The Gaffer is an Edinburgh-based alternative rock musician/songwriter who currently writes and records from his bedroom.

Drawing from an eclectic range of influences such as Weezer, Simon & Garfunkel and Carly Rae Jepsen, The Gaffer strives to create a diverse discography with one constant recurring feature – earworms. 

Since the age of 14, The Gaffer has been cutting his teeth in the Edinburgh music scene by playing with a variety of local bands and projects. These experiences have taken him from low key shows in back gardens and school assembly halls to playing packed gigs at iconic venues such as Sneaky Pete's and the Liquid Rooms.

After graduating from University and beginning a full time career in teaching, he decided to take things into his own hands and start recording the backlog of fifty or so original songs he had written throughout the past eight years. This required him to come up with a musical persona that separated the teacher from the artist, 'The Gaffer' was therefore born.

The Gaffer began recording musical projects in the Spring of 2019 which saw the release in August of that year his debut single Dancing Alone which despite no fanfare has been well received with over 17,500 Spotify streams.

This year has been a busy one for the The Gaffer as he released his double A-side Rain/Drive Away And Lose You on 24 April.

Immediately after these songs came out, The Gaffer began work on recording his debut EP There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather, utilising industry standard mixing and mastering by Steve Murray for the first time in his catalogue in order to take his songs to the next level.

It’s this EP which came out Friday 28 August, the opening track is Throw Me Off and what a great start, it is an infectious piece of alt rock, a catchy melody that alternates from blasting your ears to a quieter vibe altogether.

It’s a song about being fixated with someone and catering to them at their beck and call, despite them ever being likely to feel the same, I love the opening verse “if you’re scared tell me and I will be there, it’s funny what expressions can doooo to make me care, cos now I’m thinking of you and all the stupid things that you do, the bits I tell you I never should when there’s nothing to prove”.

Throw Me Off is a great start to the EP and the simple repeat of the words “Throw Me Off” will go down well in a live environment.

Next up The Words is a song about not being able to communicate your affection for someone to the extent that it deserves as highlighted when The Gaffer sings “I’ve tried to find the words I seek in a book, no one ever told me just how useless words could be when the words are said for someone else and not for me, I am infatuated, my words can’t be translated and I felt the loss for the words”.

Musically The Words has a more chilled vibe to it, it has a lovely mix of instruments that help deliver the message of the lyrics, again The Gaffer nails the catchy melody that ensures you are going to give the track some serious attention.

Nothing Will Be The Same is an acoustic ballad about finally acknowledging when a relationship has run its course. It documents the feelings of guilt and sense of responsibility that comes hand in hand with heartbreak.

It’s beautifully melancholic melody and it’s heart tugging emotions give this song a relatable vibe for many, I particularly liked the lines “when I see her crying I break in silence, watch her suffer and walk away, should we hide these emotions we feel inside us or let all of them out to play”.

With the final track A Turning Point the volume gets turned up a notch, it’s definitely the rockiest number on the EP, especially the second half of the tune which is a real blast on the ears, almost akin to Biffy, but that said it still retains the ear worm melodies, The Gaffer certainly knows how to write a song that sticks with you.

There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather is a really fantastic EP, The Gaffer has given us four completely different tracks but one thing remains consistent his ability to write killer ear worm melodies, these songs stay with you long after they have finished.

The Gaffer is yet another of my finds during lockdown and is a must see when live music resumes, I would suggest that you check out his tunes, something tells me he might just grab your attention !!

Tracklist

1. Throw Me Off

2. The Words

3. Nothing Will Be The Same

4. A Turning Point

Give There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather a stream now:

https://open.spotify.com/album/3gC81iP8wRbLnlfFu2mwzG?si=jD0ksvyXSrulLF5uIHGnfw

The Gaffer can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Spotify pages:

https://www.facebook.com/TheGafferMusic/

https://instagram.com/thegaffermusic?igshid=wu8qaw5y9ide

https://twitter.com/TheGafferMusic?s=21

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3bM2nbxPeMFVLjDGlx1pMq?si=ZEfeSL3pS56DzQnCNCvW-w