Duncan's going it alone with new EP

After years in various other projects, a singer songwriter is going out on his own and released his debut solo EP at the age of 35.

Duncan Murray is gearing up for gigs in the New Year

Duncan Murray, who works as a manager at Scottish Widows, from Easthouses in Midlothian, recently recorded the EP Power of Suggestion at Howden Sound Studios in Newtongrange.

The former band member of The Future Castles has told how he is now excited about going it alone. His new work is described as “atmospheric, reflective and guitar-lick driven”.

He said: “I have been in bands for 20-odd years and my ambition was always to move on and do my own stuff. Band democracy across five people is always a bit of a nightmare.

“So for the last 18 months since I left my last band I have been writing stuff myself and I have just finished the EP.

“It’s fantastic. I come from the Noel Gallagher and Coldplay era so I guess it sounds like that. As you get a wee bit older your music gets more mature so it’s a more melodic approach.

“It was the first time writing on my own so it was a big challenge. One of the tracks is acoustic and the other three are more of a full band sound.”

Howden Sound Studios are run by Napier University graduate Andrew Howden, whose aim is to have musicians and artists on a budget get their music recorded professionally with as much or as little creative input as they like.

Now his EP has been released, Duncan says he plans to start gigging in January and release a new single shortly after.

He added: “I’m realistic. It’s my first time doing it. It’s really just to get the stable of songs out there for people to hear.

“It’s very much the launch of my solo career. It’s going to challenge me to prove to myself to see if can do it or not on my own.

“There is quite a lot of music happening in Midlothian which doesn’t get the profile it deserves.” Power of Suggestion has now been released on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play.