Scottish songwriter Archie Fisher wrote The Final Trawl inspired by a pair of rusting decommissioned fishing boats off Scrabster Harbour in the north coast of Scotland - 'The Venture' and the 'Morning Star' (pictured run-aground on this EP cover)'. He recorded it on his 1988 album with Gamet Rogers 'Off the Map' where he noted: "The death of a boat is the first casualty in the decline of a fishing community. This song is dedicated to all of the hardy fisherfolk at sea and ashore."
EP cover photo kindly donated by Camilla Elder Wick, Caithness, taken by her father Gordon Alexander in 1963 - the day local fishing boats attempted to tug the Morning Star free after it ran aground on Proudfoot, Wick Bay, Caithness
'The Final Trawl' I learned from my brother Findlay and sister-in-law Gillian Frame. We recorded it years ago back in 2005 with folk quartet Back of the Moon on an album called Luminosity - our last (and my favourite) of our three studio albums. Gillian sings lead on it beautifully:
I also recorded it live in 2014 with Nae Plans (my daredevil, unplanned, spontaneous free-for-all on stage jam session duo with maverick fiddler Adam Sutherland). We called it 'Fisherman's Singalong'. You can listen here:
Scottish mega piper Ross Ainslie. awesome self-penned tunes, banging arrangements and all-round dynamite production! Ross and I have been collaborating for years on each other's gigs and albums! Hamish Napier
supported by 28 fans who also own “The Final Trawl (song) - Live”
My father was born in Glasgow, yet somehow I have never visited Scotland. This lovely music sounds like my ticket of return to the country of his birth. Philip Graham
supported by 16 fans who also own “The Final Trawl (song) - Live”
I did find this band in Youtube, Live at Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2023.
For me it was so good, can't find words, it blew me away and still does. dahlrockson
supported by 15 fans who also own “The Final Trawl (song) - Live”
Two amazing musicians in their own right, put them together and the result is even greater than the sum of the parts.
The goal to capture, "live," energy is achieved, such a great album! PipingJim
Old-fashioned fiddles harmonize with rippling synths on the Scottish singer-songwriter's latest collection of original folk songs. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 30, 2022