Pictish Trail
Pictish Trail, the alias of Isle-of-Eigg psych-pop wonder Johnny Lynch, has resolutely furrowed his own path, steadily creating a unique catalogue of recordings and performances, while eschewing the blueprint of the predictable singer-songwriter in favour of something untidily intriguing.
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Biography
Pictish Trail, the alias of Scottish pop sensation Johnny Lynch, has resolutely furrowed his own path, steadily creating a unique catalogue of recordings and performances, while eschewing the blueprint of the predictable singer-songwriter in favour of something untidily intriguing.
Upcoming EP ‘Follow Footsteps’ revisits his fifth album ‘Island Family’ (2022) and the family of songs that made up the release. He presents “reduxes” of three of them in brand new, stripped-back form, recorded together with a specially assembled trio of musicians; Semay Wu on cello, Gillian Fleetwood on harp, and long-time collaborator Susan Bear.
When not putting out his own music as Pictish Trail, Johnny Lynch is a fulcrum of the British independent music community. Through his label Lost Map Records, he champions a diverse and idiosyncratic array of extraordinary talent, helping to elevate the likes of Rozi Plain, Seamus Fogarty, Bas Jan, Callum Easter and Free Love.
His critically acclaimed first pair of albums were gloriously eclectic slices of lo-fi folk-pop, later revived as a deluxe double-vinyl by Moshi Moshi. His third album ‘Future Echoes’ was released to further acclaim in 2016, and was shortlisted for Scottish Album of the Year Award. In 2020 Johnny released his fourth LP, ‘Thumb World’ a voyage to the outer rings of Pictish Trail’s mind at its darkest, funniest and most inventive – described by Clash as “his most dazzling, most exceptional yet”.
“One of my favourite artists” Lauren Laverne
“Mysterious, cinematic, pop melancholia” The Guardian
