Fife festival that isn’t Outwith our reach

Dunfermline’s Outwith Festival has announced the acts taking part on its music day, just one part of the six-day long arts festival which runs from September 3-8.

As well as the music, the festival offers a wide-ranging programme including comedy, film, theatre, literature and family events. The full schedule will be announced shortly.

Following the huge success of the festival’s first two outings the organisers have ramped up the music for 2019, and heading the bill on Saturday, September 7 are Idlewild, Honeyblood and William McCarthy.

Idlewild are one of Scotland’s most well-known bands and have just released a critically-acclaimed album, Interview Music, which clocked up a four-star review in NME and The Skinny which said: “Idlewild are transcending their indie-punk roots, delivering a universally relatable story that will appeal to staunch fans and new listeners alike.”

The band’s lead singer Roddy Woomble has called ‘Interview Music’ a “labour of love”.

“It’s taken four years of writing and recording, procrastinating, then writing and recording some more - sporadic/concentrated - it’s got the best elements of both,” he said.

“I think we have achieved a very nice balance of all that is good about our band, all the ideas, creativity and tunefulness that still make us excited to play together, in concert and also in the studio or practice space.”

As the band get ready to take the new album out on the road, Woomble has promised the Outwith crowd a career-spanning show.

“We are pulling from a set list of 30 songs, taken from all the records, and we all look forward to seeing you.”

Stina Tweeddale, guitarist and singer-songwriter is bringing Honeyblood, her Scottish indie rock project, which has attracted comparisons to St Vincent, Goldfrapp and Shirley Manson of Garbage.

Indeed, Honeyblood toured with the US band last year at Manson’s request. For Tweeddale it was an affirmation.

“She’s such a huge legend and an inspiration to me, I’ve listened to Garbage for decades,” she said. “She was very inspirational to watch every night and we had the most insider chats which were so important, little things that she could tell me that nobody else could about how to go about things. It was very useful and a great tour to be a part of.

“I think we were a good fit as well, as a support.”

The new Honeyblood album ‘In Plain Sight’ was released to critical acclaim earlier this year and was the first for Tweeddale working as a solo artist after the departure of drummer Cat Myers, who joined Mogwai.

“Cat’s such a great drummer and an ambitious musician and it was going to be very difficult for us to juggle all those things together,” Tweeddale says.

In LA she worked with John Congleton, who’s produced records with the likes of St Vincent, Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten. His preference for working “really, really fast” chimed with Tweeddale – they finished the record in nine days.

On ‘In Plain Sight’ Tweeddale plays synthesisers as well as guitar. She wanted, she says, “to take the songwriting away from being punky”.

She said she is looking forward to playing live.

“I think I will just continue to do all the things I have been doing for years which is write these songs that I believe in and play them.

“I don’t think it was ever a gimmicky thing to have the duo – maybe people thought it was but for more it wasn’t because the most important thing in essence is the songs that are on the album.

“I’m excited to be able to pull the live show somewhere different as well.

“It’s always better to keep moving forwards and do something different, do a little thing that scares you a bit.”

Also on the bill is William McCarthy, now a solo artist, who was a songwriter with New York city bands Pela and Augustines.

McCarthy will be coming from Brooklyn, New York specially to perform at Outwith.

Edinburgh-based Meursault are also in the line up; their album new album ‘Crow Hill’, which was recorded in the capital, recently clocked up a five star review and was named album of the month in The Skinny.

Chris Foote, events manager with Dunfermline Delivers, which organises the Festival in conjunction with Avocado Sweet, Fire Station Creative and Write Rammy said: “This year’s line up has a great blend of new bands alongside our talented Dunfermline bands such as Dancing on Tables, Moonlight Zoo, who secured a place at Hard Rock Rising a battle of the bands in New York, and Oskar Braves.

“The music programming team has been working hard all year to finalise the line-up and venues and I’d like to say a massive thank you to Jonny Watt from ForeignFox, George Murray from Lucy & the Lyrics, Grant Allan, Dave Locock and Jack Doyle.

“We’ll be announcing the programmes for film, comedy, theatre and literature over the coming weeks as tickets go on sale.”

The full line up of acts for the day is; Idlewild, Honeyblood, William McCarthy, Siobhan Wilson, Avalanche Party, Meursault, Lucia, Man of Moon, ForeignFox, The Van T’s, Dancing on Tables, Rebecca Vasmant, Oskar Braves, Shredd, Cryptic Street, Supa & Da Kryptonites, Moonlight Zoo, Goodnight Louisa, L-Space, Amy Lou & The Monday Club, Posable Action Figures, Life Model, Beta Waves, The Youth & Young, Paris Street Rebels, Acrylic, Fauves, Scarlett Randle, Jonnie Comon, Sunstinger, Beerjacket, Mt Doubt, Cheap Teeth, Super Inuit, Kapil Seshasayee, Theo Mizu & Banda, Swim School, Smash, Big Cloud, Between the Lines, The Plastic Mac and Wind Up Crows.

Tickets are available at www.onfife.com.