Notes from the Boneyard: This is who I am

By Mark McCausland

The open road has swallowed me up again. Yoinked me from the comforts of home and flung me back out there.

As often is the case, I hadn’t planned this.

Another happy accident that happened without an ounce of effort.

As if nature itself intended it for me.

After a boat journey across calm waters, I spent the first day taking a very scenic drive through Scotland; passing through towns and villages I can’t pronounce the names of, each one as quaint as the next.

And the same thought goes through my head with each place I pass, like a mantra: ‘I could live here’. But alas, I’ll likely never see half of these settlements again in my life.

I finally get to Edinburgh, and meet an old friend, Sol. We decide a late night cocktail is in order, and we are right.

The next day I rise from slumber early to meet Jolie Holland and Ben Boye.

We have an Indian dinner before rehearsing in Sol’s living room for the rest of the evening. It’s sounding unsurprisingly great.

Jolie’s songs are so good and such a joy to play that it comes naturally and with ease.

Zero effort is involved.

Just intuition and a good ear.

The tour begins the next day.

A tour that will last for the next month, travelling south, as far as Brighton, before boating it back to Ireland for the final leg.

Friends are reaching out to come to shows in different cities across the tour.

Old friends and new friends.

Some I haven’t seen for years, since the last time I played there.

Touring becomes like one big reunion party.

Catching up and reconnecting.

Newcastle is first stop on the list.

The crowd is very warm and lively – especially for a Tuesday night.

The music really hits home.

Not just with the audience, but with us on stage.

It hits me then, why I do this.

And I begin to remember, this is who I am.