Ewan McLennan first emerged onto the UK folk scene with the release of his debut album ‘Rags & Robes’. The recording gained much critical praise, described by Maverick as ‘a collection of truly captivating songs’, and featured in MOJO’s top ten folk albums of 2010. After an appearance on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show and a televised performance for the Celtic Connections Festival at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, his debut was capped by winning the BBC Folk Award’s Horizon Award in 2011.
Ewan McLennan has, in a short space of time, come to be known as a guitarist at the very forefront of his generation; a troubadour, balladeer and storyteller cut in the old style; a singer that can move audiences with his passion and pathos; and a songwriter for whom social justice is still a burning issue.
By the time he began playing the folk and acoustic music clubs around Britain in 2010 he’d already been playing music for years – guitar and piano and all kinds of styles but with a strong interest in folk songs.
He was signed to Fellside Records also in 2010 and recorded his first full album, ‘Rags & Robes’. It received critical acclaim, put him firmly on the folk circuit and in 2011 won him the prestigious Horizon Award at the BBC Folk Awards.
His second album, ‘The Last Bird To Sing’, was released two years later in 2012 and again was enthusiastically received. He continued to win awards off the back of this: two Spiral Earth Awards in 2013 and then the Alistair Hulett Memorial Prize for Political Songwriting the same year.
This also led on to him being asked to be part of the acclaimed Transatlantic Sessions in 2013, which saw him performing and recording alongside some of the world’s finest folk musicians.
“Ewan McLennan’s reputation has been growing for several years, and the winner of the 2010 BBC2 Horizon Award has realised his potential on a wonderful album of traditional folk called Stories Still Untold.
There are traces of a young Dick Gaughan in his rich lilting voice, while his guitar playing – using techniques honed in years of studying classical guitar – is delicate and full of colour.
Stories Still Untold features both new and traditional songs and McLennan, who also plays banjo, is confident in the role of storyteller. It says a lot for his songwriting that his own composition The Ball of Amy Nielson sits comfortably alongside the traditional/Robert Burns song Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie.
McLennan is helped by some truly classy guest musicians, including Ross Ainslie (whistle), Beth Porter (cello), Inge Thomson (accordion), Lauren MacColl (viola) and Siobhan Miller (backing vocals).A very fine folk album.”
Martin Chilton Telegraph