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How UHI is helping Awkward Family Portraits member learn everything he needs to know

Awkward Family Portrait
Awkward Family Portrait

They are the next biggest band to hit the airwaves with a funky retro 1950s and 60s feel.

But one band member is learning all the latest techniques thanks to a course with the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) in Stornoway.

Andrew Herrington, the double bass player with Awkward Family Portraits, who are signed to indie label Holy Smokes Records, studies on the BA in Applied Music and spends a few weeks every year on Lewis.

Andrew Herrington, the double bass player with Awkward Family Portraits who studies on the UHI BA in Applied Music. Photo: Sedona May

The band, who got together in 2016, have already headlined at Belladrum in the Highlands and have caught the attention of Radio Two’s Jo Wiley, say they want to bring a modern twist to “old fashioned good music values”.

The band describes itself as a mixture of  Western Swing, Country, Folk, Americana, Rockabilly, Gypsy Jazz not to mention Rhythm and Blues and includes Julen Santamaria, Timmy Allan, Andrew Herrington, Chris Dickie and Roo Geddes

Mr Herrington said the music course with the UHI is the real foundation he needs for getting into the music business.

He said: “We all want to make it in the music business and we are busy with gigs all over Glasgow and Belladrum was such a good experience for us.

“But I think we all know that it can be a very precarious industry to be involved in – and that is why I also study on the distance learning applied music course.

“It gives me the foundation of the music business that I will need,  if we are to sustain ourselves as a band.

“And being in Stornoway is a really good place to learn. There are so many different styles of musicians on the course.

“Not all traditional musicians at all, but we all have the same purpose and that is to make great Scottish music and to get our music out there.”

The bands latest single, Ring, Ring Angus is all about one of the band’s friends who never answers his mobile phone.

The BA in Applied Music has a number of week-long residential elements in Stornoway, and is designed to develop skills in performance, education, recording, creative production, business, enterprise, networking and communication which will help you access opportunities nationally, in Europe and the USA.