eagleowl's Christmas-ish single is the final release of wiaiwya-7777777 2014 - hope you've enjoyed all seven hits, and all the amazing artwork - if for any reason you don't have all the records, there's a link to get them just there on the right ==========>
so, eagleowl:
“a funereal shanty, bleakly captivating and rousing, and a reminder that the boys Yorkston and Roberts used to make records this good.” Did Not Chart
“glass-half-empty sensibility… lifted skywards by an unexpected melodic chorus and more lovely harmonies” SoundsXP
Formed in Edinburgh in 2005, eagleowl - all lower-case if you please - were initially a duo comprising Bartholomew Owl (guitar, vocals) and Malcolm Benzie (violin, guitar, vocals). With the addition of Clarissa Cheong (double bass, vocals), several years of activity as a trio followed. The band has since grown into a multi-instrumental six-piece also featuring Rob St. John (organ, harmonium, vocals), Hannah Shepherd (cello) and Owen Williams (drums). eagleowl’s sound - trembling strings, hushed harmonies and gauzy electric guitar, tracing a line somewhere between Low, Mogwai and the Dirty Three - has likewise expanded. But without sacrifice to a resolutely less-is-more song writing approach that eschews bombast in favour of restraint, promotes suspenseful builds over cathartic climaxes, and never rushes when it can take its own precious time.
eagleowl’s debut long player (This Silent Year - released on Lost Map in June 2014) confirmed them as one of the gems and keystones of the Edinburgh and Scottish lo-fi independent music scene. Prior to that there were a string of critically-acclaimed, impossible to come by, limited-edition releases on Scottish micro labels Fife Kills and Kilter - 2008 EP ‘For The Thoughts You Never Had’ (“gorgeously quavering folk harmonies” -Word), 2010 EP ‘Into The Fold’ (“Wonderfully atmospheric” - Drowned In Sound) and 2009 7” single ‘Sleep The Winter’ (“monumentally affecting” - The Skinny).
When not performing together, all six members are highly active in other bands and collaborations, be it with Scottish alt-folk troubadour Withered Hand, Icelandic singer-songwriter Benni Hemm Hemm, their band mate Rob St. John (who also pursues a solo career), or Canadian indie-pop collective Woodpigeon.
The single will be launched in Edinburgh at Pilrig St Paul's Church Hall on Friday 12th December, as part of the inaugural Irregular Owl Movements Christmas Panto.
