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April/May 2002 PSYBT.org.uk

Bands Highland fusion makes for a heady brew on the global music scene.

Not content with trying to take the Scottish music scene by storm, a Highland based band has also set its sights on the US and eventually the world.
But although given to grand ideas, Croft No. Five do actually have genuine reason to believe they could be a smash hit on America as they have just been offered the chance to go to New York.
Gaining a reputation as a high energy live act, with shades of folk, jazz and funk in their fusion of sounds, Croft No. Five have been invited to take part in dstilled: Live Scotland, a three day cultural showcase that coincides with Tartan Day celebrations on the 6th April.
The invitation - to promote the modern face of Scotland - comes hard on the heels of a knock out performance by the six piece band at Edinburgh's hogmany party, where they wowed an audience of 20'000.
Croft No. Five is so-named not just because of their Highland connection.
"Their is is a social aspect of crofting that appealed to us," explained band member Misha Somerville. " With all this new technology, it should be easier for people to communicate with each other, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Croft represents to us a sense of community. It maybe a symbol of the past, but it should inspire where we are going in the future."
Though the band as a whole is being assisted by the Prince's Scottish Youth business trust, Misha has also received some individual aupport from the charity - receiving funding and advice for his business making musical instruments, particularly whistles.
Not suprisingly, Misha plays whistles in Croft No. Five. His brother, John, plays accordion. A fiddle (Adam Sutherland), bass (Somhairle Macdonald), guitar (Barry Reid) and drums (Paul Jennings) completes the line up. But just don't cal them a folk band - not if you value your life.
Aged between 19 - 21, most of the group have known each other for years, Misha and Somhairle go as far back as pre - school.
Croft No. Five is the outcome of a collective decision to seriously pursue a career in music."It was a big decision: give the music our full attention or have it as a hobby. We had to step up a level. We could no longer be good for our age, we had to be good full stop."
Croft No. Five have a strategy, hence the global ambitions, hence the desire not to be pigeon-holed in the folk music section in music stores.
They are currently building an ambitious website, a task being supported by long-standing e-commerce sponsership package being provided by PSYBT by tele communication giants, BT Scotland. A total of £50,000 is being invested in BT Scotland in young entrepreneurs, which is helping 18 young people set up new, e-commerce-related business's across Scotland. This is the third year of the partnership between PSYBT and BT Scotland.
Thus far, Croft No. Five have already realised one of their dreams with the release of their first album. Attention All Personnel is released on new Edinburgh label, Foot Stompin' records. Featuring the record as album of the week last year the evening tinmes news paper said "The fusion of traditional folk music with dance culture has already been investigated by a number of Scots worthies, such as Martyn Bennett and Tartan Amoebas. Highland sextet, Croft No. Five are the latest in line and make a fine fist of blending deep dance, funk grooves and samples with a surprisingly complimentary range of folk favourites, from accordion to whistles. The end result shows can be abheived with open mind and vivid imaginations. Attention All Personnel also possesses a priceless ' feel good factor '. It is hard not to feel thouroughly entertained."
Misha adds - " I understand when people descibe our music as eclectic, because there are more elements to it than just folk or folk rock. But to me, there is something soft - focus to the word, eclectic. And there is no way our music is soft and easy listening. Ours has a much harder edge to it. It's more in your face."
This year, as well as their appearance lined up in New York, the band is also playing throughout Scotland and much of Europe too, with a booking for a festival in Denmark at the end of August.