Johnny Lynch aka The Pictish Trail reveals the lineup for Lost Map's Howlin' Fling

Article by News Team | 12 Mar 2014

Lost Map, the record label started by Fence Records co-founder Johnny Lynch, aka The Pictish Trail, have announced the lineup for the inaugural Howlin' Fling, a 3-day boutique music festival taking place on the Hebridean island of Eigg. A spiritual successor to the much-loved Away Game and related events which Lynch helped mastermind for his former label, his Howlin' Fling promises a spectacular lineup in equally spectacular surroundings, and has received support in its first year from the Homecoming Scotland organisers, and music website The Quietus.

The full Lost Map roster will be playing the festival, including Lynch himself, Kid Canaveral, Randolph's Leap, Monoganon, Rozi Plain, Seamus Fogerty, eagleowl, and new signings Tuff Love. In addition, Howlin' Fling will see performances from ex-Beta Band main man Steve Mason, alongside The Phantom Band, Hot Chip's Joe Goddard, Beth Orton, and RM Hubbert. Also appearing are Edinburgh indie titans Meursault, and Glasgow's Golden Teacher, bringing their brand of Afrobeat and dub-laced house and techno to the festival, plus a host of other bands, with more still to be announced – see the list revealed so far in full below. 

The festival has already sold out in advance of the lineup being announced, but you can win a pair of tickets to the festival by entering the competition at www.lostmap.com/competition, leaving your name and email address, and telling the organisers "a joke or something nice."

Johnny Lynch, speaking exclusively to The Skinny, is thrilled to be welcoming Steve Mason to the inaugural festival. "I tried to make a lineup that was relatively diverse – a good mixture of voices, a good mixture of really excellent songwriters," he says. That's worked out well: "A lot of these people are my absolute favourite artists," says Lynch. "Steve Mason has been a long-term hero of mine, a massive influence and an amazing songwriter – I didn't actually expect him to say yes!"

The event, which Lynch says is "not really a festival," more of an intimate experience that "breaks down the wall between the performer and the audience," is a continuation of the work Lynch put into the much-loved Fence events he used to run. "This is something we've done twice already," he says. Counting the Away Game events, he says, "we've done this every two years." He plans to bring Howlin' Fling back again, possibly even on a more regular basis, and is enthusiastic about the prospect of more Lost Map events throughout Scotland. One thing he says makes Howlin' Fling so special is the limited capacity: "We know we can sell it out, and the tickets are relatively expensive," he says. "We try and make it as special a lineup as possible, because it's exciting!" He also speaks of plans for "something a wee bit larger, so we can include more people."

Those lucky enough to have tickets for the event can look forward to a strong and diverse lineup, but also the beautiful Hebridean scenery of Eigg. "It's a pretty amazing place," says Lynch. "The views are totally incredible. We really encourage folk to take a wander round the island, discover it for themselves – take a walk up the Sgurr, maybe go into the Massacre Cave, take a wee packed lunch with them and have a nice time! Even the journey up to the north west is pretty amazing, and it does take a long time. It's the most incredible train ride going up to Mallaig, and that part of the country. Then you get on a boat with other people, all of whom are as excited about seeing all these great bands. So even before the music starts, there is a feeling of adventure that not many other festivals really have. By the time the audience gets there, everyone's really psyched up."

Lynch is also hopeful that he can round the event off with one of the campfire sing-song sessions that made the Away Game events so memorable – it all depends "if the weather stays up," he says, hopeful that the mid-July date will guarantee some sun. Also, he predicts: "I think there will be a few broken people by that point on Sunday! The campfire singing session was something we did at the first one, and it was amazing – everyone gathered around a fire, singing along to their favourite songs. It's a nice way for people to connect with music in a way that is quite intimate. That's something I always did with Fence events – made sure they weren't too big to have the audience interact a bit with the performance."

LOST MAP'S HOWLIN FLING 2014 - THE LINEUP SO FAR...
Adult Jazz, Alexis Taylor, Beth Orton, Damian Helliwell’s Metta, eagleowl, Eugene Tombs, GEESE, Golden Teacher, Gulp, Ichi, Insect Heroes, Jens Lekman, Jonnie Common, Kid Canaveral, Luke Abbott, Massacre Cave, Meursault, Miracle Strip, Monoganon, Oliver Coates, Operator, The Phantom Band, The Pictish Trail, Prehistoric Friends, Rachael Dadd, Randolph’s Leap, RM Hubbert, Rozi Plain, Sam Amidon, Seamus Fogarty, Steve Mason, Synaesthete, Tuff Love, WOLF 

http://lostmap.com