Our wee Nashville inthe hills holds a party

Crawfordjohn certainly isn't a sleepy backwater

Instead of being the quiet sleepy rural backwater most think Crawfordjohn is, the truth is very different - and a lot nosier!

In fact, with all the different musical activity that has gone on in that tiny community over recent years, it could well lay claim to the title of Clydesdale’s very own mini-Nashville.

Most of the music eminates from two buildings in the area; well over a decade ago Crawfordjohn became possibly the only Clydesdale village to acquire its own recording studio in the form of The Washhoose (insert picture).

Since then it has been the studio-of-choice for many local bands to come and record their CDs, including The Hems themselves, All The Franklins and Big Squeeze plus solo artists. Not very far away is Crawfordjohn’s very own `Grand Ol’ Opry’, the Village Hall. which, due to imaginative local entrepreneurs like David Lindsay, has staged concerts by acts used to far, far bigger city venues.

Now years of building a reputation as our own little musical capital city in the hills is to be celebrated on record and live on July 25. The Music in Crawfordjohn project’s leading light is former Big Squeeze member Steven Johnstone, who has formed a band of fellow Crawforjohners into folk group Full Circle to record a special CD to celebrate their home village’s musicality.

This will be released on the above date and a special gig by the band and mostly local guests will take place that evening in the Village Hall, starting at 8pm (Tickets £7 adults, £3 kids and free for anyone prepared to get on stage and play). As well as all this, a Music in Crawfordjohn display is being mounted in the former village kirk that is now its Heritage Centre (pictured above); all proceeds from the sale of the new CD will go towards the funds maintaining the centre.

Steven said: “It seemed like a good time to pull together all the musical activitity that has been going on in Crawfordjohn over the years. It’s an amazing amount of music to be produced from such a small community.”

The future reputation of the village’s music also seems in good hands. On the afternoon before the evening gig a Children’s Musical Workshop in being held in the hall, between 2pm and 4pm.