“I’m really fortunate to have done so much with my music at such a young age.”
Gill Sherry
Raised in Fort William and brought up to the sound of Scottish and Irish folk music, it was perhaps inevitable that Calum MacPhail would go on to enjoy a career in traditional music himself. But why choose the accordion?
“I started the accordion when I was seven. I remember seeing it on TV, and my dad was a Scottish folk musician, so I was surrounded by that sort of music. I remember asking my mum for one and Santa delivered later that year.”
At the age of nine, he moved to Inverness where the opportunity arose to play alongside a local Scottish band.
“They told me to come along, and I ended up playing at their gigs every Saturday and Sunday in a wee bar in Inverness. I would just play loads of tunes in their break. It was good because I learned to play a lot of top tunes and get a feel for crowd reactions.”
Licensing laws eventually put a stop to these live performances, but the young Calum MacPhail was not to be put off. At the age of 15 he teamed up with one of his pals, Sean Cousins, and together with a young lady who played the bagpipes, Hannah Macrae, formed a folk band called Hò-rò.
“When I was 16, I was lucky enough to tour Italy, France and Germany. I was on the road for about ten years… and the trio turned into a six-piece band. We recorded three albums and toured China as well. I’m really fortunate to have done so much with my music at such a young age.”
What he fails to mention is that Hò-rò won the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards Up & Coming Band of the Year in 2017.
More recently, he’s been enjoying a solo career, dipping his toes into the Scottish and Irish country scene, and releasing his debut album At Last in 2023. He followed this up with his second album, Highlands to Heartlands, in 2025.
“It’s like a Celtic-country-pop sound… loads of different genres and different projects that I’ve done over the years. I’m loving what I’m doing now. It’s good fun and it gets the crowd going.”
Speaking of which, Calum’s brand-new tour kicked off in Edinburgh on 5th March and includes a date at The Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow on 22nd May.
“It’s an incredible venue,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to playing that one. Expect a good Highland night of craic, songs and dance. We go from my own songs to fast-paced tunes, to well-known singalong songs, so I can guarantee you’ll be singing along!”
Although he does write his own songs, he admits that songwriting still feels quite new to him.
“I don’t really see myself as a songwriter. I don’t write every day. I just write about something if I feel there’s a need to, essentially.”
What about influences? Is there someone who has inspired him with his music and songwriting?
“My dad was obviously a big icon in my life. And I watched a Nathan Carter show in 2021 which opened my mind up to doing something a wee bit different and rolling with it to see where it goes.
“For the accordion music, there’s a guy, Gary Innes… he was the first person to get me up on stage. I was about seven and I remember him holding the accordion onto me because it was so big! I played a couple of tunes in a pub called Tradewinds in Fort William. Everyone started chucking money in a pint glass. I think I walked away with about £85! That was my first income from a gig, so Gary had a huge impact on me.”
Forming friendships in Ireland has also resulted in various influences when it comes to his music which he now describes as “hybrid” and combines Celtic music with country-pop.
I must admit, I’m looking forward to hearing him perform live with his band in May. Bearing in mind how quickly his Inverness gig sold out, I feel fortunate to already have my tickets.
“My Inverness show last year was my first sell-out in The Empire. I don’t think that feeling is ever going to be topped. But it sold out really quickly again this year – 600 people!”
Next stop, the Hydro?
“I think that’s on everyone’s bucket list,” he admits. “I’d like to get there one day, maybe not as a headline show but part of another show. I’ve been lucky to play in loads of cool venues and big venues. We played the Barrowlands but I’d love to do a headline show at the Barras.”
We chat a wee bit more about his upcoming tour before the conversation switches to another of his passions.
“I grew up playing shinty. I ended up stopping when I was about 18 because I was scared of breaking my fingers!”
Yes… not ideal for an accordion player. He still loves the sport, though, and even released a cover of Runrig’s ‘Clash of the Ash’, an unofficial anthem of the sport. He also brought out his own shinty shirt which sells really well.
“It’s lovely to see the crowds bouncing about with them on,” he says.
You can purchase the shirts from Calum’s own website along with tour tickets and both of his albums. Or how about a beanie hat?
www.calummacphail.com
