Buzzin Music

The Boy Who Trapped The Sun

As a teenager the boy Colin MacLeod made a name for himself in his hometown on the Isle of Lewis, a windswept outcrop of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, fronting the trash-y agit-punk band Sign Red.

Having worked on the Island as an oil delivery driver and teaching fly fishing, MacLeod found on listening to Bob Dylan’s Masters Of War that music needn’t be loud to be powerful.

Intrigued, Macleod invented the persona, The Boy Who Trapped The Sun and headed to London with a fistful of country/folk songs with the intention of building a solo career.

Now 25 year old Colin MacLeod alias The Boy Who Trapped The Sun is set to unleash himself on an unsuspecting public with the wonderful single Katy, as an introduction to his album Fireplace.

Katy is probably the most upbeat song from the album, an incredibly catchy paean to avoiding commitment. It is pretty much impossible not to like the single which is released on July 5th.

Following a week later on July 12th, the album Fireplace will be released with MacLeod playing all the instruments bar the strings himself.

Hazy opener ‘Golden’ sets the scene, with MacLeod gently drawing the listener into his world. Title track ‘Fireplace’ was written when MacLeod was housebound for four days as a fierce storm battered Lewis, while the loose, bluesy ‘Home’ was written in London, about being displaced in the big city – “This city’s not a home, but it’s somewhere to get lost.”

‘Walking In The Dark’ is an achingly pretty piano-led track, while the waltz-y, wry ‘Dreaming Like A Fool’ is the tale of ex-girlfriend who tried to stab MacLeod. “Lately it feels like we’re drifting apart, It could be because you’re insane.”

Riding on a dream-like descending riff ‘Copper Down’ features exquisite harmonies and a deft, mid-song change of pace. The final track is the haunting, beautifully arranged ‘Antique Cobweb’. There follows the hidden spoken-word outro ‘Poem’, its second verse in Gaelic, wonderfully evocative of the Isle of Lewis and the sea that defines it. ‘Fireplace’ is a beautifully realised debut from an authentic new talent.

The Boy Who Trapped The Sun – Katy

MacLeod is a busy boy out on the road, catch at the following venues:

21 Jun 2010      20:00
Bodega with Alan Pownall and Lissie     Nottingham
22 Jun 2010     19:00
Glee Club with Alan Pownall & Lissie     Birmingham
23 Jun 2010     20:00
Bush Hall with Alan Pownall & Lissie     London
29 Jun 2010     18:00
Serpentine Sessions with Patti Smith     London
10 Jul 2010     20:00
T In The Park     Balado,
13 Jul 2010     20:00
The Borderline     London,
18 Jul 2010     18:00
Larmar Tree     nr Blandford, Southwest
19 Jul 2010     21:00
King Tuts Wah Wah Hut     Glasgow,
23 Jul 2010     20:00
The Living Room Tent @ The Secret Garden Party     Near Huntingdon
1 Aug 2010     18:00
Camp Bestival     Lulworth, Southwest
6 Aug 2010     18:00
Belladrum Festival     Nr Inverness,
7 Aug 2010     18:00
Newquay Boardmasters     Newquay, Southwest
28 Aug 2010     20:00
Supporting Pheonix @ The Picturehouse     Edinburgh, Scotland
11 Sep 2010     18:00
Bestival     nr Arreton, South
16 Sep 2010     8:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ Sound Control     Manchester
17 Sep 2010     20:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ Rescue Rooms     Nottingham
19 Sep 2010     20:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ Thekla     Bristol
20 Sep 2010     20:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ Pheonix     Exeter
21 Sep 2010     20:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ O2 Shepherd Bush Empire     London
22 Sep 2010     20:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ Komedia     Brighton
24 Sep 2010     20:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ Academy 2     Oxford
25 Sep 2010     20:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ HMV Institute     Birmingham
27 Sep 2010     20:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ Brudenell     Leeds
28 Sep 2010     20:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ The Sage     Gateshead
29 Sep 2010     20:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ Bongo Club     Edingburgh
30 Sep 2010     20:00
Supporting Fyfe Dangerfield @ Oran Mor     Glasgow