“I can think of no other songwriter who has mined this rich vein
with such lyrical ease and with no mean ear for melody. ”
Alan Reid, Battlefield Band
Bob Leslie – Scottish Traditional Singer & Songwriter
Follow @rwleslie2Demo: Still Here (c) 2023 Bob Leslie
I’m working on my next album, and decided to inflict a demo track for it on you. This will probably be the title track. The demo is 100% me, but I’ll be bringing in other musicians for the final version, so the tonal colours and arrangement may differ substantially. This is just a wee insight into my prep process. I hope you enjoy it! The song was inspired by a mural, by artist Molly Hankinson, on a gable end wall in Partick, Glasgow. You can check out the mural here:
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/partick-welcomes-colourful-new-mural-24314249
Still Here (c) 2023 Bob Leslie -Click arrow below to play –
A Man Who Looks Like Me – digital single breaks big on community radio!
A Man Who Looks Like Me, released on 25th June 2021 is a noir fable inspired by the writings of Dashiell Hammett and Damon Runyon, a dark story of Prohibition Era life and the betrayal of its protagonist, small-time Irish-American gangster ‘Jack’, by his faithless lover. It’s been picked up and played by 70 community radio stations! Available now as a digital download on Bandcamp.
“Bob literally is The Seanachai, or traditional storyteller” – Colin Bailey, RnR Magazine
What a great reception!!!
In Praise of Crows was officially released on 19th March 2021, and has already had SIX GREAT REVIEWS and is being played on over 80 folk radio channels!
Reviewers have favourably compared Bob’s songs and performances to those of Hamish Imlach, Matt McGinn, The Corries, Jake Thackray, and Sir Richard Stilgoe!
In Praise of Crows has also jumped into the top 100 on the Folk Alliance International charts, showing at No 52 on the Albums Chart for May – sharing that spot with, amongst others, Bob Dylan and Tim O’Brien!
You can buy the hard-copy CD HERE. It’s well worth it, the cover alone is a collector’s item and the songs are quite good – nope, too British – the songs are BRILLIANT!!!
Previews (3 free plays) and high-quality digital downloads are available from Bandcamp, & streaming is available from Spotify et al.
Here’s a shot of the cover by artist and fellow songwriter Randall Stephen Hall. You’ve done a great job, Stiofán!
“ Bob’s songs are imaginative, well researched, witty and thought provoking .”
Wendy Weatherby
Nominated Scots Trad Awards 2010 ‘Traditional Singer of the Year’
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On that little matter of pressing albums: even stroking them lightly doesn’t come cheap. Unfortunately Our Bob will insist on continually writing songs. If you dare explore the rest of this website, you might even find some!
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“Bob’s material is beautifully crafted and reflects a deep connection to his Scottish roots.”
Allison Lupton
Folk Music Ontario ‘Songs from the Heart’ Grand Prize Winner
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If you feel like helping out with that (even in a teensy-weensy way) (that means £2/month, or equivalent in your own currency = less than the price of a pack of peanuts/week), then please click on the icon below:
And, if you want to know what you might be getting into, just click below to hear Don’t Start the Revolution in the Morning* from Bob’s new album.
The song finally explains the mystery of why the musicians are onstage at the end of the march/demo, but are rarely seen actually marching – Bob knows you’ve always wondered!
*© 2021 Bob Leslie
Bob Leslie 