Mull Historical Society

Mull Historical Society

Mull Historical Society is the recording name of Colin MacIntyre, a Scottish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and unpublished author from Mull, United Kingdom. The project is a solo act rather than a group, although MacIntyre releases music under a band name. His work is associated with indie folk, indie pop and indie rock, and he is identified with Scottish and British alternative and indie music.

Career and releases

MacIntyre releases his first three albums under the Mull Historical Society name, then puts out his fourth and fifth albums, The Water and Island, under his own name. He later returns to the Mull Historical Society moniker for City Awakenings. His fourth album, The Water, is produced by Nick Franglen of Lemon Jelly.

Island is an acoustic record written in St Augustine, America and recorded back on Mull in his old classroom, which is now An Tobar arts centre.

Songwriting and recording style

MacIntyre is known for using unusual sounds and instruments in his recordings. On Gravity he is credited with playing seagulls and a fire extinguisher, and on Death of a Scientist he plays beer kegs. Death of a Scientist is written about the late Dr David Kelly.

He also samples environmental sounds in his songs, including a Glasgow Subway public announcement in Public Service Announcer and part of the shipping forecast at the end of Final Arrears.

Artwork and live performances

Album artwork for the project is varied, ranging from art-led images to plain landscapes, and often includes MS Paint drawings made by MacIntyre himself. A recurring symbol in his touring and artwork is The Giant Dog With The Wig, a large model dog wearing a bright blue wig. In the video for How 'Bout I Love You More, the dog appears as the spaceship.

MacIntyre tours with the project and performs in unusual venues, including the Millennium Wheel and the Scottish Parliament. He also tours with acts including The Strokes, Elbow and R.E.M.

The name Mull Historical Society comes from a real genealogical society on the island of Mull, later renamed the Mull Historical and Archaeological Society.