John McCusker (born 15 May 1973) is a Scottish

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

ian, record producer, and composer. An accomplished

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

player Player may refer to: Role or adjective * Player (game), a participant in a game or sport ** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games ** Athlete, a player in sports ** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who ...

, he had a long association as a member of the

Battlefield Band Battlefield Band were a Scottish traditional music group. Founded in Glasgow in 1969, they have released over 30 albums and undergone many changes of lineup. As of 2010, none of the original founders remain in the band. The band is noted for t ...

beginning in the 1990s and was later a band member and producer for

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

singer

Kate Rusby Kate Anna Rusby (born 4 December 1973) is an English English folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Penistone, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Sometimes called the "Barnsley Nightingale", she has headlined various British folk festivals, an ...

. He has served as producer and

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

for artists in a range of genres and also has several solo albums to his credit.

Career

McCusker was born in

Bellshill Bellshill (pronounced "Bells hill") is a town in North Lanarkshire in Scotland, southeast of Glasgow city centre and west of Edinburgh. Other nearby localities are Motherwell to the south, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Hamilton to the south ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

in May 15, 1973. He had an Irish mother who encouraged him to learn to play the

beginning at age seven. He became a regular in local youth orchestras and ceilidh bands and formed the band Parcel O'Rogues (named from

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

' '' Sic a Parcel o' Rogues in a Nation'') with some schoolmates when he was 14. A couple of years later he gave up a place at the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...

in Glasgow to tour with the

, who he spent eleven years with. His first solo album was released by Temple in 1995. McCusker has also performed on albums by

Ocean Colour Scene Ocean Colour Scene (often abbreviated to OCS) are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Solihull in 1989. They have had five top 10 albums including a number one in 1997. They have also achieved seventeen top 40 singles and six top 10 sin ...

Paul Weller Paul John Weller (born John William Weller; 25 May 1958) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame with the punk rock/ new wave/mod revival band the Jam (1972–1982). He had further success with the blue-eyed soul m ...

Teenage Fanclub Teenage Fanclub are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Bellshill near Glasgow in 1989. The group were founded by Norman Blake (vocals, guitar), Raymond McGinley (vocals, lead guitar) and Gerard Love (vocals, bass), all of whom shared ...

Danny Thompson Daniel Henry Edward Thompson (born 4 April 1939) is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist. He has had a long musical career playing with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson and John Mart ...

Eddi Reader Sadenia "Eddi" Reader MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as frontwoman of Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three BRIT Awards. In 2003, she showcased the wo ...

, Tim O'Brien and Linda Thompson. He also has shared stages with

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album '' Horses''. Called the "punk poe ...

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music g ...

Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto Cash Distin, Johnny Cash's first wife. Although she is often classified as a country art ...

Paolo Nutini Paolo Giovanni Nutini (born 9 January 1987) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician from Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley. Nutini's debut album, ''These Streets'' (2006), peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Its follow-up, ''Sunny ...

and Jools Holland. McCusker was also a producer for folk singer

, who he married in August 2001, but divorced in 2006. After a 6-month world tour with

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a s ...

, McCusker released a new record along with Orcadian singer

Kris Drever Kris Drever (born 31 October 1978) is a Scottish contemporary folk musician and songwriter who came to prominence in 2006 with the release of his debut solo album, ''Black Water''. Drever is the vocalist and guitarist of the folk trio Lau with ...

and Idlewild front man,

Roddy Woomble Roddy Woomble (born 13 August 1976) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and writer. He is the lead vocalist of indie rock band Idlewild, with whom he has recorded nine studio albums. Celebrated for his poetic lyrics and warm, baritone voice, In 2 ...

. The album ''

Before the Ruin ''Before the Ruin'' is a collaborative studio album by Scottish folk musicians Kris Drever, John McCusker and Roddy Woomble, released on 15 September 2008 through Navigator Records. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at #156 and the Scottish ...

'' was released in September 2008, and features members of

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...

Michael McGoldrick Michael McGoldrick (born 26 November 1971, in Manchester, England) is a folk musician who plays Irish flute, uilleann pipes, low whistle and bodhran. He also plays other instruments such as acoustic guitar, cittern, and mandolin. Bands McGo ...

and

Heidi Talbot Heidi Talbot (born 1980) is an Irish folk singer from Kill, County Kildare, Ireland. Talbot is a former singer of Irish-American musical group Cherish the Ladies. Early life and education Born in the rural village of Kill, County Kildare, Ire ...

. In 2007, McCusker was jointly commissioned by the Celtic Connections festival and

Cambridge Folk Festival The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival, established in 1965, held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is known for its eclectic mix of ...

to compose '' Under One Sky'', uniting Scottish and English musicians of different

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

s, from

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

singer

Julie Fowlis Julie Fowlis (born 20 June 1978) is a Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic. Early life Fowlis grew up on North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides, in a Gaelic-speaking community. Her moth ...

to ex- Blur guitarist

Graham Coxon Graham Leslie Coxon (born 12 March 1969) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter who came to prominence as a founding member of the rock band Blur. As the group's lead guitarist and secondary vocalist, Cox ...

. He toured to support ''Under One Sky'' in the UK in November and December 2008. After bassist Mike McNamara introduced John and

Simon Fowler Simon Geoffrey Fowler (born 25 May 1965 in Meriden, Warwickshire) is an English singer and acoustic guitarist, best known as the frontman of Ocean Colour Scene. The Fanatics Simon Fowler commenced his music career as the lead singer and songwr ...

to each other, Fowler subsequently presented him with the BBC Radio 2 folk musician of the year award in 2003. McCusker has appeared live on numerous of times with the Birmingham band, and in 2012 McCusker appeared on Fowler's 'Merrymouth' album, he also joined the band on their UK tour In 2014, McCusker once again appeared on Fowlers solo project, now called Merrymouth, brand new album 'Wenlock Hill'. The album also features a guest appearance from

Chas Hodges Charles Nicholas Hodges (28 December 1943 – 22 September 2018) was an English musician and singer who was the lead vocalist of musical duo Chas & Dave. Early life Hodges was born at the North Middlesex University Hospital in Edmonton on 2 ...

from Chas and Dave

Discography

Solo albums

* ''John McCusker'' (1995) * ''Yella Hoose'' (2001) * ''Goodnight Ginger'' (2004) * ''

'' (2008) (with Roddy Woomble and Kris Drever) * '' Under One Sky'' (2009) (with Under One Sky tour artists) * ''Hello, Goodbye'' (2016)

As producer

and Kathryn Roberts – ''Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts'' (1995) *Kate Rusby – ''

Hourglass An hourglass (or sandglass, sand timer, sand clock or egg timer) is a device used to measure the passage of time. It comprises two glass bulbs connected vertically by a narrow neck that allows a regulated flow of a substance (historically sand) ...

'' (1997) *Kate Rusby – '' Sleepless'' (1999) *

Cathie Ryan Cathie Ryan is an Irish American singer-songwriter, who has released five CDs and tours steadily with her band performing at festivals, folk clubs, performing arts centers and with symphony orchestras. Known for "her crystalline vocals and ins ...

– Somewhere Along the Road (2001) *Kate Rusby – ''

Little Lights ''Little Lights'' is an album by British folk musician Kate Rusby, released in 2001. Track listing All songs by Kate Rusby unless otherwise stated. #"Playing of Ball" (Words trad., music Rusby) – 3:31 #"I Courted a Sailor" – 3:58 #"With ...

'' (2001) *Kate Rusby – '' 10'' (2002) *Blazin' Fiddles – ''The Old Style'' (2002) *Kate Rusby – '' Underneath the Stars'' (2003) *Cathie Ryan – ''The Farthest Wave'' (2005) *Kate Rusby – ''

The Girl Who Couldn't Fly ''The Girl Who Couldn't Fly'' is an album by British folk musician Kate Rusby, released in 2005. The title refers to Rusby's fear of flying. The album cover features a painting by Blur guitarist Graham Coxon. Track listing All songs by Kate ...

'' (2005) *

– '' My Secret is My Silence'' (2006) *

– ''Black Water'' (2006) *

– ''

Peacetime Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

'' (2007) *Drever, McCusker, Woomble – ''

'' (2008) * Under One Sky – '' Under One Sky'' (2009) *Kris Drever – ''Mark the Hard Earth'' (2010)

Other appearances

*''

Ballad of the Broken Seas ''Ballad of the Broken Seas'' is an album by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, their first collaboration. It made the shortlist for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize and was one of '' NMEs top one hundred albums of the decade. The Mercury nomination ...

'' – Mark Lanegan &

Isobel Campbell Isobel Campbell (born 27 April 1976) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and cellist. She rose to prominence at age nineteen as a member of the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, but left the group to pursue a solo career, first as The Gentle Waves ...

(2006) *'' Ballads of the Book'' – Idlewild's "The Weight of Years" (2007) *''

This Is What Makes Us ''This Is What Makes Us'' is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band Foxface. It was released on 5 November 2007 on Gargleblast Records. The album was produced by Andy Miller and features guest performances from folk musicians Joh ...

'' – Foxface (2007) *'' 22 Dreams'' –

(2008) *''

Kill to Get Crimson ''Kill to Get Crimson'' is the fifth solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 17 September 2007 by Mercury Records internationally and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album's titl ...

'' –

(2008) *''In Love and Light'' –

(2008) *''

Hold Your Horses "Hold your horses", sometimes said as "Hold the horses", is an English-language idiom meaning " wait, slow down". The phrase is historically related to horse riding or travelling by horse, or driving a horse-drawn vehicle. A number of explanation ...

'' –

Ella Edmondson Eleanor Rose "Ella" Edmondson (born 22 January 1986) is an English singer-songwriter. Her primary instrument is the guitar although she can also play the piano.Interview with Judi Spiers on BBC Devon, 16 February 2009. Early life Eleanor Rose Edm ...

(2009) *'' Love is the Way'' –

(2009) *''

Post Electric Blues ''Post Electric Blues'' is the seventh studio album by Scottish indie rock band Idlewild, self-released to around 3000 fans in June 2009. The album was subsequently released on 5 October 2009 on Cooking Vinyl. Prior to recording, guitarist ...

'' – Idlewild (2009) *'' Get Lucky'' – Mark Knopfler (2009) *'' Bretonne'' -

Nolwenn Leroy Nolwenn Le Magueresse (; born 28 September 1982), known by her stage name Nolwenn Leroy (), is a French singer-songwriter, musician and actress. Originally classically trained (violin and opera singing), she rose to fame after winning the second ...

(2010) *''

Transatlantic Sessions Transatlantic Sessions is the collective title for a series of musical productions by Glasgow-based Pelicula Films Ltd, funded by- and produced for BBC Scotland, BBC Four and RTÉ of Ireland. The productions comprise collaborative live performan ...

'' 5 (2010) – (directed by

Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin "Jerry" Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. Career In addition to his fourteen solo recordings, Douglas has played on more than 1,600 albums. As a sideman, he has ...

and

Aly Bain Aly Bain MBE (born 15 May 1946) is a Scottish fiddler who learned his instrument from the old-time master Tom Anderson. The former First Minister of Scotland Jack McConnell called Bain a "Scottish icon." Career Bain was born in the town ...

) *''Merrymouth'' –

(2012) *''Live'' (with

& John Doyle, 2009 tour) – Vertical Records (2012) *''

Privateering A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

'' – Mark Knopfler (2012) *''Suitcase'' – Jennifer Byrne (2013) *''

Wenlock Hill ''Wenlock Hill'' is the second album by Merrymouth, a folk band featuring Simon Fowler and Dan Sealey from Ocean Colour Scene, and Adam Barry. It was released in May 2014 and entered the UK Official Album Charts at #71. Track listing All son ...

'' – Merrymouth (2014) *'' Tracker'' – Mark Knopfler (2015) *''The Art of Forgetting'' –

Kyle Carey Kyle Carey (born 1988) is a Celtic Americana musical artist who creates a synthesis of music called 'Gaelic Americana'. Biography Born in New Hampshire to schoolteacher parents, Kyle lived in Yup'ik native communities in the Alaskan bush unti ...

(2018) *''The Wishing Tree'' (with

& John Doyle) - Under One Sky Records (2018) *'' Down the Road Wherever'' - Mark Knopfler (2018) *''Yes, I Have Ghosts'' -

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. P ...

(2020)

Awards and nominations

Awards won

* BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016 - Good Tradition Award * Spirit of Scotland Award for Music 2009 * BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards 2003 – Musician of the Year * Spirit of Scotland Award for Music 2000

Nominations

* BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2010 * Best Instrumentalist Ireland's Music Awards 2009 * BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2009 * Composer of the Year Scots Trad Music Awards 2007 * BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2008 * BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2007

References

"folk award winners 2010". http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/events/folk-awards-2010/nominees/. 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2021

External links

official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCusker, John Scottish fiddlers British male violinists 1974 births Citternists Living people Battlefield Band members 21st-century violinists 21st-century British male musicians