Rising Aberdeen musician Stephen Mackintosh releases lockdown inspired EP

Aberdeen musician Stephen Mackintosh performing at the Bridge Street Social Club.

A rising Aberdeen singer-songwriter has released a debut EP inspired by the isolation of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Stephen Mackintosh’s five-track release Lost and Found Recordings is out now and available on all download platforms.

The 25-year-old’s emotionally stark and honest release announces a fresh new voice in the Scottish music scene.

Having played live across the Granite City for years Stephen revealed the isolation amidst the pandemic was the catalyst for finally recording his music.

He said: “I feel I wouldn’t have released an EP if it weren’t for the lockdown.

“Lockdown was the reason why I recorded the songs and also the push to do it.

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say it is a concept album but it is a document of my experience of lockdown.

“Friends and family are a big part of my live and not seeing them was really tough.

“It has also been difficult not being able to socialise or play gigs.

“I am quite an extrovert so feeling so isolated and alone throughout lockdown is so difficult.

“The second wave seemed to be a lot heavier.

“I think we were all expecting it to be over by this point so the fact it is still going makes it worse.

“That’s why I felt this EP was a good way to let all that emotion out.”

Aberdeen musician Stephen Mackintosh’s recently released EP Lost and Found Recordings

Lost and Found Recordings intentionally has a lo-fi feel and is reminiscent of the emotional rawness of Daniel Johnston, Jeff Buckley, Elliot Smith and Mark Linkous.

I tried to make the whole EP sound raw to amplify how I felt.

“I took a lot of inspiration from old cassette tapes my dad had.

“When you listen to a tape it gets worn down the more you listen to it.

“I went for that sound on the EP.”

Stephen Mackintosh

The album cover consists of a photograph of Stephen as a child and the production also harks back to an earlier era.

Stephen deliberately tried to reproduce the sound of an aged cassette, worn down by years of replays.

He said: “I tried to make the whole EP sound raw to amplify how I felt.

“I took a lot of inspiration from old cassette tapes my dad had.

“When you listen to a tape it gets worn down the more you listen to it.

“I went for that sound on the EP.”

Stephen grew up in the city’s Bridge of Don area although his family were originally from Conon Bridge in the Highlands.

Reflections on life in lockdown

He regularly performed at popular city venues such as Cafe Drummonds and Bridge Street Social Club.

It was when that regular gigging experience and the connection with audiences was taken away last March by the lockdown that he turned to writing and recording.

He said: “I have been playing for the last few years in venues throughout Aberdeen.

“Over lockdown I decided to write a few songs to show how I felt about what life was like in isolation.

“They were a couple of demo songs and then I edited them.”

One of the tracks on the EP is Inside Out, a stripped-down, haunting exploration of isolation during lockdown.

Influenced by Jeff Buckley release

There have been numerous inspirations in his song-writing including the late Jeff Buckley.

One record in particular by Buckley, who died tragically in a drowning accident in 1997 at the age of just 30, is posthumous album You and I.

Released five years ago it is a compilation of Buckley’s early tracks for Columbia Records.

It includes the first ever studio recording of Grace, the title song of his ground-breaking debut album.

Aberdeen musician Stephen Mackintosh performing

Stephen said: “I have a lot of inspiration from different places which all came together.

“For me the main people who inspired me for this EP were Ben Howard, Tears for Fears, David Bowie and Jeff Buckley.

“All those artists tied together made my own unique style of music.

“There is also an album Buckley released after he died which was an inspiration, with all the demos called You and I.

“It is a really rough recording which is basically just him in a recording booth and singing into a microphone.

“I wanted to capture that raw emotion he had when he sung and expressed himself.”

Live music comes to a grinding halt

Stephen was part of an Aberdeen music scene that was thriving with exciting new acts and vibrant venues.

Then overnight it all came to a grinding halt as everything stopped with the coronavirus lockdown.

There have been no live concerts in the Granite City since the first lockdown last March.

That is almost a year without revenue for the venues – and the artists.

The music scene in Aberdeen took a big hit during lockdown.

“It is sad to see it deteriorate and there are some venues I fear will not open up again.

“I imagine it will be quite difficult to recover from.

“However if we all stick together and push forward we should be okay.”

Stephen Mackintosh

Although the roll-out of the vaccine brings some hope of a return of live music the capacity for venues to host shows with similar numbers prior to lockdown still seems a long way away.

He fears some much loved venues fundamental to the development of city musicians may never return.

Stephen believes unity, at the heart of the success of the music scene before and during lockdown, will be key to its survival.

He said: “The music scene in Aberdeen took a big hit during lockdown.

“It is sad to see it deteriorate and there are some venues I fear will not open up again.

“I imagine it will be quite difficult to recover from.

“However if we all stick together and push forward we should be okay.”