St James Quarter Sessions: Celebrating Scottish Artists

The stage atop the shopping centre boasted beautiful views across the city allowing musical lovers to take in the sights of Edinburgh castle, Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill, all while listening to some cracking tunes.

Last month the St James Quarter Sessions were in full swing over in Scotland’s ever busy capital during this festival season.

The stage atop the shopping centre boasted beautiful views across the city allowing musical lovers to take in the sights of Edinburgh castle, Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill, all while listening to some cracking tunes.

Over at Edge, we headed along to have a chat with some of the weekend headliners to get a taste of how they were feeling for the gigs…

How excited are you to be here performing at St James Quarter Sessions?

SHAMBOLICS: “Really excited! We don't come to Edinburgh too much even though it's kind of our own backyard - we’re from just across the water. But it’s a nice view up there do you know what I mean so it's going to be a cool gig”

ZOE GRAHAM: “I'm really excited! I've never played on a rooftop before. It's blowing a hooley up there and I think I might lose my hat, but I think that adds to the risk, the excitement.”

KATHERINE ALY: “It was amazing, I mean the production was great and the crowd was great, and I haven't actually performed in a year so that was quite important for me personally as well as a performer. Everyone has been taking care of us amazingly, so it's been a great experience.”

KATIE GREGSON-MACLEOD: “It was so much fun! Yeah, it was so much fun. I didn't know what to expect, it was lovely turn out and it was like beautifully chaotic and also very calm and peaceful, so it was really lovely actually. I had a good time.”

THE JOSHUA HOTEL: “It was unique. It’s quite an iconic location so that was cool. Outdoor, windy…so windy. At first it felt it took a minute to get into it, I thought, but once we were in, it was good. It’s like walking the dog when it's really windy at the park and you just want to go home after 5 minutes but then after 10-15 minutes you are just chucking the ball and you're loving life.”

NATI: “I am so excited, and I've never done a gig on a roof before. I've never done it just kind of surrounded by the natural wind and rain and whatever Edinburgh has to offer and there's bean bags everywhere! It's not chairs, it’s people on bean bags so there's a kind of comfort, cosy vibe to it so I feel like I'm a sleepover on the roof and there's music so I’m very excited.”

This stage supports emerging Scottish artists – what advice would you give to those younger guys or even your younger selves trying to make it big in the industry?

SHAMBOLICS: “To my younger self it would be to behave myself but to younger bands, just keep pushing it and play every gig you can and make it worthwhile do you know I mean.”

KATIE GREGSON-MACLEOD: “I think mind around it is always changing but the one thing that I find really important is just to not think about the success part too much because that also doesn't really mean the same for anyone.

Nothing that happens will feel any better than the feeling that you get from just writing a song that feels really truthful or playing to a crowd that is really connected and those are the things that I would say to focus on just playing lots of live shows, writing as much as you can and working hard on those things cause those are things that will make you kind of like connected with it forever whereas everything else is quite fickle and that just kind of that will change around you and the landscape will develop but as long as you feel like you're being truthful in yourself, then that’s what really sticks.”

THE JOSHUA HOTEL: “The most fundamental things are just keep making, like don't like don't get too precious about your songs. You might think you've written the best song in the world and your friends might disagree but it's fine just move on to next song. Just keep making, if you are inherently creative person be creative don't expect the world to give you praise from the first thing you do, just keep working and then enjoy the journey.”

NATI: “I would say three things. Be consistent, be honest, and have fun.

So be consistent. Show up every day, rehearse every day, practise, hone your craft whatever it is. It could be singing, acting, dancing, cooking but in the music sense playing guitar anything like that so be consistent show up every single day.

Be honest. Don't try and be someone that you’re not. Don’t go into a song and think this is going to be a number one, just write honestly and have fun because there's no point in doing it if you don't enjoy it.”

Can you describe the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024 in one word?

SHAMBOLICS: “Amazing.”

ZOE GRAHAM: “Chaos.”

KATHERINE ALY: “It is opportunity and it’s fun, sorry that's two words. It’s fun and it’s opportunity and it’s amazing, three words! Sorry.

KATIE GREGSON-MACLEOD: “It is chaotic. It has to be doesn’t it. It’s chaotic.”

THE JOSHUA HOTEL: “Busy.” “Phonetic.” “Colourful.”