Debut record by Midlothian artist

Wednesday January 11th 2017

Duncan Murray

Midlothian is a hot bed of hidden talent, from sports to acting to music. And it’s perhaps the latter where Midlothian shines brightest.

The debut record Power of Suggestion from Duncan Murray, a 35 year old unsigned artist from Dalkeith, demonstrates some of the musical expertise on our doorsteps.

“Although an experienced lead guitarist, my big ambition was to step away from bands and projects to write, record and publish my own material” explains Duncan.

And after 18 months of writing, his debut Power of Suggestion four track EP is the first of several records to be released on iTunes and Spotify. Blending electric and acoustic guitar tones, vocal harmonies and synths, PoS takes you through a bit of an indie rock, pop and blues journey.

Duncan explains

“I grew up listening to everything from Paul Simon to AC/DC to Elbow, so it’s fair to say I’ve got a mixed bag of tastes and inspiration”

And this certainly explains the diversity found in his EP. From the Coldplay inspired vocals and keys of opening track Forest Fire to the 90s style indie guitar licks of Running, a mix of new and old is evident.

Duncan went on

“I’ve always liked the idea of records that mix both full band tracks with simple stripped back acoustic songs, giving the listener some contrast”

and this explains the cleverly placed acoustic piece Rumours of a Gold Rush on the record, a nod perhaps to Duncan’s singer/songwriter inspirations.

The EP concludes with title track Power of Suggestion, which Duncan admits is an unmistakable echo of the britpop era he grew up in – catchy distorted guitar riffs, driving drums and vocal lines reminiscent of the indie band era. A fitting end to a record written and performed solely by the artist and recorded/produced locally at Howden Sound Recording in Newtongrange.

All in all, Power of Suggestion is an impressive debut EP from this Dalkeith musician, who has received much Scottish radio play in recent weeks – including Jim Gellatly’s weekend show – in addition to several Edinburgh press articles.

If you didn’t catch his Bannermans gig on 5 January then listen out for his live radio session with East Coast FM on 18 January, where Duncan will be performing a dedicated acoustic set. But before that, he continues promotion of his Power of Suggestion EP with an interview on Midlothian’s Black Diamond FM on 14 January, 7pm, where he’ll be talking about the creation of the record.

Power of Suggestion EP by Duncan Murray is now available to download and stream from all good online platforms. You can stay up to date via his Facebook page @duncanmurraymusic.

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