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Kid Canaveral songwriter David MacGregor tuning up new project Broken Chanter ahead of north of Scotland shows at the Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore and the Tooth and Claw, Inverness


By Kyle Walker


DAVID MacGregor has a busy schedule peering over the horizon.

The Glaswegian singer/songwriter known for being at the heart of Scottish alt-pop troubadours Kid Canaveral has just released his debut effort under new moniker Broken Chanter – and has gigs lined up across the country over the next few months.

You can understand why he would savour his last weekend off before shows kick off in earnest. “I made sure to spend time with my wife so she doesn’t forget what I look like!” he laughed.

The touring kicks off in earnest this weekend though – with dates in Aviemore and Inverness lined up for Broken Chanter – the musical venture David has fashioned for himself.

And with the debut album finally being released two weeks ago, David is “overjoyed” to finally be able to hold it in his hands. “And also very relieved as well.

“It’s been a long time getting ready for putting this out and trying to get people used to the new name first, So it was finished in the summer of 2018 and then I spent quite a lot of the 12 months following that starting to play the songs live, just...trying to get used to them, trying to get others used to them as well.

“The launch gig was joyous but it was such a relief to say, ‘That’s it finally out there in the world – please listen to it!’”

I don’t know if I just still have a compulsion to keep constantly making things or playing live

Broken Chanter started as an outlet for David’s songs following Kid Canaveral’s decision to take a break.

David, as the principal songwriter for the band, still wanted to create. “We’d just finished touring Kid Canaveral’s third record. The last stretch was in Europe, well, mainland Europe, and we got back from Germany and we were all a bit burned out, because it can be quite intense, you know?

“And Kate Lazda from Kid Canaveral wanted to take a wee break and she encouraged me to turn my enthusiasm for making a new record into doing one on my own and exploring some other avenues.”

And so off he went – writing and recording demos across the western Highlands and crafting the songs that would end up making up Broken Chanter’s eponymous debut. “Andonce that was done it was really just figuring out what my actual plans for it were!

“Given that Kate and the other members of Kid Canaveral are not really in a place where they want to make another record or anything, I think this is me for the foreseeable.

“They’ve all been very supportive though, you know – they’ve all been at gigs and at the launch and listened to things to tell me if I’ve completely lost my mind! So there’s no drama attached, we’re still best mates, still very supportive.

“I don’t know if I just still have a compulsion to keep constantly making things or playing live and when the rest of the band isn’t sharing that with you, I just needed another outlet.”

Broken Chanter plays the Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore on Friday and the Tooth and Claw, Inverness on Saturday. For more info, go to www.brokenchanter.com


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