Dad’s heart belonged to Glasgow, but Mum’s longed for Ireland. Growing up with this division sowed the seeds of Campbell Antrim’s musical inclines. Years later, living in the musical hot-bed of New Orleans for a while, helped to cultivate those seeds.

And now, sobering up a bit has brought to harvest a timeless sound that is both timely with observation and advice, and time-honouring with respect and rendition.

“It’s hard to shake the sentimental sadness of the Irish. So the Blues is an obvious reflection of it.”

“… and just under the skin of the Scots is so much anger and resentment, that it begs to come out with a loud guitar.”

The beautifully bitter heartbreak in “Ther’s Morr Tae Lyf” makes for a classic wrenching torch song. With such a soaring melody that you could, one day, imagine it being heard, hollered from the top of Hampden. And the full-throttled (and full throated) version of Roger Waters’ “Paranoid Eyes” would crack even Mr Waters’ famed stoney cynicism. There’s no shortage of leg-shakin in this music. And no time for tears as it whips from a wink at Fats Domino to a nod to the Irish Rovers.

Whatever Campbell Antrim is is whatever is being sung.

Campbell Antrim on Radio Venice

Radio Venice S10.E10 – March 17, 2019

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