The Glasgow School

As Celtic Connections begins its domination of the city, the indigenous folk musicians and bands of a more peaceful and gentle nature are flourishing this month. See the feature in this issue for more details and a few exclusive interviews with some of the artists appearing.

As well as the bounty of talent about to be set upon venues across Glasgow, following on the success of the first night at the Goat, VERSAcoustic have announced an acoustic tour, beginning in March, which will feature unplugged performances by BMX Bandits, My Latest Novel and Emma Pollock, amongst others. But this is only the tip of the acoustic iceberg: both Tchai-Ovna and the Bean Scene host regular singer-songwriters, while the Free Candy Sessions at the Liquid Ship have been offering bands the opportunity to strip down their sound on a weekly basis. Open mic nights and jam sessions are happening every night of the week (check glasgow.openguide.co.uk for further details - there's too damn many for even The Skinny to list in full). Most of these events are either free or very cheap, offering the chance to see either established names or the stars of tomorrow in an intimate setting.

Glasgow's scenes are as diverse as they are successful, and there is often cross-over between the different genres. Popup, more usually known for their jaunty pop, performed at the first VERSAcoustic session and are about to embark on the prestigious South By South West Festival in Austin, Texas. The Free Candy Sessions are as likely to feature jazz as folk as rock - a recent evening saw local Americana outfit The State Broadcasters rub shoulders with Scottish troubadour Robbie McInnes, and the jazzy styling of Harriet Glover shared a stage with experimental guitarist Billy Bates.

As with Celtic Connections, it is impossible to catch everything that is happening in Glasgow in a single month. However, it is perfectly possible to capture exciting music every night of the week.