FolkWorld #81: Gnoss

Filmed in Borthwick, Scotland - this is the music video for our single "Keefa Hill". This one’s a tune of Graham’s named after the now-deserted isle of Swona, which lies to the South-West of South Ronaldsay where he grew up. The island was populated from as early 500BC up until the 1970s, when the Rosie family - the last inhabitants - left for the Orkney mainland. Their parting gift to the isle of Swona was a herd of beef cattle, who after fifty years of self- determination, have survived almost entirely without man’s interference for over five generations, and are now classified as an entirely unique breed in The World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds. The cows live peacefully alongside Swona’s other varied wildlife as her only remaining islanders.

Stretching Skyward

Gnoss have always been a band with a plan – a plan that saw them quickly escalate into the upper echelons of Scottish folk; a plan that not even lockdown could throw off course.

Being Triple Scots Trad Awards nominees is quite something when you are still a foursome of twenty somethings. But with myriad musical skills fine-tuned at Glasgow’s Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, their impact has been swift, sure and well-deserved.

Formed in Scotland’s northern isles by Orcadians Aidan Moodie (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Graham Rorie (fiddle, mandolin, electric tenor guitar) in 2015, the duo quickly raised the stakes by morphing into a four-piece with the addition of Perthshire’s Connor Sinclair on flute and whistles and Clackmannanshire’s Craig Baxter on bodhran and percussion.

Joined on this album by Braebach’s James Lindsay on electric and double bass, their signature sound is a rich tapestry of acoustic layers and textures, mixing outstanding musicianship with captivating original songs conjured and led by the arresting voice of Aidan Moodie.

First and foremost their material salutes the Scottish tradition and Orkney’s rich history with native passion but increasingly they are moving out of their comfort zone into something more contemporary and boundary-nudging.

Moodie, a recent finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Musician 2023 says: “Each track is centred around a story which has change at its heart.

We decided to reflect this idea within the sounds we used to construct the album by introducing more electronic elements and exploring pop production in some numbers. It also gave us pause to look at the change that’s taken place in our own lives over the past two years.”

It’s an invigorating release that sees the Gnoss story continuing its upward trajectory and edging ever closer to crossover territory - shifting and re-shaping and always, like the album title, ‘Stretching Skyward.’

Filmed during Celtic Connections 2023 at St Luke's in Glasgow, this is the music video for our single "Christine's". Connor wrote this for his Aunty, Christine, whose year included turning 60 and helping her daughter move to Sweden. She’s always upbeat, positive, and loves music. Happy Birthday Christine! We’d also like to take a moment to thank Christine’s - the cafe in Bishopbriggs - who kept us fed throughout the process of recording this album, and our last record too.