Biography

While much of his repertoire reflects the influence of singer/songwriters including Paul Simon and the late Stan Rogers, Edinburgh-born and Lanarkshire, Scotland-based guitarist and vocalist Robin Laing is at his best interpreting traditional Scottish ballads, fiddle tunes, and the songs of Robert Burns. Folk Tap described Laing as possessing, "a pleasantly melodic voice and a beautifully clear guitar..., a touch of Ralph McTell wi' an accent," while, Folk Roots called him, "a very sincere, likable and polished performer." A part-time musician until September 1996, Laing worked full-time as the director of a major Scottish mental health charity. Despite the demands for his time, he managed to release two memorable albums, Edinburgh Skyline in 1989 and Walking in Time in 1994. He was also involved with the multi-artist projects, The Music and Song of Edinburgh and The Merry Muses. Since turning his complete attention to music, Laing starred in a one-man show, The Angel's Share, which musically explores the joys and troubles of Scotch whiskey. A soundtrack album was released in 1999. In addition to teaching song classes in Lanarkshire, Laing is a member of the New Makars' Trust, a non-profit organization that promotes songwriting in Scotland. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi