Experimental 'alt-pop' Edinburgh band win Scottish Album of the Year Award with debut release

One of Edinburgh’s leading experimental music bands have won the coveted Scottish Album of the Year Award with their debut release.

Five-strong alt-pop and electronica outfit Redolent have followed in the footsteps of acts like Mogwai and Young Fathers by claiming the £20,000 prize.

The group, who have emerged from Edinburgh’s indie music scene over the past decade, have been hailed as "a unique and important voice in Scottish music" after winning the title with their album Dinny Greet.

The Scottish Music Industry Association, which honoured the band at its annual ceremony at the Albert Halls in Stirling praised Redolent for their "warped take on the world", adding that their album offered a mix of "harsh reality and joyous escapism".

Fronted by singer Robin Herbert, the band also features his brother Danny, as well as Andrew Turnbull, Robbie White and Alice Hancock.

Dinny Greet, which was recorded at Post Electric Studios in Leith, was honoured ahead of new releases by singer-songwriters Singers Becky Sikasa, Rachel Sermanni and Theo Bleak rock band Lucia & The Best Boys, indie veterans Arab Strap and a new double act formed by Withered Hand and Kathryn Williams.

Trailblazing Glasgow multi-instrumentalist Corto.alto and Edinburgh DJ and music producer Barry Can't Swim were also in the running for the SAY Award with their Mercury Prize nominated albums, with the bands Dead Pony and Lucia & The Best Boys also making the final shortlist.

Although Redolent were formed in 2012, they have risen to prominence in the last two years after winning praise for their debut EP and then their debut album.

Months before Dinny Greet was released, the group was one of eight acts shortlisted for BBC Scotland's Scottish Act of the Year Award.

Speaking about the album when it was released, Robin Herbert said: "It’s a cheer up album about not letting the bad get the best of you, by trying to turn it into something positive and making the most of the good times when they’re around.

"It’s built up of snapshots from my life that I felt like people could relate to: Being stuck in a hellish job, debilitating mental health stuff, addiction.

"And some nice stuff too: Travelling together, teenage misadventure, a summer of skating with people I hadn’t seen in a while. It’s about trying to enjoy the ride. It’s about keeping going, pursuing creativity at all costs.”

Robert Kilpatrick, chief executive and creative director of the SMIA, said: "Redolent's debut album claims Scotland’s national music prize with a powerful and resonant body of work.

"The album’s experimental indie pop sound draws on both sharp social commentary and inventive electronic textures, firmly establishing them as a unique and important voice in Scottish music. By writing and singing in their own demotic, Dinny Greet carries an unmistakable self-assurance, reflecting not just the band’s journey, but where we are culturally as a nation in 2024.

"Redolent's win is a testament to the importance of recognising and investing in Scotland’s diverse creative talent.

"The band’s distinct sound and voice, honed over a decade, speaks to the power of DIY ethos and creative evolution, showing us the impact of emerging artists in shaping our ever-evolving cultural identity."

The ceremony saw the Celtic music trailblazer Martyn Bennett, who died 20 years ago in January, honoured with the Modern Scottish Classic Award for his final release, Grit.

Rising Glasgow jazz star Dillon Barrie won the £10,000 Sound of Young Scotland Award to help him record his debut album.