Soundhouse Winter Festival: Constant Follower

"Genuine, heartfelt and profound... unmatched emotional depth" – KLOF Mag

Constant Follower is the band formed around Scottish songwriter Stephen McAll. Their debut album for legendary New York indie label Shimmy Disc was shortlisted for the 2022 Scottish Album of the Year Award (SAY) and found its way onto the top of multiple ‘Best Albums of 2021’ lists, leading to a string of notable performances including Austin’s SXSW 2022 and SXSW 2023, and a spellbinding set from the crown of Scotland’s National Wallace Monument (see above). A triumph after tragedy, the album was McAll’s first work many years after an unprovoked attack in his late teens left him with catastrophic head injuries, partially paralysed and unable to write or play guitar. The following decade was spent recovering on the West Coast of Scotland, learning to live, and eventually picking up the guitar to allow the songs that form his acclaimed debut Neither Is, Nor Ever Was to emerge.

In February this year Constant Follower’s much anticipated second album, The Smile You Send Out Returns to You, was released on renowned Scottish label Last Night From Glasgow. McAll helmed the recording and production of the album and singles, capturing the essence of their sound from his Stirling base before venturing to Austin, Texas, to collaborate with the esteemed Dan Duszynski of Loma (SubPop) for mixing and further production in March of 2024. Sequenced with the help of Shimmy Disc boss Kramer and mastered by Carl Saff, the album is a dream collaboration which builds upon the glorious Slowcore/Dream-Folk of previous releases, unveiling new dimensions of Constant Follower's sound. The new album marked a significant step forward for Constant Follower. The release builds on the dream-folk and slowcore textures of earlier work while opening new sonic space. It was warmly received by critics and audiences alike. It debuted at No. 2 on the Official Scottish Albums Chart, No. 3 on the Official Folk Albums Chart, and reached No. 1 on the Official Independent Breakers Chart. It also broke into the UK-wide Album Sales Chart at No. 14.

With gentle melodies, layered guitars and haunting vocal harmonies, Constant Follower creates immersive, slow-building songs marked by spacious arrangements and fragile intensity – evoking the emotional depth of Low, the intimacy of Red House Painters, the sophistication of Talk Talk, and the stillness of Stars of the Lid. Their sound sits somewhere between folk, slowcore, and cinematic modern composition. It is, quite simply, beautiful music and has to be experienced live for the full immersion it demands. Come and join us for this year’s closing show. It will be very special.

Explore more Music At The Traverse here.

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