Aberdeen writer/musician Jamie Reid is set to release an EP detailing the grief at losing him mother to cancer.
‘Eulogy’ will be released by Before Stories, the two-piece band Jamie performs in with friend Colin Brennan.
Before Stories will perform the EP in full at the launch at The Blue Lamp, Aberdeen on Friday, September 1.
Jamie’s mother Kirsty sadly passed away in March this year at the age of 62.
The EP begins with a track where Jamie recreates the eulogy he delivered at his mum’s funeral.
Jamie hopes people who have lost loved ones to cancer, or lost a parent, can gain comfort from the songs.
He said: “This will be our sixth EP and it is very different from what we have done before.
“Previously it has been a collection of random poems with music to go with it.
“This time it is all about one topic which is my mum dying from cancer and my experience with that.
“It was pretty brutal to do it but it was also an outlet.
“The tracks are all at specific points over the whole experience.
“The first track is the speech I said at the funeral.
“In the background is heavy rain as there was a huge rainfall when we started the funeral service.
“The sound of the rain overtook what people were trying to say as it was battering down.
“It is basically exactly the same as I said at the funeral.”
The catharsis of musical release
Jamie’s mum fell ill during the summer of 2021 and went into palliative care unit Roxburghe House in autumn 2022.
Kirsty would later leave Roxburghe House because of the exceptional treatment she received and was able to move into her own flat.
Jamie said: “The third track is DethBed (sic) about when mum was moving to a flat and I was building a bed for her.
“We carry on a timeline until the point where my mum is about to die.
“Then there is a post-respective track ‘The Past Is Now A Friend To Me’ which is about how I am dealing with it afterwards.
“Hopefully people can take comfort from it.
“All the experiences are my own but I think the themes will be universal to a lot of people who have gone through the same thing.
“There will be a lot of relatable points to people who have not only lost someone to cancer but also lost a parent.”
Funds raised for Roxburghe House
Jamie co-runs Punch Face Champion Promotions in Aberdeen and recently organised a multi-artist charity concert to raise funds for Roxburghe House.
The event at The Blue Lamp in in June was headlined by Bensley and included performances by Justboy, The Trauma, Poür Me and Jamie Taylor.
Jamie said: “The event went really well and the turnout was good.
“We ended up raising just under £200 for Roxburghe House.
“It was a huge combined effort and it all went to the original fundraiser we did after mum had died.
“People chipped in to help and we raised money at the funeral as well.
“It was over £1,000 altogether with the gig and everything else.”
‘A strange, spoken-word two-piece’
Formed in 2015 Before Stories are renowned for their emotionally honest, raw songs and live performances.
Album Everything Breaks Down was released last year.
Also performing at the EP launch on Friday are Aberdeen kosmische experimental band Seas Starry who have released acclaimed albums Tyto Alba and Triangle Teeth.
Granite City shoegaze band Empty Maps and Quitter from Glasgow are also on the bill.
Those attending the gig are requested to wear their best black band T-shirt.
Jamie said: “Before Stories are a strange, spoken word, two-piece band with automated drums and very minimalist guitars.
“We do poetry over the music.
“On the night we are going to play the EP in full.
“We are having a light theme of wear your best black band T-shirt on the night.
“Don’t dress like a funeral, but wear black to coincide with the EP launch.”
Conversation