THE DAUGHTERS – Golden Shore (own label)

Golden SHoreThe Daughters’ debut album Golden Shore is delightful, and something beautiful to come from a horrible year that saw the world stand still due to the pandemic.

While acoustic alt-folk duo The Daughters have been singing together informally for a decade, the national lockdown gave the Scottish singer- songwriters Martha Middlemiss and Mary Moira McKay a pause amidst the busyness of life – and the creative space in the beautiful East Lothian countryside – to renew their desire to sing original songs about shared humanity and hope. Although not related there is an undeniable familial sounding connection in their vocals.

The Daughters began to craft their songs as they walked along the River Tyne. Martha remembers how she saw more and more people heading to the hills in 2020 during the global pandemic:

“We were on my parent’s farm in the highlands when I began finding inspiration for The Mountains, speaking to sons, mothers, lovers, friends and others. The song became an anthem for the pandemic for those heading for the heights for a bigger perspective, to escape the four walls, to find a place to breathe.”

 Mary Moira says: “I love this song! It’s a call to keep on keeping on.”

 The band even recruited Martha’s daughter to help with a music video for their debut single- reaching hundreds of views in just a few weeks (see below).

Earlier this year the band launched a Kickstarter Campaign to raise funds to record and produce this, their debut album. 12 original songs on themes of life, love, faith and freedom were created with engineer Garry Boyle at Slate Room Studio at the end of the summer. Guests invited to be on the recording sessions were Alice Allen (cello), Calum McIntyre (percussion), Chris Almer (acoustic and electric guitar), Duncan Lyall (acoustic and electric bass), Martin Lee Thomson (euphonium). The album was mastered by Stuart Hamilton at Castlesound Studios near Haddington in Scotland where the band is based.

Golden Shore is out now on all streaming platforms from The Daughters Music. The physical CD and digital album can be ordered via their Bandcamp page. You can join The Daughters at their forthcoming live dates:

January 28, National Mining Museum of Scotland
January 29, Hope City, Edinburgh

Jodie “Shebeat” Schofield

Artists’ website: www.thedaughters.bandcamp.com

‘The Mountains’ – official video: