Songs in the Key of Fife: The Intertwining Stories of the Beta Band, King Creosote, KT Tunstall, James Yorkston and the Fence Collective

by Vic Galloway

The East Neuk of Fife, Scotland, may seem like an unusual place for a musical revolution, but as this firsthand account reveals, there is more to the sleepy fishing villages and rolling fields, and a small community of musicians has crept up on the world. From psychedelic troubadours the Beta Band to the Billboard chart star KT Tunstall, acclaimed singer-songwriter James Yorkston, and the reigning monarch and lynchpin of the Fence Collective, King Creosote, this book plots the unique, intertwining tales of these Fifers from their schooldays to the present day. This story, full of personal anecdotes and exclusive interviews, provides an in-depth look at a unique collective of musicians who have experienced the extreme highs and the desperate lows of the music business and how a craggy outpost on the east coast of Scotland had a role in crafting talented artists.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2013

Reviews

[Wolfgang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the best music book I ever read (and I read quite a few).
My starting point has been love of King Creosote's music and a visit to Fife last year hiking the "Fife Coastal Path".
Little did I know about the deeply routed music scene from that part of Scotland. Vic Galloway tells the detailed history of the larger "Fence Collective" around St. Andrews between the 1980s and now. He does so lovingly and partly being an insider himself, knowing all these musicians personally.

This book is the perfect travel guide through the vast and varied landscape of the musicians' lives and work. Pair that with listening to their immense work and you'll be busy and delighted for months.

[Andrew Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for lovers of the Fence Collective.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly detailed history of some of the finest Scottish musicians

[matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Fence then this is a must read!! Having made the trek over to Fife to meet Kenny and company, I can only say how much I wish this book existed beforehand! RIP Fence!

[Neil Quinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, even if you're not familiar with all the Fence acts. Vic brings a warmth and enthusiasm for these tales that make you want to put down the book and listen to all these musicians.