The Banjo Lounge 4 - Get Ur Tweed On

Out this Autumn, the debut album from tweed flavoured four piece, The Banjo Lounge 4, takes thirteen classic pop, R'n'B, hip hop, bhangra, heavy metal & disco tracks and gives them all a touch of acoustic love. Formed by Barney Strachan and Pat McGarvey as a fun side project away from their other musical work (theatre, sound design/installations in Strachan's case & political folk/bluegrass band Southern Tenant Folk Union for McGarvey) the BL4 has grown ever more popular at festivals and events around Scotland. This inevitably led to these recordings of some of their most requested versions, all of which are done in their own eclectic style. Complemented by the groove-some & solid double bass playing of Craig Macfadyen alongside the imaginative drumming of Richard Kass (one of Scotland's most in demand Jazz drummers), they've managed to creatively weave through (and often mash together) some of the best tunes from the last few decades. Metallica, The Wurzels, Punjabi MC and Beyonce to name just four artists whose music has now been interpreted in the BL4's inventive, entertaining and tongue in cheek way. So sit back and dig the sounds, you've just entered The Banjo Lounge.The Banjo Lounge 4 are:Barney Strachan - Acoustic Guitar/Lead Vocals/StylophoneCraig Macfadyen - Double Bass Richard Kass - Drums Pat McGarvey - 5 String Banjo/Lead Vocals What the press saysThe Banjo Lounge 4 - they of the polonecks - give us an impressive rendition of Engelbert Humperdinck's Quando Quando. We settle on the sofas; our feet start to tap. The drummer is using a suitcase as a bass drum. This inventiveness makes me smile - Laura Barnett, The GuardianBut the slightly more left field option - and you know we like it like that here at STV Edinburgh - has to be the Banjo Lounge at Leith institution, The Pond. Classic Old Skool hip-hop played on banjos and recounted in three part-harmony. What's not to like? - Alastair Tibbit, STV Edinburgh