Advance to Retreat

This month, the newly coined Retreat! Festival is scheduled to bring a folk-orientated ruckus to the calm surroundings of the St John’s Church Hall, or more accurately, the Scottish Scullery café. Running from the 4th to the 24th, the mini festival will be showcasing some prime local acts as well as giving us all a rather welcome reprieve from the tourist deluge. So if running the Royal Mile leaflet gauntlet isn’t your idea of fun, Retreat! is the destination for you. Furthermore, the gigs are being organised by the creators of self-proclaimed “DIY” nights around Edinburgh, Tracer Trails, Hollow Heart Parlour and The Gentle Invasion, so it’ll be rather good, I’d wager.

Kicking things off on the 4th are Edinburgh stalwarts Emily Scott and Rob St John, who’ll provide a deliciously lo-fi and ‘post-folk’ evening of song, before on the 6th the Pictish Trail – project of Fence Records co-founder Johnny Lynch, who founded the label alongside King Creosote – will provide the big draw with his electronica-tinged folk pop. Fellow Fence Records acts HMS Ginafore and Button Series complete the line up from the Fife based label on an evening positively brimming with musical intrigue. On the 8th, Randan Discotheque performs his humorous but often stingingly candid tunes, complemented well that very same evening by The Wee Rogue, who spins mesmerising yarns over plaintive acoustic guitar lines.

With another 6 nights to follow, and with such brilliant bands such as Eagleowl, Withered Hand, Found’s Ziggy Campbell and My Kappa Roots involved, Retreat! is all a bit exciting. Accordingly then, get yourself down to the Scottish Scullery, itself a delightful new addition to the ethically sound cafés of Edinburgh, to witness this little explosion of locally-reared talent.

Retreat! Festival runs from Monday 4th August until Sunday 24th August, at the Scottish Scullery, St John’s Church, Princes Street. Ticket prices vary.

http://www.myspace.com/Edinburghretreat.