Fraser Anderson is a singer-songwriter from Edinburgh, Scotland, now based in France. Born in 1975, he works in a folk-influenced style that combines intimate songwriting with a fuller, more atmospheric sound.

Career

Anderson develops his writing through the Scottish folk scene, where he performs with Dougie MacLean as a vocalist and supports artists including Joan Armatrading, Joe Bonamassa and Chuck Berry in concerts across Britain and France. He also appears in live sessions for BBC Radio 2, Radio Scotland and The Thistle & Shamrock on NPR. In January 2010, he performs a televised BBC set for Celtic Connections alongside Natalie Merchant and her band.

Albums

His early albums include and the girl with the strawberry…, which receives strong praise in Scotland and is described in media there as a masterpiece, and Coming up for air, which is recorded in Paris and is praised by Bob Harris as “truly beautiful”. Anderson’s third album, Little Glass Box, is recorded in France and takes a retro folk-R&B direction. It is premiered on Bob Harris’ BBC Radio 2 show and marks a new direction in his work.

Collaborators

Little Glass Box features Danny Thompson on double bass, Dick Pearce on trumpet, Martin Ditcham on percussion and Max Middleton on Rhodes piano. Thompson has worked with John Martyn, Kate Bush and Nick Drake; Pearce with the Ronnie Scott Quintet; Ditcham with Sade and Mary Black; and Middleton with Jeff Beck, Kate Bush and John Martyn.

Style

Anderson is associated with artists such as Iron & Wine, Paul Simon and John Martyn. His songs are described as lush but also earthy, and his stage presence is noted for its intimacy.