One of the brightest rising stars on the Scottish music scene, 23 year old singer/songwriter Adam Holmes crafts lyrics that resonate like old folk songs, set to melodies rooted in haunting slow airs. John Martyn’s strum and sting, laced with a slice of Paolo Nutini soul and a touch of traditional folk.
Mixing trad, folk and Americana, Adam has been steadily building an impressive musical reputation – finalist in Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year (2009), BBC Young Folk Awards (2010) and BBC2 Horizon Awards; nominated Up and Coming Artist of the Year (Scottish Trad Music Awards 2013).
His debut CD Heirs and Graces was produced by music legend John Wood (responsible for seminal albums by John Martyn, Nick Drake, Sandy Denny and many more) and launched at Celtic Connections 2014.
He has been featured in session on Mark Radcliffe’s Folk Show (BBC Radio 2) (April 2014) and is confirmed for 1 of the 5 new artist showcases at the prestigious Cambridge Folk Festival (Aug 2014)
APR 2014: HEIRS AND GRACES LONGLISTED FOR SCOTTISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR AWARD
(Link to news page)
Press Quotes
What the press have been saying about Heirs and Graces:
- Auspicious debut… backed by a fine band… laid back catchiness reminiscent of early Joni Mitchell… There’s a gruff but palpable humanity in Holmes’s songs… evoking Robert Burns
★★★★ Jim Gilchrist, Scotsman - The sort of album that seeps gracefully into your soul with such conviction you know this 23-year-old singer songwriter from Edinburgh is the real deal…
Colin Irwin, Penguin Eggs (Canada) - Captivating… Entrancing…a potent style of his own… Metro
- An ideal example of everything that’s good about acoustic / traditional music in Scotland… Folk Radio UK
- It’s hard to believe this is Adam’s debut, it’s such an assured album… Daily Record
- Pick of the Month – Feb, Mar, Apr (+ MNS Hot Rating) Music News Scotland
- Pick of the Month – Jan – Penguin Eggs
- The best Scottish male singer of his generation… The Courier
- Classy… Stephen Malkmus (guest reviewer, the Skinny)
- An early contender for album of the year… Shire Folk
- The music rolls and flows… gorgeously simple… ★★★★ R2 Magazine