The Scottish Celtic rock band are set to perform throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria in March.
It all started pretty humbly for Skerryvore. Brothers Daniel and Martin ‘Marty’ Gillespie grew up on the small, windswept island of Tiree, off the west coast of Scotland. Surprisingly, Tiree is actually an unexpected surfing destination.
With a population of only 600, the brothers found themselves without many hobbies. But the island, steeped in traditional music and Gaelic culture, seemed to offer a natural path for them. And they followed it.
Skerryvore
- Mar 7 – Birregurra Hall, Birregurra
- Mar 6 – Burrinja Cultural Centre, Upwey
- Mar 8-10 – Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy
- Mar 14 – Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne
- Mar 15 – Archies Creek Hotel, Archies Creek
- Mar 16 – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
Check out our gig guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
“It was the older guys and us,” Marty tells me, speaking from his home in Glasgow. “We’d go and play in the pub or on the weekends.” Between them, the brothers learned the bagpipes and the accordion. It wasn’t long until the brothers started a band: Skerryvore.
Though Marty insists that the band never expected much success, I can’t help but disagree. The name ‘Skerryvore’ comes from the Gaelic words “Sgeir” (rock) and “Mhor” (big). So, perhaps it was inevitable that the band would grow into something big – a rock band, no less. And big in size too, with eight members playing together today.
“I never planned to be a musician at all,” Marty admits. “I trained as a plumber at one point. I played a lot of sport. The band was just something on the side, but it just naturally grew.”
At first, Skerryvore performed mostly pub shows, pushing a sound that went against the grain of popular music at the time. Rock songs infused with traditional Celtic influences were fairly uncommon back then. Now, Marty points out, it’s everywhere.
“There are thousands of traditional bands now. The whole scene is booming. But back then, there weren’t many doing it on a bigger scale – especially not in the rock or pop world.”
Marty believes the genre’s explosion is largely due to the rise of social media. “Bands are eager to push themselves on social media, so more people see it, and they like it.” He’s also noticed a surge in younger people joining Celtic bands.
Skerryvore can now be considered pioneers of the genre, doing something few dared to do at the time, simply because they liked it.
“We pushed boundaries,” Marty admits, with his usual modesty. “With our music, we made traditional sounds more commercial. Daniel and I brought the traditional influences, and the rest of the boys brought their pop, rock, and jazz backgrounds. Together, we forged a sound unique to us.”
When asked how he would describe the sound, Marty looks up for a brief second, then touches his mouth, as if searching for the right words. “Very similar to rock. We’ve got a powerful sound. We do an instrumental with pipes. A rock band with some trad in there.”
As the band’s sound has evolved, so too has their recording style. In the early days, music sessions meant the band gathered in a room and jammed together. Over time, however, the process shifted, with lead singer Alec Daglish writing songs independently, which were later recorded.
Now, they’re back to their roots. “We’re in the middle of making an album right now, and it’s come full circle. It’s amazing how it’s evolving and changing. We’re doing what we did at the start,” Marty notes with a smile.
The band has now been going for 20 years. When asked if he ever expected it to last this long, Marty firmly shakes his head.
“No,” he says, smiling. “It was just something I did while I was studying. I didn’t take it seriously. But when we released our self-titled album Skerryvore, that’s when we stopped playing pubs and started taking it more seriously.”
Now, with plans to tour Australia in February and March, Skerryvore has reached a point in their career they never could have predicted. After touring the country in 2019, they had immediate plans for their next move, until the COVID-19 pandemic halted everything. Finally on the way back, the excitement is palpable.
“I get why people from Scotland leave for Australia and don’t come back,” Marty laughs. When asked if he could see himself still performing with Skerryvore in another 20 years, Marty leaves me with this: “If I’m still alive in 20 years, I’ll be doing well. I enjoy myself.”
Skerryvore are touring Australia, with shows throughout Victoria in March. Grab your tickets here.
This article was made in partnership with Skerryvore.
