HebCelt Q&A: Keith Morrison of Face the West
How did the idea to create Face the West come about?
Face The West was started 10 years ago in the music blocks of our school. We were all friends and needed an excuse to hang out at each other's houses so out of boredom we started a band. Some members played traditional instruments such as the accordion and fiddle so we naturally became a Celtic band. Many line up changes and gigs later, the sound of the band has fully matured into something unique and up to date. The island does not have many distractions and we have being doing nothing apart from honing our skills. The last two years has seen a big push to get Face the West sounding right and noticed. Two CD launches later and I think we may be getting somewhere.
What can the festival audience expect from Face the West and friends?
The sound of Face the West has been tailored for stages such as the HebCeltFest. Powerful drums, deep bass lines, synths and keyboards provide the sound for the backing while traditional lead instruments get people's hearts racing and feet tapping. Face the West are a young band with the average age being only 20 years old. You will definitely not fail to notice the enthusiasm and sheer eagerness to perform, which transforms itself to smiling faces and bopping heads from the crowd. Perfect for people who like feeling their heart beating and hairs standing up on the back of their neck.
For one night only we will be inviting our friends who are from the island who are also gifted successful musicians to join us on the stage. It will be like a showcase for the best of the best musicians from the Island.
Are you looking forward to playing in the 'Big Blue'?
This has been the biggest inspiration of the band since we stared playing music. The HebCeltFest was the first professional concert that any of us had ever experienced. We are delighted to be a part of it and still cannot believe that things are going so well.
Do you have any special memories of the festival yourself?
For me personally one of the best memories of my whole life was watching Martyn Bennett. To this day he continues to be my biggest influence and I'm still pinching myself to see if playing on the same stage, as he once did, is just a dream. I hope I manage to inspire someone in the audience like he did me that day. I honestly can say that I would not be the musician that I am without Martyn and the Hebridean Celtic Festival.
Tell us about the new album?
The new album is called "The Wishing Stone". It was a magical place that I was taken to when we were on tour on Tory Island just off Donegal in Ireland. It's a no holds barred take on Celtic music which is not designed to break down barriers, but just invite people from many different musical genre preferences to enjoy it. We are very proud of it and the feedback from it is much better than we could have ever imagined!
Where can we find out more about Face the West?
To find out more check out
http://www.facethewest.co.uk
and our social networking sites:
bebo: http://www.bebo.com/Facethewest
myspace: http://www.myspace.com/facethewest
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