Scottish New Music Round-up: January 2026
It's the first new music column of the year featuring the warm glow of synths as a recurring theme across releases from Inyal, Sarah/Shaun, Amulet and Lariats with loads more to get stuck into
What better way to start a new year than by looking back? Let's go! December kicked off with two excellent debuts from Glasgow-based artists on the 5th; CUZINO released his self-titled, dancefloor-bothering EP, featuring collaborations with Nwanneka, aka DJ and producer Plantainchipps, and Charlotte Devlin released sonicinvoluntaryreflex, an EP of experimental electronica using found sounds to create something that feels urgent and exciting.
This month, Glasgow indie-pop group The Just Joans step comfortably into their third decade with Romantic Visions of Scotland, set for release on 23 January via Fika Recordings; read our full review in this month's mag. And on the 30th, Hen Hoose Collective return with their latest project, and our album of the month, The Twelve. Recorded during an intensive week-long recording and writing session on the Isle of Lewis, the collective will celebrate the album’s release with a show as part of this month’s Celtic Connections festival. Find out more about all of that in the January issue.
Also celebrating their latest album with a Celtic Connections show is Scottish folk/electronica outfit Inyal, who return to the stage this month for their first live show in more than five years. Recorded at Glasgow’s GloWorm Recording Studio and co-produced by Andrea Gobbi (Glasvegas/Laki Mera), Fathoms arrives on 23 January. Balancing more tender and orchestral moments (Fadachd) with dancefloor-bothering, full-fat takes on Gaelic waulking songs (Calum Bhàn), the singles preceding Fathoms’ full release offer the perfect taster for the album, but they are a mere toe dip into the vastness and innovation of the album's nine tracks; there's a cinematic feel to the attention to detail, warmth of the production and outstanding arrangements.
A deft exploration of genre, Fathoms dabbles in trip-hop and late 90s/early 00s trance on Baile m’ Àrach, house and electronica on Calum Bhàn and tender piano balladry on For Eamonn; you’ll find the most Celtic sounding moment on Lucky Ones, while beautifully rich orchestral string arrangements add depth across much of the record. The mix and interplay of genres offers up constant notes of interest and, despite not having a clue what she’s singing about (sorry, I don't speak Gaelic), former winner of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, Josie Duncan’s vocals are incredibly evocative and gorgeous throughout.
Sarah/Shaun. Image: Solen Collet.
Another record we’re excited for this month is In Silence Love Speaks Loudest, the final in a triptych of EPs from Edinburgh husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (Hobbes Music, 30 Jan). While woozier moments could easily soundtrack a night in Twin Peaks’ Roadhouse, the beat kicking in on Heart Started Beating (Backwards) is a rush, and the Nico-esque quality to Sarah’s mournful turn on Desperation Looks III (From the Other Side) makes us long for a Sarah/Shaun take on All Tomorrow’s Parties. Tackling some pretty big topics, from human resilience, love and relationship breakdowns to the state of the world in four tight songs, there’s an impressive cosiness and fullness to the record as crisp electronics, shimmering synths, scuffling drums and breathy vocals melt into one another.
There’s yet more warm electronics to be found on Forgetful Universe (1 Jan), the fourth studio album from Glasgow-based experimental psych duo Lariats. Slippery sticky grooves, otherworldly synths and introspective samples are the throughline of this record that finds inspiration in electronic pioneers of the past with an ambient palette that sometimes bursts into a full blown dance beat; a concept record they say has been designed with deep listening in mind, to be enjoyed as a continuous piece, there might be no better time than January to get lost in their cosmic universe.
On the 16th, following the release of his 2025 solo record, Strange Is the Way, former De Rosa frontman M. John Henry revisits his back catalogue for Early Songs, Of Late, featuring reworkings and new versions of old songs as well as previously unreleased material. The following week, Amy Duncan’s tenth studio album and second working alongside lyricist David Paton, Greetings From Gartnavel (23 Jan) arrives via Last Night From Glasgow. Exploring Paton’s experiences with schizophrenia, it’s an incredibly insightful and personal record buoyed by rich instrumentation and Duncan’s at times devastatingly beautiful vocals.
There are plenty of EPs to look forward to this month too, starting with Glasgow pair Joseph Flower and Isaac Tendler, aka Amulet. Releasing Amulet II on 11 January, the two eight-minute long incantations that make up the EP combine field recordings, analog synths, guitar and vocals, finding inspiration in Scottish Gaelic and Romanian Yiddish folk to create something alluring and full of subtle textures. Indie-folk artist Erin O’Callaghan embraces vulnerability on her second EP, Dreaming is (14 Jan), and Scottish Borders-based indie-folk-pop singer-songwriter Robyn Elliot releases her debut EP, Free Rein (16 Jan). Also this month expect new music from Dictator (Screwball Scramble, 2 Jan), with singles all due on the 9th from Radhika (Starry Eyes), Rachel White (Man Overboard!) and Elsie MacDonald (Pint Glass).
Listen to our New Scottish Music playlist on Spotify or YouTube, updated every Friday, and check out our new Music Now podcast – listen to our chats with Kim Carnie, Andrew Wasylyk and Tommy Perman, and Sian.