KATE REID IS BACK IN THE STUDIO WITH HER OWN PROGRAMME—EVERY THURSDAY 3.00PM – 5.00PM —
Written by Archie Fergusson on 12/04/2017
Welcome back to Kate who after a couple of hours of getting use to the Studio again is raring to go. She has not said much about the actual programme and its content but rest assured it will be a healthy mix of folk, pop, rock and acoustic music and of course good craic
Many listeners will remember Kate, the lead singer and main songwriter of the popular “The Midden” from when she presented her own weekly show “Homeward Bound” on CMR95FM and here on DCR97.4FM way back in the beginning, good craic, good music including tracks from new artist plus the ‘Six Songwriters’ feature every week in the final hour of the show.
The Midden are Kate, Meggan and Hazel Reid, three singer/songwriter sisters who grew up in Alford in the North East of Scotland. Multi-instrumentalists all three, means that guitar, violin, cello, whistles, bass, piano and sometimes even accordion provide the backdrop for 3 unique voices, interwoven into intricate vocal harmonies. Each sister writes her own songs and together the band has arranged many Scottish traditionals and folk songs. They also play tunes, mainly reels.
The Midden formed officially in 2001 at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections festival and went on to win Best Newcomer at the Danny Kyle Open Stage in 2002. They turned down a record deal with a leading Scottish folk label in their first year, to go down the DIY route and have brought out 3 successful albums on their own small independent label, Midden Records.
They have played many European festivals including the Bardentreffen in Nuremberg every year since 2004, the Festival Interceltique de Lorient (2002+2003), Het Schots Weekend (2005) and entertained the pipers at the Piping Championships held in Belgium (2004). They have supported many notable folk musicians like Carlos Núñez, Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, Fiddlers’ Bid, Blazin’ Fiddles, The Poozies and Old Blind Dogs and have shared a stage with Brolum, Cantrip and Back of the Moon. They played to a crowd of 25,000 people in George Square at Hogmanay 2004 supporting Snow Patrol and Donnie Munro of Runrig.
Over the last ten years The Midden have played countless folk clubs and festivals across Scotland. Most of their touring has been done in Germany so far, although they have also played in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, England and Wales.
They have released 4 studio albums to date with their fourth CD, In The End, being Aa firm favourite here on DCR97.4FM.
