John McCusker

Scottish folk musician

For the professor of history and of economics, see John J. McCusker.

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John McCusker

McCusker during the Festival Interceltique de Lorient in 2012

Background information
Born|  (1973-05-15) 15 May 1973 (age 51)
Bellshill, Scotland
Genres| Folk rock, folk, Alternative country, Rock and roll
Occupation(s)| Musician
Producer
Composer
Musical Arranger
Instrument(s)| Violin, tin whistle, cittern, guitar
Website| johnmccusker.co.uk

Musical artist

John McCusker (born 15 May 1973) is a Scottish folk musician, record producer, and composer. In the 1990s, he was a longtime member of Battlefield Band and later became a band member and producer for folk singer, Kate Rusby.[1] He has worked as producer and arranger for various artists and has also released several solo albums.

## Career

[edit]

McCusker was born in Bellshill, Scotland on May 15, 1973. He had an Irish mother who encouraged him to learn to play the fiddle, beginning at age seven. He became a regular participant in local youth orchestras and cèilidh bands and formed the band Parcel O'Rogues (named from Robert Burns' Sic a Parcel o' Rogues in a Nation) with some schoolmates when he was 14. A couple of years later, he gave up a place at the Royal Scottish Academy in Glasgow to tour with Battlefield Band, whom he spent eleven years with.[2] His first solo album was released by Temple in 1995.[3]

McCusker has also performed on albums by Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller, Teenage Fanclub, Danny Thompson, Eddi Reader, Tim O'Brien, Linda Thompson, and GiveWay. He has shared stages with Bonnie Raitt, Patti Smith, Steve Earle, Rosanne Cash, Paolo Nutini, and Jools Holland.

McCusker was also a producer for folk singer Kate Rusby, whom he married in August 2001. They divorced in 2006.[4]

After a 6-month world tour with Mark Knopfler, McCusker released a new record along with Orcadian singer Kris Drever and Idlewild front man Roddy Woomble. The album Before the Ruin was released in September 2008 and featured members of Teenage Fanclub, Radiohead, Michael McGoldrick, and Heidi Talbot.

In 2007, McCusker was jointly commissioned by the Celtic Connections festival and Cambridge Folk Festival to compose Under One Sky, uniting Scottish and English musicians of different genres, from Gaelic singer, Julie Fowlis to ex-Blur guitarist, Graham Coxon. He toured to support Under One Sky in the UK in November and December 2008.

After bassist Mike McNamara introduced John and Simon Fowler of Ocean Color Scene to each other, Fowler subsequently presented him with the BBC Radio 2 folk musician of the year award in 2003.[5] McCusker has appeared live with the Birmingham band numerous of times, and in 2012 he appeared on Fowler's Merry mouth album, joining the band on their UK tour.[6]

In 2014, McCusker appeared on Wenlock Hill, the new album by Simon Fowler's solo project, now called 'Merry mouth'. The album featured a guest appearance from Chas Hodges from Chas and Dave[7]

## Discography

[edit]

### Solo albums

[edit]

* John McCusker (1995)
* Yella Hoose (2001)
* Goodnight Ginger (2004)
* Before the Ruin (2008) (with Roddy Woomble and Kris Drever)
* Under One Sky (2009) (with Under One Sky tour artists)
* Hello, Goodbye (2016)[8]

### As producer

[edit]

* Kate Rusby and Kathryn Roberts – Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts (1995)
* Kate Rusby – Hourglass (1997)
* Kate Rusby – Sleepless (1999)
* Cathie Ryan – Somewhere Along the Road (2001)
* Kate Rusby – Little Lights (2001)
* Kate Rusby – 10 (2002)
* Blazin' Fiddles – The Old Style (2002)
* Kate Rusby – Underneath the Stars (2003)
* Cathie Ryan – The Farthest Wave (2005)
* Kate Rusby – The Girl Who Couldn't Fly (2005)
* Roddy Woomble – My Secret is My Silence (2006)
* Kris Drever – Black Water (2006)
* Eddi Reader – Peacetime (2007)
* Drever, McCusker, Woomble – Before the Ruin (2008)
* Under One Sky – Under One Sky (2009)
* Kris Drever – Mark the Hard Earth (2010)

### Other appearances

[edit]

* Ballad of the Broken Seas – Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell (2006)
* Ballads of the Book – Idlewild's "The Weight of Years" (2007)
* This Is What Makes Us – Foxface (2007)
* 22 Dreams – Paul Weller (2008)
* Kill to Get Crimson – Mark Knopfler (2008)
* In Love and Light – Heidi Talbot (2008)
* Hold Your Horses – Ella Edmondson (2009)
* Love is the Way – Eddi Reader (2009)
* Post Electric Blues – Idlewild (2009)
* Get Lucky – Mark Knopfler (2009)
* Bretonne \- Nolwenn Leroy (2010)
* Transatlantic Sessions 5 (2010) – (directed by Jerry Douglas and Aly Bain)
* Merrymouth – Simon Fowler (2012)
* Live (with Michael McGoldrick & John Doyle, 2009 tour) – Vertical Records (2012)
* Privateering – Mark Knopfler (2012)
* Suitcase – Jennifer Byrne (2013)
* Wenlock Hill – Merrymouth (2014)
* Tracker – Mark Knopfler (2015)
* The Art of Forgetting – Kyle Carey (2018)
* The Wishing Tree (with Michael McGoldrick & John Doyle) - Under One Sky Records (2018)
* Down the Road Wherever \- Mark Knopfler (2018)
* Flat Earth Society (fiddle on Doris, low whistle on Come Winter, He'll Be Gone, tin whistle on Peacock Blues) - West of Eden (2019)
* Yes, I Have Ghosts \- David Gilmour (2020)
* One Deep River \- Mark Knopfler (2024)

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

### Awards won

[edit]

* BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016 - Good Tradition Award[9]
* Spirit of Scotland Award for Music 2009[10]
* BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards 2003 – Musician of the Year[5]
* Spirit of Scotland Award for Music 2000

### Nominations

[edit]

* BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2010[11]
* Best Instrumentalist Ireland's Music Awards 2009
* BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2009
* Composer of the Year Scots Trad Music Awards 2007
* BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2008
* BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2007

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "John McCusker & Friends". Glee. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
2. ^ "About | John McCusker". Johnmccusker.co.uk.
3. ^ Gilchrist, Jim, Arbitrary Boundaries, in Ross, Raymond (ed.), Cencrastus No. 52, Summer 1995, pp. 35 & 36, ISSN 0264-0856
4. ^ "Kate Rusby – Wyvern Theatre, Swindon". Morethanthemusic.co.uk. 24 April 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
5. ^ a b "BBC - Radio 2 - Radio 2 Folk Awards". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
6. ^ "Simon Fowler's Merrymouth – This Is Soundcheck". 20 February 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
7. ^ "Wenlock Hill by Merrymouth". Brightyoungfolk.com. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
8. ^ "About | John McCusker". Retrieved 11 November 2024.
9. ^ "BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016 - The Winners". KLOF Mag. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
10. ^ "Susan Boyle wins Top Scot award at Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards". The Scotsman. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
11. ^ "BBC - Radio 2 -Folk Awards 2010 - Nominees". Bbc.co.uk.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

Wikimedia Commons has media related to John McCusker.

* v
* t
* e

Mark Knopfler

Studio albums|

* Golden Heart
* Sailing to Philadelphia
* The Ragpicker's Dream
* Shangri-La
* Kill to Get Crimson
* Get Lucky
* Privateering
* Tracker
* Down the Road Wherever
* One Deep River

Soundtracks|

* Local Hero
* Cal
* Comfort and Joy
* The Princess Bride
* Last Exit to Brooklyn
* Wag the Dog
* Metroland
* A Shot at Glory
* Altamira (with Evelyn Glennie)

Collaborations|

* Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time (with the Notting Hillbillies)
* Neck and Neck (with Chet Atkins)
* All the Roadrunning (with Emmylou Harris)
* Real Live Roadrunning (with Emmylou Harris)

Compilations|

* Screenplaying
* Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler

Extended plays|

* The Trawlerman's Song
* One Take Radio Sessions

Singles|

* "Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero"
* "Darling Pretty"
* "Cannibals"
* "What It Is"
* "Why Aye Man"
* "Boom, Like That"

Other songs|

* "Are We in Trouble Now"
* "Irish Boy"
* "Piper to the End"

Videography|

* A Night in London
* Real Live Roadrunning (with Emmylou Harris)

Musicals|

* Local Hero

Band personnel|

* Richard Bennett
* Jim Cox
* Chad Cromwell
* Danny Cummings
* Phil Cunningham
* Stuart Duncan
* Guy Fletcher
* Paul Franklin
* Mike Henderson
* John McCusker
* Michael McGoldrick
* Tim O'Brien
* Matt Rollings
* Ian Thomas
* Geraint Watkins
* Glenn Worf

Tours|

* Bob Dylan Tour with Mark Knopfler 2012
* Down the Road Wherever Tour

Related articles|

* Mark Knopfler discography
* Brewers Droop
* Dire Straits
* The Notting Hillbillies
* British Grove Studios

* v
* t
* e

Kate Rusby

* Discography

Studio albums|

* Hourglass
* Sleepless
* Little Lights
* Underneath the Stars
* The Girl Who Couldn't Fly
* Awkward Annie
* Make the Light
* Ghost
* Life in a Paper Boat
* Philosophers, Poets & Kings
* Hand Me Down

Christmas albums|

* Sweet Bells
* While Mortals Sleep
* The Frost Is All Over
* Angels and Men
* Holly Head
* Light Years

Anniversary albums|

* 10
* 20
* 30: Happy Returns

Other albums|

* Heartlands

DVDs|

* Live from Leeds
* Live at Christmas

Other|

* The Poozies

* v
* t
* e

Battlefield Band

* Sean O'Donnell
* Alasdair White
* Mike Katz

* Alan Reid
* Brian McNeill
* John McCusker
* Davy Steele
* Karine Polwart
* Ewen Henderson

Studio albums|

* Farewell to Nova Scotia (1976)
* Wae's me for Prince Charlie (1978)
* Home Is Where the Van Is (1980)
* Quiet Days (1992)
* Threads (1995)
* Rain, Hail or Shine (1998)
* Leaving Friday Harbor (1999)
* Happy Daze (2001)
* Time and Tide (2002)
* Out for the Night (2004)
* The Road of Tears (2006)
* Room Enough for All (2013)
* Beg & Borrow (2015)

Live albums|

* Across the Borders (1997)
* Live Celtic Folk Music (1998)

Compilations|

* After Hours: Forward to Scotland's Past (1987)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Italy
* Czech Republic

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

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