for the quiet hours as it is for the house party.
Best Girl Athlete ‘Best Girl Athlete’: Best Girl Athlete has been born out of the non-conventional manner in which many people now consume music - collecting individual offerings, rather than whole albums. Consequently, each song here stands alone as a single offering with lyrically intriguing, musically accomplished depth that will draw on audiences from across the board.
Franz Ferdinand ‘Always Ascending’: A triumphant recasting, Franz Ferdinand's ‘Always Ascending’ is as exuberant as it is euphoric, bursting with fresh ideas born of what Alex Kapranos calls “aggressive sonic experimentation”. With the help of producer Philippe Zdar (Cassius, Phoenix, Beastie Boys), Kapranos and co. took a knife to their old canvas, producing an album that is so foreign in its familiarity it could only be current. A sound that the singer refers to as "simultaneously futuristic and naturalistic”.
Golden Teacher ‘No Luscious Life’: After blowing minds, bodies and souls through a plethora of critically acclaimed 12"s, direct live performances and celebrated DIY ethos Golden Teacher drop their album: straight out of Glasgow’s now legendary Green Door studio these seven cuts show the sextet's impossible-to-pigeonhole sound. A range of distinctively spacey, dubbed-out tracks that variously touch on post-punk disco, skewed electro-funk, freshly baked dub, African rhythms, spaced-out boogie, experimental electro-jazz and much more besides.
Karine Polwart With Pippa Murphy 'A Pocket Of Wind Resistance’: ‘A Pocket Of Wind Resistance’ is the studio adaptation of Karine Polwart's award- winning theatre show which premiered at Edinburgh International Festival in 2016. From the first note to the final, pulsing heartbeat, it is not merely an album of songs but an hour of music, field-recording, song and spoken word. It won The Scottish New Music Award For Innovation In Music and was chosen as Best Album of 2017 by Songlines Magazine and BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction.
Kobi Onyame ‘Gold’: ‘Gold’ sonically takes the listener on a journey, mashing Kobi’s Ghanaian heritage with hip-hop undertones. Kobi wanted to capture the feel of traditional highlife and afrobeat rhythms of the 1960’s and 70’s using percussions and brass melodies. The call-and-response structure of the songs demand the listener to be a part of the experience. The verses can be choruses, the choruses are chants. He wanted the album to feel as authentic as possible in content and texture. It’s an almost wistful echo of a yearning for home and originality that somehow has its roots in the past and present simultaneously.
Mogwai ‘Every Country’s Sun’: ‘Every Country’s Sun’ is Mogwai’s 9th studio album giving them their 2nd Top 10 Album Chart placing. The recording saw them reuniting with producer Dave Fridmann for the first time since 2001’s acclaimed ROCK ACTION LP; Fridmann also worked with the band on Come On Die Young (1999). It was recorded at Fridmann’s Tarbox Road Studios in Cassadaga, New York.
Out Lines ‘Conflats’: Singer, songwriter & musician Kathryn Joseph, James Graham of The Twilight Sad and long-time musical partner of Kathryn's, Marcus Mackay came together for ‘Out Lines’, a project based on conversations they had with visitors to Glasgow's Platform. The outcome the stunning album ‘Conflats’, a gorgeous set of songs inspired by stories of hardship and sorrow, redemption and hope.
Siobhan Wilson ‘There Are No Saints’: Written, arranged and performed by Siobhan Wilson (vocals, electric guitar, piano, cello) and recorded by Chris McCrory (Catholic Action) in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, ‘There Are No Saints’ featured extensively in the UK’s underground music press ‘best of’ lists for 2017 and earned rhapsodic reviews from BBC 6 Music to Rolling Stone. Sparse arrangements of electric guitar, piano and cello lay bare dreamlike vocals and lyrical honesty.
Young Fathers ‘Cocoa Sugar’: Formed in Edinburgh in 2008 by Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham 'G' Hastings. In 2012, they released their introductory mixtapes, Tape One and Tape Two. The trio then signed to Big Dada and released debut album, ‘Dead’, in 2014. Following an extensive world tour the band begin work on their sophomore album, ‘White Men Are Black Men Too’, which was released in 2015.
The SAY Award is a prestigious and exciting arts prize produced by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) and supported by Creative Scotland, Harviestoun, Renfrewshire Council, Paisley, TicketWeb, PPL and Help Musicians Scotland (Charity Partner). Boasting a lucrative £20,000 prize for the winner and nine runner-up prizes of £1,000 each, the award celebrates, promotes and rewards the most outstanding Scottish albums released each year.
Press is handled by both Genuine and MCPR Scotland. For further press information please contact Chris Hunt / Shauna McGregor at Genuine on chris@genuine.scot / shauna@genuine.scot or contact Murray Chalmers / Sarah Henderson / Fiona Raisbeck on murray@murraychalmers.com / sarah@murraychalmers.com / fiona@murraychalmers.com or call 020 7361 0730.
The Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) is a membership organisation and innovation agency which exists to represent and develop the Scottish music industry. With a sharp focus on common rather than competing interests; a commitment to communicate and cooperate across all areas of the industry and, above all, a determination to deliver services, projects and a programme of events that are both meaningful and of benefit, the SMIA is inclusive, positive and progressive; meeting need, realising potential and encouraging ambition.
Having recently joined Creative Scotland’s Regular Funding Network 2018-21, the SMIA will soon deliver a pioneering innovation-led development programme, designed to help nurture business talent and build infrastructure in the Scottish music industry. For further information on the SMIA and its services, projects and events please visit www.smia.org.uk.
