Under the Radar: Anoraq
The magical creative hybrid release their debut album in May, write Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon
Anoraq are a magical creative hybrid which brings together award-winning, Mexican-Scottish poet, Patrick Romero McCafferty with a diverse band of musicians including his schoolmate Tim Martin-Ciubotaru (guitar), Shetland fiddler Peter Kay, electronics wizard Lewis Hall and the ubiquitous Alex Palmer (percussion/drums).
The group have built a solid following via their Inside Voices evenings in Glasgow, where they perform an improvised, ambient soundbed for storytellers and spoken word artists to use as a musical accompaniment. This has led to bookings at ranging from Connect to Paisley Book Festival, not to mention support slot opening for poet laureate, Simon Armitage.
On 1 May they release their debut album, An August Work Party, which has been three years in the making. Partly mixed in the North Sea, while Kay was working offshore, it is a wonderful mixture of field recordings, mobile phone voice notes, Shetland fiddle playing, live percussion, piano and bedroom-tracked guitar loops, perfectly melded in a home studio. Radio Buena Vida will host a listening party at 9pm on 29 April and special performance is set to take place at Kelburn Garden Party in early July. Details at this link.
Join music/tech social enterprise Off Axis at FOCUS Wales on Friday 8 May 2026 at The Wynnstay Hotel, as part of the international music and film festival. Showcasing Welsh talent alongside international acts, over 250 emerging artists will perform across 20 stages for 25,000 attendees throughout Wrexham 7- 9 May, marking the 16th edition of FOCUS Wales. Off Axis Tours CIC presents FAEDA, Tom Collins and Wynona Bleach alongside headliners Fat Dog, IDLEWILD and Shame. Find out more here.
Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, see www.borntobewide.co.uk