For a number of years I have been singing and playing locally. I am not a songwriter but concentrate on original arrangements of traditional and contemporary songs by such writers as Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Nanci Griffith and Karine Polwart. I do write tunes which I play on guitar, mandolin or mandola.

As well as being a solo performer I am currently involved with three groups.

Carlenjig , formed in late 2003, features Adam Raeburn on long neck banjo, guitar and vocals, Pat Douglas on guitar and vocals, myself on guitar, mandola and vocals and Andrew Brodie on accordion and harmonica. Their music is primarily song based, featuring tight vocal harmonies, and draws inspiration from both traditional and contemporary Scottish, Irish and North American sources. Carlenjig have performed widely throughout the Scottish Borders.

Riddell Fiddles is primarily a teaching group run by fiddler Sheila Sapkota and involves some sixty students of all ages. I provide guitar accompaniment as well as transcribing all the tunes that the group learns. Riddell Fiddles also perform quite regularly at concerts and ceilidhs.

The Matt Seattle Band is a relatively new group featuring Matt Seattle on Border pipes and fiddle, Lewis Powell-Reid on accordion and mandolin, Fraser Watson on darabuka, frame drums and tapan and me on guitar and vocals. The band’s music concentrates on Matt’s arrangements of old Border tunes as well as some of his own. First performance was at Denholm Folk Festival in November 2008.