Ewan MacFarlane

According to The Sunday Times, singer-songwriter Ewan MacFarlane possesses the best voice in rock this side of the Atlantic. It’s a talent that has seen him live a life less ordinary. He first came to attention when that yearning vocal gift added human angst to Apollo 440’s atmospheric ‘Electro Glide In Blue’, a moment which led to him fronting the dance-rock adventurers for more than 20 years. His reputation continued to flourish with the rootsy rock ‘n’ roll and searing soul of The Grim Northern Social, before he departed Apollo 440 in 2018 after a phenomenal final show in front of 30,000 fans in a sun-kissed Seville. From the outside, you’d expect that to be the end of a glorious career. But as it turned out, Ewan was only getting started…

In the midst of lockdown, Ewan set himself a challenge: to write a song everyday which he would upload to YouTube that same evening. It spiralled into a rush of inspiration, with Ewan drawing upon inspirations from timeless artists such as Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie, while charting the passions, hopes and fears of his own life. The result was 2021’s debut album ‘Always Everlong’, which was quickly followed by an expanded Deluxe Edition.

Amidst the praise it inspired, almost everyone posed the same question: how come the guy from Apollo 440 was making music that feels like a kindred spirit to Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen? There was barely time to consider an answer, for within a year Ewan had thrown another thrilling, fascinating curveball with his second album ‘MILK’. His love of Petty and Springsteen remained in sharp focus, but the songs were flavoured with touches of Al Green, Aerosmith, Arctic Monkeys, The Clash, Foo Fighters and The Replacements within an accomplished set of songwriting.

Taking those songs on the road, Ewan found himself in huge demand. His debut full-band show quickly sold out as did a subsequent acoustic set, and that trend continued with a headline tour of Scotland in autumn 2022. He played shows as guests to Reef, Big Country, GUN, JJ Gilmour and Danny Vaughn, and also co-headlined a gig with Astrid. The stage presence and charisma that previously graced huge shows in his previous bands (including Glastonbury and gigs with The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers and Muse) naturally translated to his new intimate surroundings.

The ‘MILK’ campaign was further magnified with airplay from Amazing Radio, BBC Radio Scotland and Rodney Bingenheimer, not to mention an Album of the Week accolade from The List and an interview with the Daily Record. He even received backing from a new wave of essential Scottish talent when The Snuts shared his single ‘Won’t Stop Burnin’’.

Now Ewan continues a rich run of form with the release of his first acoustic album, ‘Dove’. The idea behind the concept came from Ean’s previous acoustic gigs, where he discovered that his always emotive songwriting was given an additional emotional resonance as he shared the stories behind the songs. While it’s a new record, the songs are all unreleased favourites from his vast back catalogue - but they’re all clearly too strong to be ignored. As a result, ‘Dove’ showcases a very different side to Ewan’s talents, with the record full of raw, soul-searching confessionals and a stripped-back, intimate live sound.

Ewan says, “The album features a mix of songs from different times in my life, ranging from dark and painful places to moments of hope and light. Despite the range of emotions, I am proud of all the songs and believe that the stripped-down nature of the acoustic music will allow the listener to focus more on the lyrics and melody, creating a more emotional experience. I’ve always loved the deeper level of connection you get with the audience at intimate acoustic gigs. I finally feel like it's the right time to let these songs be heard on a wider scale.”

2023 will see Ewan support ‘Dove’ with a selection of acoustic shows, more details of which will be announced soon. He is also putting the finishing touches to a new studio album which is set to be released in the autumn - remarkably Ewan’s fourth solo record in just two years.