Hebrides  News                     Send your local news stories to:  newsdesk@hebrides.biz

Highland bulls for sale from the

Druimdearg Fold, Benbecula

 

 

Naturally reared in the Hebrides

Tel:  01870 602 129

E-mail:  angusmacdonald@btinternet.com

 

Click here for more info and photo

 

Scottish album launch for band now managed by Runrig drummer   24/3/11

 

 

 

 

Emerging rock band Coast has chosen Inverness as the city to launch its second album, “The Turning Stone”. Based on the south coast of England, Coast was initially inspired by bands such as Runrig, Big Country and Dire Straits. Now it has evolved into something unique with its own sound which evokes passion, is uplifting and very exciting both on album and in the live setting.

 

In an unusual twist, Iain Bayne, the drummer in Celtic supergroup Runrig, is the manager of the band. Lead singer Paul Eastham, who spent part of his youth on Benbecula in the Western Isles of Scotland, also writes, records and produces the band. Coast is already proving very popular in Europe. They have just signed major distribution deals for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and Denmark, opening up new markets quickly.

 

Iain liked Coast's self-titled first album so much he went to see the band at a pub gig in Inverness in February last year. He was blown away by their big sound. Later that evening, the band members asked him to manage them. After December's planned gig at the Ironworks was postponed because of severe weather, Coast is back playing at the Academy Street venue on May 7.

 

They have decided to make that the night to launch Coast's second album, “The Turning Stone”. The first song released from the new album entitled “The Beat of You” is co-written between Iain, and Paul, and features Duncan Chisholm of Wolfstone on fiddle. It has been hailed as a beautiful piece of music and has received a lot of airplay across the country.

 

Iain says Paul Eastham is the band's driving force and, despite Paul's background as a classical pianist, a love that he will always have, and at one point a singer in a Death Metal group, he has put it behind him to concentrate on Coast.

 

“He is a superb talent, able to play Rachmaninov from memory, has written a Celtic piece for piano, “An Cuan Siar” (Gaelic for the Atlantic), among many pieces. He is a prolific songwriter with many already written for Coast`s third album. He has composed music which would be great for film, TV advertising, which he also produces. What you have in Paul is a one-stop music shop. A rare talent indeed.”

 

Paul is from a military family who moved to work at the Army rocket range on Benbecula is the late-1980s. It was there he first heard Celtic-influenced bands like Runrig and Big Country. He says: “It was the emotion of Celtic music that got to me. It stirred the blood and inspired me to start writing Celtic driven songs and music. This all ultimately led to recording Coast's first album.”

 

The five-piece band has already played festivals in Denmark and Germany and has been asked back for several major festivals later this year. Iain Bayne said: “Runrig is probably the best example of a Celtic band achieving chart success in the German album charts. We achieved tremendous exposure on radio and television. Now, the fanbase for Coast in Germany is growing fast, and radio play reflects the interest in the music.”

 

As is usual, there have been changes in line-up as the band matured and set its priorities. The band members of Coast are guitarist Steve Picken, bass guitarist Hamish Ferguson, percussionist Chris Barnes and drummer Mark Mongan.

Paul adds: “We were very lucky to get Iain Bayne on board as our manager. He has been a musician I have respected for many years and now he has become my mentor, really. It is a real honour to have him working alongside us. The fact that he is also a fan of the band is great.”