Multi-million-selling singer songwriter KT Tunstall and award-wining duo The Shires are the latest headliners to be announced for Stornoway’s summer festival.
Eight years after last appearing at the internationally-renowned HebCelt, KT Tunstall will top the bill on the Friday.
The festival runs from July 17-20 in Lewis and Harris. The Shires are to headline on the Saturday.
HebCelt programme announcement and weekend tickets this Thursday, 14th Feb. All from https://t.co/tUUhjL7s0L #ValentinesDayGift #allyouneedishebcelt #hebcelt2019 pic.twitter.com/hHgd6VaU73
— HebCelt Festival (@HebCelt) February 9, 2019
HebCelt also confirmed 11 other acts, including Newton Faulkner, one of the UK’s most successful singer songwriters. They join the previously announced Tide Lines, Talisk and FARA in a diverse line-up that spans the Scottish traditional and contemporary music scene.
Miss Tunstall is currently on tour following the release last year of her sixth album “WAX”, the second part of a “spirit, body and mind” trilogy.
She said: “I can’t wait to come back and play HebCelt. It’s an excellent festival with a great vibe. A real diamond of the summer.”
The Shires were formed in 2013 when Ben Earle made a plea on Facebook for a woman singer with a mutual love of country music. A year later, he and Crissie Rhodes signed for Decca Records and have gone on to play Glastonbury, tour with Irish chart-toppers The Corrs, present awards at the C2C (Country to Country) awards and release two gold-certified albums.
The Shires also became the first UK act to win a prestigious CMA Award, the Jeff Walker Global Artist Award, which recognises achievements from artists outside the US.
Their third album, “Accidentally on Purpose”, released last year, was made in Nashville where the duo have made a name for themselves in the home of country music. It features a track, ‘Stay and Night’ which was written by Ed Sheeran who is one of the many leading writers who are fans.
In a statement the group said: “We are both so excited to be playing the festival. Looks like a magical place to play, and Scottish audiences are always amazing.”
Festival director Caroline Maclennan said: “KT Tunstall is one of our greatest singer songwriters and a brilliant live performer. Many HebCelt fans will remember her wonderful show here in 2011 and we are very excited that she will be back in Stornoway this summer.
“We are also thrilled that The Shires have joined our line-up. They are outstanding artists who have rightly won acclaim, both here and in the US, and we look forward to seeing them on the HebCelt stage.”