Alex Erskine

Electronic Press Kit

Alex Erskine was born in Glasgow in Scotland.In 1975 Alex Erskine hitchhiked from Glasgow to Athens with a guitar he couldn't play or even tune.Although being honest he still has trouble tuning due to tinnitus.From Athens he flew to Tel Aviv, where on arrival he bumped into Dublin's Gerry Barry.A brilliant musician, Gerry showed him his first chords and some traditional songs.Gerry has never forgiven himself. In Israel, on Kibbutz Kfar Hanasi, the first few songs were written.In 1992 his first album "Only Rivers Run Free," was published . During 1997-1998 he had successful concerts with the group "Glenfiddle"and worked with them in producing the album "Bad Ass Cafe" .Since then he has had numerous solo concerts.He had written far more than a hundred songs and released more CD's including critically acclaimed ' Love's Light Shines' in 2003. He has just finished his new album "One Fine Day". Erskine has written hundreds of folk,bluegrass, country,gospels and even rock songs.He started to learn Italian to wtite an opera but we talked him out of that. Now living on the Baltic Sea in Germany ,he performs in pubs,clubs,bistros,cafes,churches,open air festivals and theatres.Really,he'll take money from anybody. Erskine has charmed, many an audience, with his warm voice,natural charm ,humorous tales and a a unique, flat picking guitar style. Jens-Peter Mueller from Radio Bremen 2 described his song "Up by Maryhill Way"as traditional sounding.This feeling is generated in many of his songs although many others are innovative and contmporary, mixing accoustic elements with modern sounds such as on the album"Only Rivers Run Free". A live concert is like a geography lesson with tales of his travels to the USA,Canada,Kuwait,Mexico,Morocco,Syria,Thailand,Israel and India and taking you on a musical sojurn through Scottish,Irish,country,bluegrass and rock songs.Sometimes he gets a bit mixed up with all the travelling and will sing "Have a Tequila".The Mexican Jews appreciate it. Erskine's songs tickle all senses and release sadness,joy,laughter,feet tapping and clapping and some have even been caught singing along or even dancing, before the police came . It can be a bit lonely as a solo performer and Erskine played with the group Glenfddle for a year recording "Bad Ass Cafe"including four of his songs. He also had a Celtic programme with story teller and poet Birgit Schuppe called "Love's Light Shines" and the sympathetic duo toured throughout Germany over the years to great critical acclaim. He has learned yoga and is even a "Yoga Siromani" (teacher) and tries to help others .He founded the company "Happy Healthy Holiday"to offer long term treatment and diet for the long term ill at affordable prices in Kappil,Kerala,India. The new CD " One Fine Day"is finished and coming out soon with five traditionals and nine songs from Erskine.