John McCusker (born 15 May 1973) is a Scottish folk musician, record producer, and composer. McCusker was a member of the Battlefield Band in the 1990s and worked as a band member and producer for folk singer

Kate Rusby Kate Anna Rusby (born 4 December 1973) is an English folk singer-songwriter from Penistone, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Sometimes called the "Barnsley Nightingale", she has headlined various British folk festivals, and is one of the be ...

. He has produced and arranged music for various artists and has released several solo albums.

Biography

McCusker was born in

Bellshill Bellshill (pronounced "Bells hill") is a town in North Lanarkshire in Scotland, southeast of Glasgow city centre and west of Edinburgh. Other nearby localities are Motherwell to the south, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Hamilton to the south ...

, Scotland, on the 15th of May 1973. At age seven, his Irish mother encouraged him to learn the

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

. He then went on to participate in local youth orchestras and

cèilidh A ( , ) or () is a traditional Scottish and Irish social gathering. In its most basic form, it simply means a social visit. In contemporary usage, it usually involves Dance (event), dancing and playing Gaelic music, Gaelic folk music, eithe ...

bands. At age 14, he formed a band with schoolmates called ''Parcel O'Rogues'', named after

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

' poem ''Sic a Parcel o' Rogues in a Nation''. Two years later, McCusker declined an offer from the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country's national academy of art. It promotes contemporary art, contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy ...

in Glasgow in order to tour with the Battlefield Band, with whom he spent eleven years. His first solo album was released by Temple Records in 1995. McCusker has performed on albums by artists including

Ocean Colour Scene Ocean Colour Scene (often abbreviated to OCS) is an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1989. They have had five top 10 albums, including a number one in 1997. They have also achieved seventeen top 40 singles and six top 10 singles to d ...

Paul Weller John William Weller (born 25 May 1958), better known as Paul Weller, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame in the late 1970s as the guitarist and principal singer and songwriter of the rock band the Jam, alongside ...

Teenage Fanclub Teenage Fanclub are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Glasgow in 1989. The group were founded by Norman Blake (Scottish musician), Norman Blake (vocals, guitar), Raymond McGinley (vocals, lead guitar) and Gerard Love (vocals, bass), al ...

Danny Thompson Daniel Henry Edward Thompson (born 4 April 1939) is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist. He has had a long musical career playing with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson and John Ma ...

Eddi Reader Sadenia "Eddi" Reader Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as the lead vocalist of the Folk music, folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo caree ...

, Tim O'Brien,

Linda Thompson Linda Diane Thompson (born May 23, 1950) is an American songwriter, former actress and beauty pageant winner. Thompson began her acting career as a " Hee Haw Honey" on the American television variety show ''Hee Haw''. She was also a girlfrien ...

, and the folk band GiveWay. He has shared stages with artists such as

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer. Her 1975 debut album '' Horses'' made her an influential member of the New York City-based punk rock movement. Smith has fu ...

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American country, rock, and folk singer-songwriter. He began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Earle's breakthrough album was his 1986 debut album '' ...

Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Cash. Although Cash is often classified as a country artist, her music draws f ...

Paolo Nutini Paolo Giovanni Nutini (born 9 January 1987) is a Scottish singer-songwriter from Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Nutini's debut album, ''These Streets'' (2006), peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Its follow-u ...

, and

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Marc Almond, Jayne County, To ...

. McCusker also worked as a producer for folk singer

, whom he married in August 2001. The couple divorced in 2006. In 2003, after being introduced to

Simon Fowler Simon Geoffrey Fowler (born 25 May 1965) is an English singer, best known as the frontman of Ocean Colour Scene. The Fanatics Simon Fowler commenced his music career as the lead singer and songwriter for Birmingham band The Fanatics, which cons ...

by bassist

Mike McNamara Michael McNamara (born 1949) is an Irish former hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Scariff from the 1960s until the 1980s. McNamara is also a publican and night club owner in Scariff and served as manager ...

, McCusker received the BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year award. In 2007, the

Celtic Connections The Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of trad ...

festival and the

Cambridge Folk Festival The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival, established in 1965, held in the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is known for its eclectic mix ...

jointly commissioned McCusker to compose ''Under One Sky''. This work featured Scottish and English musicians from various genres, including Gaelic singer

Julie Fowlis Julie Fowlis (born 20 June 1979) is a Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic. Early life Fowlis was born and grew up on North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides, in a Gàidhealtachd, Gaelic-s ...

and former Blur guitarist

Graham Coxon Graham Leslie Coxon (born 12 March 1969) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who came to prominence as a founding member of the rock band Blur. As the group's lead guitarist and secondary vocalist, Coxon is featured on all of Blur' ...

. McCusker toured the UK in November and December 2008 in support of ''Under One Sky''. McCusker performed live with the Birmingham-based band Merrymouth and appeared on Simon Fowler's album of the same name in 2012, later joining them on their UK tour. In 2014, McCusker played on ''

Wenlock Hill ''Wenlock Hill'' is the second album by Merrymouth, a folk band featuring Simon Fowler and Dan Sealey from Ocean Colour Scene, and Adam Barry. It was released in May 2014 and entered the UK Official Album Charts at #69. Track listing All s ...

'', the album by Simon Fowler's solo project, now called Merrymouth. The album featured a guest appearance by

Chas Hodges Charles Nicholas Hodges (28 December 1943 – 22 September 2018) was an English musician and singer. He was the lead vocalist, pianist and guitarist of the musical duo Chas & Dave, whose most successful singles include "Rabbit" (1980) and " Ai ...

from

Chas & Dave Chas & Dave (often billed as Chas 'n' Dave) were an English pop rock duo, formed in London by Chas Hodges and Dave Peacock (musician), Dave Peacock. They were most notable as creators and performers of a musical style labelled ''rockney'' (a p ...

Discography

Solo albums

* ''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)

As producer

and

Kathryn Roberts Kathryn Roberts is an English folk singer, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Early career Roberts' first released recordings were on the album ''Intuition'', a collection of songs by various South Yorkshire folk artists which also included h ...

– ''Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts'' (1995) * Kate Rusby – ''

Hourglass An hourglass (or sandglass, sand timer, or sand clock) is a device used to measure the passage of time. It comprises two glass bulbs connected vertically by a narrow neck that allows a regulated flow of a substance (historically sand) from the ...

'' (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) *

– ''

Peacetime Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such a ...

'' (2007) * Drever, McCusker, Woomble – '' Before the Ruin'' (2008) * Under One Sky – '' Under One Sky'' (2009) * Kris Drever – ''Mark the Hard Earth'' (2010)

Other appearances

* ''

Ballad of the Broken Seas ''Ballad of the Broken Seas'' is an album by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, their first collaboration. It made the shortlist for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize and was one of ''NMEs top one hundred albums of the decade. The Mercury nomination ...

'' –

Mark Lanegan Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer and songwriter. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the Stone Age ...

and Isobel Campbell (2006) * '' Ballads of the Book'' – Idlewild's "The Weight of Years" (2007) * '' This Is What Makes Us'' – Foxface (2007) * '' 22 Dreams'' –

(2008) * '' Kill to Get Crimson'' –

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler OBE (born 12 August 1949) is a British musician. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995, and he is the one of the two members who stayed during the band's existence ...

(2008) * ''In Love and Light'' – Heidi Talbot (2008) * '' Hold Your Horses'' – Ella Edmondson (2009) * '' Love is the Way'' –

(2009) * '' Post Electric Blues'' – Idlewild (2009) * '' Get Lucky'' – Mark Knopfler (2009) * '' Bretonne'' –

Nolwenn Leroy Nolwenn Le Magueresse (; born 28 September 1982), known by her stage name Nolwenn Leroy (), is a French singer-songwriter and actress. Originally classically trained (violin and opera singing), she rose to fame after winning the second season o ...

(2010) * ''

Transatlantic Sessions Transatlantic Sessions is the collective title for a series of musical productions by Glasgow-based Pelicula Films Ltd, funded by- and produced for BBC Scotland, BBC Four and RTÉ of Ireland. The productions comprise collaborative live performan ...

'' 5 (2010) – (directed by

Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. He is widely regarded as "perhaps the finest Dobro player in contemporary acoustic music, and certainly the most celebrated and prol ...

and Aly Bain) * ''Merrymouth'' –

(2012) * ''Live'' (with

Michael McGoldrick Michael McGoldrick (born 26 November 1971, in Manchester, England) is a folk musician who plays Irish flute, uilleann pipes, low whistle and bodhran. He also plays other instruments such as acoustic guitar, cittern, and mandolin. Bands McG ...

& John Doyle, 2009 tour) – ( Vertical Records, 2012) * ''

Privateering A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since Piracy, robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sover ...

'' – Mark Knopfler (2012) * ''Suitcase'' – Jennifer Byrne (2013) * ''

'' – Merrymouth (2014) * '' Tracker'' – Mark Knopfler (2015) * ''The Art of Forgetting'' – Kyle Carey (2018) * ''The Wishing Tree'' (with

and John Doyle) – (Under One Sky Records, 2018) * '' Down the Road Wherever'' – Mark Knopfler (2018) * ''Flat Earth Society'' (fiddle on ''Doris'',

low whistle The low whistle, or concert whistle, is a variation of the traditional tin whistle/pennywhistle, distinguished by its lower pitch and larger size. It is most closely associated with the performances of British and Irish artists such as Tommy Mak ...

on ''Come Winter, He'll Be Gone'',

tin whistle The tin whistle, also known as the penny whistle, is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is a type of fipple flute, a class of instrument which also includes the recorder and Native American flute. A tin whistle player is called a whistl ...

on ''Peacock Blues'') –

West of Eden ''West of Eden'' is a 1984 science fiction novel by American writer Harry Harrison. Overview In the parallel universe of this novel, Earth was not struck by an asteroid 65 million years before the present. Consequently, the Cretaceous–Pa ...

(2019) * ''Yes, I Have Ghosts'' –

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink F ...

(2020) * '' One Deep River'' – Mark Knopfler (2024)

Awards and nominations

Awards won

BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music, with the aim of raising the profile of folk and acoustic music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British rad ...

2016 – Good Tradition Award * Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award for Music 2009 * BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards 2003 – Musician of the Year * Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award for Music 1999

Nominations

* BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2010 * Ireland's Music Awards – Best Instrumentalist 2009 * BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2009 *

Scots Trad Music Awards The Scots Trad Music Awards or Na Trads were founded in 2003 by Simon Thoumire to celebrate Scotland's traditional music in all its forms and create a high profile opportunity to bring the music and music industry into the spotlight of media an ...

– Composer of the Year 2007 * BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2008 * BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards – Musician of the Year 2007

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCusker, John 1973 births Living people Scottish fiddlers British male violinists Citternists Battlefield Band members 21st-century Scottish violinists 21st-century Scottish male musicians 1970s births