Keir Gibson
Fort William meets LA in his new self-produced collection
Weak Ties EP
March 1st 2024
“Finally releasing songs that I’ve been working on quietly for the past couple years feels so exciting,” says Keir Gibson, on the eve of the release of his stunning new EP ‘Weak Ties’.
The five-song collection marks the culmination of a period of reinvention for this talented Scottish singer and songwriter, during which he’s reimagined how to work as an independent musician.
“I’ve never been more proud of music that I’ve made than I am of these songs,” he continues. “I made this EP with some of my closest friends in music that I really look up to and admire and it’s also the first batch of songs that I have produced myself. Before the pandemic, I’d been working with producers in London and I didn’t even know how to record my own vocal let alone produce a track. Suddenly I was back home in the Highlands and I had no choice but to work it out for myself. Since then, I’ve thrown myself into learning production to try and become self-sufficient and it’s changed me so much. I feel like I’ve slowly found the direction I want my music to go in with these songs and there have been times where I never thought that would happen.”
Largely written in LA with a group of creative friends Keir first met post-lockdown through TikTok, and produced back home in Fort William, the EP features brand new songs ‘Weak Ties’ and ‘Brave/Break’ alongside his 2023 releases, ‘When Nobody’s Left’, ‘As Lost As Me’ and ‘Kill You In My Mind’.
“Making some of these songs in LA then finishing them off at home in the Scottish Highlands has been an incredible experience and I feel so grateful for it. When I’m over there I stay with one of my friends in this big house with other writers and producers and every day there’s something going on. We’re working out of someone’s bedroom, but we feel like we could write the best song ever that day. It’s very inspiring.”
There’s a Californian warmth and airiness to the sound of the EP, with a lyrical rawness which points to the deeper well of Keir’s emotive songwriting.
“The over-arching theme of these songs is loss and the different forms it can come in,” Keir explains. ”People you’ve lost continuing to show up in various ways, losing your stability and comfort when a relationship ends, the risk of losing people close to you when you lose sight of what’s really important.
Support slots with artists as diverse as Clean Bandit, Calum Bowie and Skippinish (at the legendary Barrowland Ballroom) have seen new fans connect with the songs in the way Keir has hoped for. “This EP marks the start of me finding my feet musically and I want people to feel something hopeful from this music, that it can serve as a comfort blanket for anything that they might be going through. For me, that’s the ultimate pay off.”
Keir plays two Scottish headline shows in March:
Friday 15th – Glasgow, Poetry Club
Saturday 16th – Inverness, Tooth & Claw
Remaining tickets: https://www.gigsinscotland.com/artist/keir-gibson
