Kim Edgar

Kim Edgar is an Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter whose work sits within alternative pop and folk, with guitar-led songs and a strong emphasis on lyrics. She grows up with a love of words and music, reads avidly, and studies classical piano and music theory from an early age before moving towards writing and performing her own material. Her songs draw on the writing of Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos and Suzanne Vega, and are described as having sombre lyrics with an unexpectedly uplifting quality.

Debut album

Her debut album, butterflies and broken glass, appears in 2008. Edgar describes it as a collection of short stories rather than conventional songs, reflecting her background in children’s stories and English Language & Literature. The album includes songwriting collaborations with Sushil K Dade, Chris Difford and Emma Pollock, and musical support from Karine Polwart and her band. Mattie Foulds produces the record, with support from the Scottish Arts Council through a creative development grant.

Songwriting and live work

Edgar begins performing to wider audiences after Burnsong, a Scottish search for new songwriting talent, brings her to attention for her ability to distil emotions into detailed, thoughtful songs. She is chosen as one of 17 winning unsigned songwriters from more than 800 submissions and takes part in a week-long Songhouse in 2006, collaborating with Chris Difford, Karine Polwart, Michael Johnston, Emma Pollock, Sushil K Dade, MC Soom T and King Creosote. Karine Polwart later performs Edgar’s collaboration “One, Two, Three, Four, Five” as a duet with Paolo Nutini on the BBC Scotland Hogmanay Show in 2006, and invites Edgar to record piano arrangements of two Scots ballads for The Fairest Floo’er.

Recognition and performances

Edgar performs at festivals and events including Celtic Connections, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Big In Falkirk, The Two Rivers Folk Festival and Buxton Festival Fringe, as well as Showcase Scotland and the Folk Alliance in Memphis, Tennessee. She also appears in live sessions on BBC Radio Scotland. Her work receives attention from radio and press, including a five-star review for butterflies and broken glass from Norman Chalmers at Scotland on Sunday, album of the week from Iain Anderson, and airplay from Janice Forsyth and Tom Morton on BBC Radio Scotland. Other stations including SIBC, Real Radio, BBC Radio Tees, Leith FM and ETC FM also play her music.

Later activity

Edgar is selected as a finalist from more than 2,000 songwriters for the Radio 2 New Songwriters Academy 2008. She also performs at an album launch in Edinburgh, supports Karine Polwart on tour, and joins a Tune Up Tour with fellow Burnsong collaborators.