Edinburgh band Black Cat Bone set to release new album mixed by legendary Oasis producer Owen Morris
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Edinburgh band Black Cat Bone are gearing up for the release of their new album on March 1, their first release through Assai Records, with tickets now on sale for their hometown album launch gig.
'Tales of the Amplified' is being released via the Edinburgh-based record label in just over a couple of weeks, with an album launch gig taking place at La Belle Angele in the Cowgate on Saturday, April 6.
The bluesy indie rockers were delighted to work on their second album with legendary producer Owen Morris, who produced the first three Oasis albums and also worked with The Verve, The Fratellis, Ash and The View.
Black Cat Bone singer Ross Craig, 38, who went to Boroughmuir High School and grew up in Buckstone, was delighted to get the Welsh legend's help on the album.
He said: "We have known Owen for quite a while through another band. He attended a few of our gigs a few years back and we kept in touch, he has always liked the BCB sound and what we do. "He invited us to go to a Tom Petty gig in London, so we went down there with backstage tickets, sitting next to the likes of Stevie Nicks, it was surreal!
"Our relationship with Owen has blossomed now, we get on really well. But he lives in Costa Rica now so we don't seem him very often.
"I told him we were writing this album so he said he would mix and master it for us, which is very cool. And it was all done very quickly.
"We are delighted with how it sounds, he's done an amazing job. Having him work his magic on our new album was a dream come true, his approach was exactly what our sound required and he has made the songs sound massive . "After that, Assai Records contacted us wanting to put the album out, so everything just fell into place very nicely. They were very keen to get on board and release it."
Speaking about the album launch show at the 600-capacity La Belle Angele on April 6, Ross added: "It's going to be our biggest show to date. So we are very keen to get on stage that night.
"We normally play our Edinburgh shows at the Voodoo Rooms, it's kind of become our home, so playing La Belle is a leap forward."
Ross is joined in the Edinburgh-based band by Irish guitarist Jamie Beaton, 32, drummer Kai Wallace, 39, from Dunbar and bass player Ewan Mackenna 41, from Plockton.
Speaking about the band's history and how they got their name, Ross said: "We started about 10 years ago, with the first few years just playing pubs. This is our second album now. Our first one was out in 2015. So there's been a wee bit of a gap.
"Back in the day hoodoo practitioners would find a black cat, boil it and then throw the bones in the river. The bone that floated to the to the top of the water was named the Black Cat Bone, which was supposed to give the wearer positive effects, good luck, protection, rebirth after death and romantic success.
"The line-up has changed. We started off as an acoustic stripped-back blues band, then went full band in 2017, making us obviously more rocky.
"Our first album was just us recording 10 tracks in three days, without mixing or mastering it, as we were still learning.
"So it's very different this time, with full production and promotion. We also did a proper video for the first single from the album and we are doing another one for the album.
"There are not many bands that sound like us. It's hard to finger point to what we are. It's definitely rock-orientated, but it's quite dirty and groovy. Always with an element of blues in there.
"Some people say we sound like The Rolling Stones, which we'll take every day! We just want to be well known in Scotland after this album is released and then tour down south."
'Tales of the Amplified' is released on March 1, and is available for pre-order now on vinyl and CD from Assai Records.