Artist You Should Know: Culann

Culann is a five-piece rock band from Scotland made up of PJ Kelly on vocals and guitar, Sean Kelly on drums, Greg Irish on guitar, Ross McCluskie on keys and Calumn Davis on bass. Culann are still unsigned and I have no idea how; in 2013 they won 'Best Rock' at SAMA (Scottish Alternative Music Awards) and impressively, one of their gigs sold out after 6 hours of tickets going on sale.

Jumping right into the sound itself, Culann are hard to put into a category for me. Their sound is something I’ve never heard before. Their style is mainly Celtic-rock with a hint of folk, mixed with alternative – giving the band an originally raw sound.

All Reverie: The first song I heard from the band was "All Reverie." The guitar and drums on this track just get you going from the start. A rumbling power coursing through the speakers gets you amped and PJ’s vocals are brilliant. Hearing him makes me want to listen to more Scottish rock singers. It seems anything can sound enthusiastic in their accent.

Salvation: This is a big tune on the album for me. With a simple and delicate start, then PJ’s near angelic vocals followed by the rest of the group accompanying gives it a thought-provoking tone with a joyful sound. "Salvation" feels like the band's calling card, although every song on the album has its merits. If you listen to just one song of the album, make it "Salvation;" it showcases everything the band has to offer.

Jerusalem: Once you get past the intro on "Jerusalem," this is a great song. The guitar on this track makes it one of their heavier rock songs. This is such a powerful song like a wave of sound taking hold of any room it is played in. I have seen live performances of this track and it works perfectly with a live crowd. There are some parts in which the sound goes towards psychedelic rock, which is an acquired taste.

On the band's Facebook page, it says, “Every effort is made to create something raw, honest, heartfelt and emotive in every track.” This a beautiful thing to try to achieve and Culann have achieved it. Their music is simply passionate.

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