In Conversation with : Alan Frew
I first met Alan Frew in Ayrshire, Scotland in the spring of 2010, our musical paths leading us to the start of what would be and what continues to this day to be a truly wonderful friendship.
We had both been making our forays into the local music scene prior to meeting and our mutual enthusiasm for making things happen was one factor in bringing us together as friends. I had been putting on weekly showcases of original local musicians at a wee coffee house in Ayr called Su Casa and invited Alan to play and I felt like I had personally discovered a new favourite musician right from that first meeting. Organising the weekly showcase brought lots of talented musicians to my attention but Alan was one of those who really stood out from the crowd, his virtuosity in guitar playing and songwriting craft really were exemplary.
Like me Alan had been working as a music booker at the time with him organising the music programme at the the Live@Troon music festival bringing acts such as The View, Kassidy and to the sunny shores of Troon beach. Inviting me to perform in an acoustic showcase gig he was putting on at the festival we hit it off and I realised I’d found a kindred spirit in him.
Alan started playing guitar and writing songs from a young age, inspired by his father Ian Frew a talented songwriter and accomplished guitar player. Alan knew in his heart that he wanted to be a musician and for the past 30 years has been working on his craft and talents. A respected musician he has been invited to perform with and work with notable acts such as Ron Sexsmith, Albert Lee, Dougie MacLaean, Paolo Nutini and The Proclaimers.
His debut album Go Easy was released in 2010 and displays a real affection for the marriage of styles and genres with influences from the worlds of Bossa jazz to country blues. Alan regularly performs all over Europe and is one of the finest musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure to enjoy performing live.
I think Alan was one of the very first musicians I met who had an extremely supportive side to him and was not overly concerned with only his own achievements and success. I was very glad to meet someone who had such a caring attitude for the wellbeing and relative careers of other musicians.
Listen to our interview together for background on Alan’s story as a musician.
I look forward to us having an updated interview in 2020.
Find Alan’s website at www.alanjfrew.com