My new record is called The Accident. It’s another concept piece, like my album Third Invasion. So the songs are all thematically linked—in my mind at least—and they are designed to be listened through end to end. Two of the pieces are sound collages. One song has two parts. And there’s even an instrumental.
Please do check it out. And let me know what you think.
sound effects: Startled Bee
voices: Jim Bryce
oh, before the accident
oh, before the accident
you talk like it was a golden age
the arguments just a passing phase
and those were very different days
before the accident and the changes made
oh, breathe deep and look around
you’re floundering but will not drown
you tell me it’s the worst it’s ever been
I’m unkind, oh why do I lack sympathy?
here and now are different days
the accident unfolds in many ways
oh, after the accident
oh, what some call the incident
do you lose yourself in the tears or in the rage?
if you kill all doubt, is your fear contained?
the moves you force, they’re no help at all
what good to know that, from me you need more
instruments and vocals: Startled Bee
bass and drums: Ally Kelly
stay. wait in the car
I’m not going for long
I’m not going far
stay. steady your nerve
believe me I’ll be back soon
not like I’m leaving you
three times
maybe one time more
waited in the car for you
waited and you came through
did you believe
what you said to me
about luck being on our side?
what else, who knows,
how you tried
you said stay. wait in the car
wish I had gone with you
together not far
stay. could you have stayed?
you told me have faith
did you make a mistake
I still believe
what you said to me
about luck being on our side
what else, who knows,
how you tried
stay. wait in the car
wish I had said to you
please don’t go far
stay. wait in the car
wish I had said to you
instruments and vocals: Startled Bee
they told me that you broke down
on the back roads
took such a long time for help to come
took such a long time
they told me you were shipwrecked
far out at sea
weren’t sure if help would ever come
if you’d get back in one piece
and I can’t walk home the short way
’cause I hear your voice in my mind
telling me to walk the crescent road
so I see the
castle on the rock against the sky
castle on the rock against the sky
they told me you had no-one
that all ties had been cut
couldn’t believe what they told me
who lives a life like that?
so will you ever come home now? (or make)
dreams of a new home real? (takes)
such a long time for help to come
takes such a long time
and I can’t walk home the short way
until I silence those voices from my past
telling me to walk the crescent road
so I see the
castle on the rock beneath the stars
castle on the rock beneath the stars
we never walked home the short way
this I remember every time
we always took the crescent road
and watched the
castle on the rock against the sky
castle on the rock against the sky
castle, rock, and sky
instruments and vocals: Startled Bee
are these lazy days?
shelter from the rain
rise from bed and go
back again
feeling strange
focus changed
told to wait
for the next OK
don’t want to know it but the
world, she turns
and she likes to flirt
she’s not waiting for you
not like she doesn’t care
world’s mind it is elsewhere
and right now you can’t get through
there is so little that
you can do,
but you do
so much to hold
so far to go
round in this circle … so
little to show
gravity… says she’s
in for the long haul
some days you hardly feel her
pull at all
instruments and vocals: Startled Bee
windscreen wipers: Cathys’s car
some people want the moon
others go chasing stars
the singer is wanting some new tunes
asking how can we just go on as we are…
it might take…
tens of years, hundreds of starts
a thousand buckets of tears
and a million desires
a million desires
she sees it so clearly in her mind … so obvious
there is no time to lose
though she doesn’t want to leave you behind
be in no doubt that she is willing to
some are holding on and they’re holding tight
they won’t let go for fear of falling
some give it all up, they give up the fight
no more feeling or exploring
some people light up a room
but there are different ways to shine
so many wanting a new tune … insisting
new tunes must be easy to find
new tunes must be easy to find
instruments and vocals: Startled Bee
piano: Startled Bee
sound effects: Startled Bee and Ally Kelly
it’s raining in the sky today
are we sad, can we not play?
why won’t the sun show her face?
it’s raining in the sky today
but we’ve got coats and we’ve got shoes
we’ve got hats, an umbrella too
and we can deal with the rain
yes it’s a pain
but you tell me, what you rather do?
it’s raining in my heart today
my best friend has gone away
am I sad, can I not play?
it’s raining in my heart today
but I’ve got a coat and I’ve got shoes
I’ve got a tram ticket I can use
and I can deal with the rain
yes it’s a shame
and I ask myself, what would I rather do?
it’s raining in my brain today
am I sad, can I not play?
once again I wish it’d go away
but it’s raining in my brain, today
now the rain in my brain has turned to storm
thunder, lightning, so much going on
I’m angry, so mad, keep making mistakes
feeling so bad, so bent out of shape
but we’ve got time and we’ve got kindness
yes, we are stressed, but we can
handle the messiness
and we can manage the rain
get it together again
coats and hats, umbrellas and
whatever else we need
we’re not going to be
beaten by the rain
still it’s a shame
yes, a shame
about the rain
instruments and vocals: Startled Bee
sound effects: Startled Bee
voices: The Accidental Choir featuring Alex, Studio Ally, Cathy, Finland Chris, Finland Clyde, Colette, Elliot, Grant, Helen, Jacob, James, Jane, Jim (as Figler), Lola, Matt, Mike, Mog, Mog’s Pal, Phil, Ruby, Sally, and Theo
oh, something is lifting now
who’d have thought
that we could turn this around?
there is no glory road up ahead
this stony path will have to do instead
the luck we found, we would not trade
the accident was another day
instruments and vocals: Startled Bee
Startled Bee:
vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, midi instruments, sound collages
Ally Kelly:
bass and drums on The Accident, additional midi instruments, engineering
Jim Bryce:
tribute to Figler and tribute to Richard Widmark
Cathy’s car:
windscreen wipers
The Accidental Choir:
a panoply of hellos
Thanks to Cathy Sheehy, Mike Wheeler, and Alex Sullivan for feedback on songs and mixes-in-progress as well as their invaluable support and encouragement. Thanks to Naledi Herman for help with the piano parts. Thanks to Grant B. Robertson for putting on a show in February 2025 that led to the creation of The Accident suite. And thanks to all members of The Accidental Choir (see track 9 credits).
Recorded at Al’s Audio Barn on Great Junction Street, June to December 2025.
Produced by Startled Bee
New mini-album, The Accident, coming on 4th February 2026.
New mini-album, The Accident, coming on 4th February 2026.
New mini-album, The Accident, coming on 4th February 2026.
I’m playing on Saturday 22nd November at Edinburgh’s Home Bar, from 7pm.
I’m playing on Saturday 22nd November at Edinburgh’s Home Bar, from 7pm.
The gig is co-production with my pal Mike Wheeler (rocky/folky stripped down Americana).
We’ll also have two, as they say, “special guests”. They are: Ally Duncan (lyrically delightful modern folky-pop) and Zoë Moonshine (piano driven emotional ballads with stunning vocals).
It’s all at the Home Bar on Home Street (just by the Kings Theatre and sort of diagonally opposite from the Cameo). We’ve got the basement for the evening. There’s a bar in the basement area and also upstairs.
Doors will be at 7.00pm and the music will kick off with mini-sets from me and Mike at 7.30pm. Then the plan is for sets from Ally, Zoë, me, and Mike. And we might do a special thing at the end.
And, another gig… the following weekend, on the Sunday 30th November, I’ll be playing some songs at Steel Coulson on Edinburgh’s Southside. This is a relaxed afternoon session with a few other players taking turns and us all joining in on some numbers at the end. Kicks off at 2.30 and runs for a couple of hours or so.
The Lioness of Leith and Other Tales EP is released into to the wild on Monday 22nd September. Here are some promo clips for the EP.
It’s available in all the usual places, such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube etc. And if you want all the credits and lyrics, go to Bandcamp.
Delighted to be opening act at Club Nitty Gritty at Edinburgh’s Home Bar. I’m due on stage at about 8.15. After me is the punk band Dapitz and then it’s The Heartbreak Diet. All the action is down in the basement.
