Niteworks have announced a new and final single to commemorate their last year together as a band with further tour dates in Inverness’s Eden Court and London’s The Garage also shared.
Released on Friday, April 26, single An Toll Dubh will be available digitally on all major streaming sites, and marks an historic moment for the popular group, who announced 2024 would be their final year together after almost two decades at the forefront of Scotland’s folk and electronica music scene
Their final tour – the Solas Na Maidne Tour – is the gaelic for Morning Light, or daybreak.
The name was chosen by the band to symbolise the end of their “night’s work” and hence the end of Niteworks as a band.
Such themes have featured prominently throughout Niteworks back catalogue, with tracks such as Beul na h-Oidhche (“Night fall”) and albums Air Fair an La (“Dawn of the Day”), and A Ghrian (“The Sun”), but the tour will play on this further, employing visuals to tell of the history of the band throughout their years, symbolised by progression from nightfall to sunrise.
The new single, which translates from Gaelic as “The Dungeon”, features stunning vocals from long-time collaborators Sian (Ceitlin Lilidh, Eilidh Cormack and Ellen MacDonald, who previously sang on Air Fair an La and Teannaibh Dlu), Fiona MacAskill on fiddle, and is a cover of the song originally written and performed by Runrig’s Calum and Rory Macdonald.
It was co-produced by Niteworks and Andrea Gobbi.
With the lyrics of An Toll Dubh providing a warning plea to wake “the Gael” and use language to keep Gaelic culture alive – ensuring it does not become metaphorically locked in the dungeon – the band say it was the perfect choice for their swan song.
Band members Allan MacDonald, Christopher Nicolson, Innes Strachan and Ruairidh Graham said:
“An Toll Dubh provides an appropriate metaphor as we announce our final year of playing together – and a personal plea from us as a band to encourage others to continue the journey that Niteworks started, ensuring there is no gap created in the contemporary Gaelic scene by our absence.”
As part of their farewell tour, Niteworks will play a selected number of festivals in 2024, with further dates due to be announced later this year.
The band will be joined by Sian for all live performances, and shows will feature a special visual element, which showcases Niteworks as a band throughout the years.
Festivals
May 10 – Skye Live, Isle of Skye
June 8 – The Reeling, Glasgow
July 27 – Belladrum, Inverness Shire
UK Tour
November 6 – Eden Court, Inverness
November 9 – The Garage, London
More TBA
Tickets for Niteworks’ UK tour shows, and an accompanying merchandise drop, will go on sale alongside new single An Toll Dubh at 9am Friday, April 26.
