Monday 14 April 2025

AN ONLINE guitar lesson first thing..then I start messing with a first edit of Come With Me from last week’s video sessions.

Once I get the clips sorted I take a break from the editing and put together a news release for next Thursday’s (24 April) show at The Cluny in Newcastle.

After lunch it’s back onto the video editing with only time for a short walk up the lochside before preparing for this week’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook.

Sunday 13 April 2025

BREAKFAST at the B&B finishes at 8.45am…so an early call after a big at/night.

David – our pal and the groom’s brother – joins us for breakfast.

We check out and the B&B owner gives us a run up to Kelburn Castle to pick up the car.

A message from the groom asks if we haven’t left yet and there’s space in the car could we take some stuff and drop it off at their place on the way home. Sure.

We stop off at the But & Ben in Croftamie for a coffee and snack then home early afternoon.

Margaret has a nap and I work on some promo item ideas for the local hydro society before spending some time sorting out last week’s video footage in the studio.

For dinner I marinade a bit of flank steak in ginger, soy sauce, lime juice and spring onions then grill it outside in the Ninja Woodfire. Works well..much better than I expect 🙂

Saturday 12 April 2025

NO LONG lies this Saturday – we’re off to Ayrshire for a wedding. Tom and Helen. The ceremony is at 1pm.

We’re on our way a soon after 10.30am and drop our bags at the B&B we’re staying at in Largs.

We discover our pal David and his partner Kat are staying at the same B&B. We give them a lift to the wedding venue, Kelburn Castle, a couple of miles away.

There’s a few folks we know at the wedding and we have a great day and evening….

Friday 11 April 2025

ANOTHER early start for filming…just one song left to do, but we have to strike down the gear and leave the place like we found it.

We’re back home in time for me to have breakfast before a local hydro society board meeting whoever up to lunch time.

Margaret goes into town to change some clothes – we’re going to a wedding tomorrow (Saturday) – and I get busy making a wedding gift.

Another nice day but I don’t have time for a walk. There’s a load of other stuff to be done and I finally manage to get Come With Me set for 16 May release. Quite an exciting schedule.

While I wait for Margaret to get home with the mushrooms, ricotta and thyme I need for tonight’s ravioli I get busy making some pasta dough with wild garlic.

Betty’s coming for dinner and Margaret’s a bit later than planned getting home so I’m pushed for time.

The ravioli turns out good tho’ and we have a grand evening.

Thursday 10 April 2025

WE’RE UP at the crack of dawn again to get some songs on video in our little window of opportunity when the light’s coming from the right direction.

We get three songs done – a total of five so far…and just one more to get done. Hopefully tomorrow (Friday) morning.

There’s time to get the first single from the album – Come With Me – set for release on 16 May then we head into Glasgow.

After picking up cousin Fred we meet a load of other family for lunch celebrating another cousin – Ian’s – 80th birthday. Great to see everyone.

We’re home soon after 6pm and I spend the next four or five hours editing and selecting the photos from yesterday’s photoshoot and getting them sent off…

Wednesday 9 April 2025

I’M still knackered when I get up and prepare for my 9.30am guitar student arriving.

The lesson goes well….unfortunately the gift for my cousin that’s been ‘processing’ overnight hasn’t worked out, Back to the drawing board until it’s time to make my way to Arrochar for an afternoon photo job.

I get home late afternoon and dump the photos into Lightroom then go for a paddle…it;s a lovely evening and the loch’s pretty calm.

Then it’s back to the studio to sort through some of this afternoon’s images….

Tuesday 8 April 2025

THE ALARM goes off at 5am. We’re shooting videos for the songs from the new album that will be released as singles over the coming months.

The sun hits the stained glass window of the space we’re shooting in around 6.30am and will be in the right place ’til about 9am. We need to get there in time to set up lights etc so we can get as much in the bag as we can.

Of course everything takes longer than we expect and we only manage to get two songs caught on camera. Luckily we can leave the lights and most of the set up in place for another visit early doors Thursday.

We’re home in time for a session with one of my online guitar students then I dump the video rushes onto a hard drive.

I have a photo job tomorrow so have to reset the camera and make sure all my strobe and remote batteries are charged.

One of my cousins is celebrating his 80th birthday with a lunch in Glasgow on Thursday. I need to make a gift so spend some time messing with ideas.

The sun’s shining so I go to the village with Margaret and walk back. Phew.

Monday 7 April 2025

OF COURSE Freya has us wake early…coming through just after 5am. I manage to get another hour or so of sleep before she insists I wake up and play horses.

Matty goes for a run up a t Ben Lomond and I have an online session with a regular guitar student.

I’m not long finished when Chrissie and her pal Cathy come to drop off a key for the Old Kirk at Kilmarnock where I plan to do some filming.

We have a chat and a coffee in the garden then they head off.

After lunch I edit a couple of songs from the stage cam footage from BluesAlive in Sumperk last November.

I’ll spin them into tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook then spread them wider.

Will comes to pick Freya up and we have a coffee and catch up then I have a short walk up the lochside.

It’s livestream time when I get back then I spend some time sorting the Ronin gimbal, camera hear and other stuff for a 5am start tomorrow..filming some tracks for the new album…

Sunday 6 April 2025

ANOTHER long(-ish) lie then breakfast out in the sunshine.

I get to work casting a prototype for a special commission then we head out to recce a location/venue for some imminent video.

When we get back Matty’s arrived – he’s staying with us tonight – then Margaret and I get some work done in the garden.

Catriona, Will and the kids rock up to drop Freya who’s also staying with us tonight.

We enjoy a coffee and blether in the garden before the head off then Margaret and Marty take Freya to feed the ducks. I sort the pizza dough for later and tidy up a bit.

Once Freya’s in bed and off to sleep we make pizza outside….

Saturday 5 April 2025

AFTER a long lie drinking coffee, checking emails/socials and watching Saturday Kitchen in bed we have a late breakfast.

I send some messages off re a possible location/venue for a video shoot for a bunch of songs from the new album. Hoping to have them in the bag soon, especially as I’d like a shot or still from the shoot on the inside of the CD wallet.

After a brief exchange of message we arrange to visit the venue tomorrow (Sunday). It also crossed my mind that I’ll no doubt need an ND filter for the lens I’m planning to use if I wanna get ‘the look’ I’m after. I go online and get one ordered.

In the office I start some design work on a special commission that’s come in. It’s kinda challenging and I’m not 100% if, and how, I can pull it off.

We’re having pizza tomorrow night so I get the poolish I made yesterday out the fridge and make a batch of pizza dough.

Another beautiful sunny day outside and I run through some songs in the garden.

Too windy for a paddle and the roads are too busy for a comfortable cycle – plus I don’t really have time – so I go a walk up the lochside.

Back home I spend a couple of hours cooking up a big pot of ancho, beef and butternut squash chilli….