Ainsley Hamill

Ainsley Hamill EPK Featured in ‘The List’ Hot 100 Cultural Scots 2024

The Guardian Album of the Month – Not Just Ship Land “Her voice thick with velvet and mirk…hovering between the comforting warmth of The Breath and the whip-smart forlorness of early Adele…Hamill has a big intriguing voice, it’s Scottishness ever[1]present.”

“One of the best of her generation.” RnR Magazine Mix Heather Small & Julie Fowlis and you’ve got singer songwriter Ainsley Hamill.

One of the UK’s leading and most diverse singers, Ainsley has a long list of nods including the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Finalist and Gaelic Singer of the Year Finalist at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards. She represented Scotland at Eurovision in Gothenburg and has appeared at folk festivals the world over, including The Festival Interceltique de Lorient, Celtic Connections & du Bout du Monde for the last 10 years and has recently been included in The List’s 2024 Hot 100, of the most influential Scottish cultural contributors.

With the release of her debut feature album ‘Not Just Ship Land’. Produced by BBC composer Malcolm Lindsay, ‘Not Just Ship Land’, Ainsley showcases her songwriting ability, inspired by the surroundings and unsung heroes of Govan and Glasgow. Ainsley’s new album will be released in Summer 2024 and centred around trad Scottish Gaelic, Scots and self-penned songs that are inspired by the Scottish landscape and people.

Hailing from the West Coast of Scotland, Ainsley specialises in song writing and songs in Scottish Gaelic and English. Her love of Gaelic song was nurtured whilst studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Trad roots are close to her heart. With this new album however, Ainsley is exploring new sounds and ideas as she pushes out from these roots to create personal material that encompasses big topics close to her heart, including feminism and equality, while unearthing forgotten stories and places that deserve a voice.

For many years Ainsley performed and toured with folk bands Barluath and made appearances with The Unusual Suspects . During this time, her accomplished song writing skills were evident in Barluath’s two studio albums; ‘Source’ and ‘At Dawn of Day’ as well as various singles including ‘Touch the Gate’ and ‘At the Fair’. Ainsley is a current member of folk band Fourth Moon, performing Gaelic, English and her own material, as well as step dancing.

 

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