Scottish singer/songwriter Rhona Macfarlane announces debut album & shares new single ‘Return To The East’
“A gorgeous song” Angela Griffin, BBC Radio 2
“It’s so topical, it’s so new and she’s very talented. Just really love this very much, just a lovely voice” Ricky Ross, BBC Scotland
“Woozy bass and a gentle strum are the foundation for Macfarlane’s beautiful voice, which winds its way through a tranquil tune.” Americana UK
Today, rising Scottish singer/songwriter Rhona Macfarlane has announced that she will release her debut album, As The Chaos Unfolds, on January 24th, 2025. We last heard from Macfarlane in July when she released her topical new single ‘July Rain’, which earned her widespread support from the likes of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio Scotland, The Mahogany sessions and more.
Alongside the announcement of her new album, which she co-produced with Matt Ingram (Laura Marling, Lianne La Havas), Macfarlane has released her new single, ‘Return To The East’. Of the new single, she says:
“‘Return To The East’ is about going back to your roots, back to simplicity and in turn overcoming doubt, reclaiming personal identity and finding clarity and strength in who you are.
It was written during a visit to my hometown of Montrose, on the East Coast of Scotland. I was on a bike ride towards Lunan Bay on a sun-drenched day when I entered a deep reflection triggered by the landscape around me. The sea, wild grasses and ploughed fields transported me back to my childhood. I was not long out of university at the time and was trying to find my feet, figure out who I was and what I wanted away from the external noise of city life in Glasgow and the influence of others.”
As The Chaos Unfolds was recorded in the Autumn of 2023 at Watercolour Studios in the Scottish Highlands with producer/engineer Matt Ingram. “It’s a residential studio isolated amongst beautiful lochs and hills, even the nearest shop was an hours drive away as the ferry wasn’t running!” says Macfarlane. “It was perfect to get away from everything and be in this tranquil setting where the control room looked out onto the magnificent view of Ben Nevis. It really allowed me to get into a concentrated headspace where I could fully dive deep into the music.”
As The Chaos Unfolds is in many ways a coming of age record, encompassing themes of love, chaos and disorder, self identity and discovery, mental health, navigating relationships, nostalgia, loss, existential reflection, resilience and empowerment. “The record was written in my mid-20s, which is often a turbulent, unsettling time with lots of change,” says Macfarlane. “Many of my friends and I had just come out of university, trying to settle into a job and embark into ‘adult’ life. You’re trying to feel like you have your life together whilst simultaneously feeling that you have no idea what you’re doing, never mind the global pandemic that was thrown into the mix. During this time I started to become hyper aware of ‘growing up’ and the rapid changes that were happening around me.”
Macfarlane was brought up in a musical household where creativity was boundless. Her early years were spent immersed in music, whether that was through Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell or Rickie Lee Jones on the record player, or the sounds of family playing piano, violin, guitar, bagpipes or clarsach. With ancestors from St Kilda and the Outer Hebrides, Rhona’s childhood included frequent trips to Harris where she was surrounded by folk music and her Grandmother’s Gaelic songs. At the age of 7 she began learning violin and piano and into her teens picked up the guitar.
Through songwriting opportunities such as “Hit the Road” and classical music experience with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, Rhona quickly became enchanted by the world of songwriting while also developing a deep passion for the violin, which she subsequently went on to study at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. This environment influenced her songwriting to incorporate elements of classical music alongside the folk tradition of storytelling, but she manages to deliver it in an entirely modern light, drawing inspiration from artists like Adrianne Lenker, Rufus Wainwright, Joni Mitchell, and Madison Cunningham.
To celebrate the release of her debut album, Rhona will be performing shows across the UK and Europe. See below for details and sign up to her mailing list and follow on spotify to keep up to date with new live dates and releases.
Tour Dates
06/09 Tolbooth, Stirling
12/10 Sibbesse, House Concert
13/10 Cologne, House Concert
17/10 Grevenbroich, Café Kultus
18/10 Bodenwerder, KulturMühle Buchhagen
19/10 Berlin, Space Sessions
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Connect with Rhona Macfarlane online
