Carrie Mac

You might have heard of Carrie Mac. Having recently shared a stage with everyone from X-Factory super-projects JLS and Diana Vickers to supporting The Proclaimers on tour, the newest fruit of Edinburgh’s folk-pop loins is deservedly carving a niche for herself alongside other Scots-reared female artists (think KT, Sandi, Amy).

Yet such simplistically-drawn parallels don’t do Carrie Mac nearly enough credit. Onstage, the 23-year-old welcomes a crowd composed partly of friends and relatives but bolstered with a sizeable local fan base- â€¨And it’s easy to see why. Launching her first headlining set with I Want You To Stay, Mac’s soulful voice soars around an instantly catchy drum-driven melody, while on Anywhere You Go, lyrical punchiness is complemented by a frantic staccato bassline.

While confiding You’ll Never Know is only making its third public outing, Mac’s is a justifiably relaxed stage presence; her powerfully bluesy vocals snaking through the octaves of a sing-song piano-led love confession, sharpened up by some gritty cymbal-usage. 

Home is unapologetically pretty folk-pop; kicking off with just Mac and her guitar, it hits a crescendo of chimey acoustic gusto reminiscent of early Michelle Branch, while radio hit, Hello, showcases a beautiful vocal toughness worthy of Kelly Clarkson.ʉ۬

Edinburgh folk like their homegrown talents modest yet brilliant - and with such infectiously danceable, sincere pop-rock this on your doorstep, Carrie Mac fits the bill nicely.