Album for new Ballad Lines musical sets release date – with preview EP out now

A concept album of new Scottish folk musical Ballad Lines will be released on 12 September.

Ballad Lines is conceived by Finn Anderson and director Tania Azevedo. It weaves new writing with traditional Scottish, Irish and Appalachian ballads. It follows Sarah, who reconnects with her family’s folk traditions, tracing a story through three women living across different centuries and continents.

A teaser EP of four tracks has dropped today, followed by a single, “Queen Among The Heather”, on 29 August. A concert launch for the album will take place at Cottiers in Glasgow on 15 September.

The album brings together performers including award winner Rebecca Trehearn, Kirsty Findlay, Dylan Wood, Danielle Fiamanya, Frances McNamee, Amber Sylvia Edwards, Owen Johnston and Parisa Shahmir. They are joined by guest artists Kim Carnie, Kaia Kater, Siobhan Miller and Beth Malcom.

The musicians include Anna Massie, Laura Wilkie, Jenny Clifford, Charlotte Printer and Signy Jakobsdottir.

The musical began development in 2014 with support from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Northwestern’s American Music Theatre Project. It premiered at Macrobert Arts Centre in 2023 under its previous title, A Mother’s Song.

The album is co-produced by David Macfarlane with Ru Lemer and Kevin Burleigh and is mastered by Lauren Gilmour at Novasound. The project is supported by Creative Scotland, Aria Entertainment and KT Producing.