Some of the best music, song, and dance in the Celtic music world,
plus a little blues, a little country-folk, and some rockie-blues

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B I O G R A P H Y
Up-dated March 16 2001

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SANDY BRECHIN grew up in Kirkliston, West Lothian -- just outside Edinburgh -- and has been playing the accordion for 20 years. In fact, Sandy has been playing the same accordion (albeit with a few minor repairs) for the last 20 years! He was taught by the late Chrissie Leatham in Edinburgh and also by her son, Owen Murray, who is now Professor of Accordion at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Sandy has developed his own unique approach to the art of accordion playing and his innovative style is instantly recognisable.

Over the years Sandy has played in many bands but is probably best known for his work with the Scottish bands, Burach and Seelyhoo (now defunct) with whom he has toured extensively in Europe, Canada, the USA and The Far East. A frequent guest on radio and TV, Sandy is also in much demand as a session musician having recorded several CDs outwith his own groups' recordings. Also, known as a talented writer, some of his compositions have been published and others recorded by bands like, "The Iron Horse". On the rare occasions when he is not touring with Burach or one of his other line-ups (more below), Sandy still plays for ceilidh dances with his own hugely popular electric ceilidh band, The Sensational Jimmy Shandrix Experience."

THE SANDY BRECHIN BAND is a four-piece with an unforgettable stage-performance. From the electrifying high-speed reels to the occasional traditional Gaelic airs, the sound created is fresh innovative and vibrant, at times soul-touching and tender, but always with an underlying power and confidence. Sandy is just as well-known for his on-stage humour, which has been known to have audiences in tears, one way or another. His fellow band-members present an impressive c.v.: Jim Walker, formerly of Ceolbeg and Seelyhoo, on drums; Aaron, of Croabh Rua and also ex-Seelyhoo on bass guitar, and Colin Macfarlane, ex-Liberties and Felsons, who appeared on BBC 1's 1997 Hogmanay live telecast from Edinburgh Castle playing electric guitar and lap-steel in the James Taylor Band (yes, that's the JT).

Sandy's debut CD, Out Of His Box, featuring the Sandy Brechin Band, was released on Sandy's own label, "Brechin All Records" in April 1996 and is distributed by Greentrax Recordings. The album was received with great acclaim and was voted one of the best folk albums of 1996 by BBC Radio Scotland's "Travelling Folk" programme.

The Sandy Brechin Band has toured Italy and Ireland; played at Celtic Connections 1997 in The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with The Sean Keene Band from Ireland and The Carlos Nunez Band from Galicia; performed at the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Folk Festival and many other Scottish folk festivals along with numerous TV and radio broadcasts including BBC Radio Scotland's 1997 Hogmanay Show and Club 99 - the "official" Edinburgh's Hogmanay party at the end of 1998. Sandy also played in the Robert Burns Concert at Celtic Connections in January 1999. The Sandy Brechin Band appeared at Stonehaven Folk Festival in July 2000.

In February 1997, Sandy played on the National Lottery Show Live final of the Great British Song Contest, the competition run by Jonathan King to select Britain's entry to that year's Eurovision Song Contest, as part of the band "Do Re Mi, with Kerry". The song was called "Yodel In The Canyon of Love", and aroused a great deal of interest at the time -- because of it's, umm, quirky nature! The British public voted for the winning entry by telephone poll, and "Yodel" was just pipped at the post by Katrina and The Waves who then went on to win Eurovision. Yodel, however, was released on the Polygram label in 1997 and was voted favourite album of 1997 by one of the pundits on the leading US music magazine, Billboard.

In 1998 Sandy toured the Faroe Islands (again) playing in the Faroese version of the Sandy Brechin Band, made several tours to the South of Spain, and Sandy and Colin performed on the Gaelic TV programme, Tacsi, with members of Capercaillie, Relativity and Shooglenifty. The Sandy Brechin Band also played a double bill with Capercaillie in August 1998 in Guingamp Celtic Festival in Brittany and toured Iceland for the first time in July 1999 performing at the Reykjavik Accordion Festival as well as on Icelandic TV and radio. In February 1999, Sandy toured the USA and Canada in the company of concertina players Alistair Anderson and Niall Vallely, on the Twice Upon A Squeezebox tour. In July 1999, Sandy played solo at Kaustinen Folk Festival on Finland in series of concerts sponsored by the British Council.

In March 1999, again with the band, Sandy launched his second solo CD, "Out Of His Tree" click here for Out Of His Tree 685 kb .wav sound file or click here for Out Of His Tree 249 kb .au sound file, on Greentrax Recordings, and played on Run Rig's ex-front man, Donnie Munroe's debut solo album, "On The West Side", while also appearing with the Donnie Munroe Band on Scottish TV's, "Burns Night 2000", and, "Burns Night 2001", broadcasts. Later in 2001, Sandy will be appearing on the Gaelic TV programmes, "Sorchar nan Reul", and, "Togaidh Sinn Fonn".

Sandy has become well-known as a teacher of accordion. He has taught at many workshops, such as the Edinburgh Feis (a Scottish traditional workshop for children), Folkworks music workshop in Durham City, "The Youth Gaitherin'", workshop in Edinburgh and in January 2001 at Glasgow's Celtic Connections Festival. Sandy's first teaching video, Sandy Brechin's Learn Scottish Accordion, came out in 2000, and 2001 sees the publication of the first volume of his own compositions, "Out of His Mind".