Drag City’s man in Scotland Alasdair Roberts has partnered once more with Scottish Gaelic singer Màiri Morrison — a native of the Isle of Lewis — for their second collaborative LP, Remembered in Exile. Ahead of the album’s April 25 release, the two have a new single/video to share: “The Bonny House of Airlie”.
Paired with Pete Johnson’s Canadian all-star band, Alasdair sings lead and Màiri takes the harmony on “The Bonny House of Airlie”. The track’s slashing rhythm arrangement and roiling acoustic bassline embody the tragedy of the sacking and burning of the Earl of Airlie’s castle and the murder of his family, at a time of great political and religious turmoil in Scotland (also the topic of the ballad “Young Airly”, previously sung by Alasdair). The music video was assembled by Colin Medley, from photos of the crew’s trip to Nova Scotia — where Remembered in Exile was recorded with bassist/arranger Pete Johnston and an ensemble of Canadian musicians.
Remembered in Exile sees Alasdair, Màiri and Pete crafting new arrangements of traditional Scottish songs pulled from the pioneering work of folklorist Helen Creighton (1899-1989), who undertook extensive musical and ethnographic fieldwork in Maritime Canada. They breathe vigorous new life into a varied selection of material, encompassing both lowland ballads and Highland Gaelic songs, all of which were carried over the water to Canada in various waves of migration spanning several centuries. Be it all remembered — Remembered in Exile — on April 25, 2025.
