ANGUS MacPhail will be bringing his band Skipinnish to Bury next week riding on a wave of euphoria following a series of special 20th anniversary shows.

These included a date in Inverness where the band - twice named Live Act of the Year in the Trad Music Awards - performed in front of 4,000 people.

“I’m still on a bit of a hight after that gig,” confided Angus who with Andrew Stevenson formed the band in 1999. “It was incredible to have 4,000 folk come to see us and all singing our songs. It was definitely a high point of our career so far.”

Initially comprising just Angus and Andrew, Skipinnish has grown to become an eight-piece outfit with numbers often supplemented by extra guest players.

“The band has sort of evolved naturally,” said Angus. “The growth hasn’t been particularly planned.

“We could never have predicted the success we have had in last few years. We are so grateful to all the audiences who come from all over the country to see.”

The band released their most recent album The Seventh Wave in 2017, full of original songs.

Their trip to Bury next Friday is part of a plan to bring their music to more audiences south of the border.

“We’ve not played down south too much and we’re really looking forward to spreading our wings and discovering pastures new. We have had such a good response to the gigs we have done there and we just want more of it.”

Although Skipinnish songs tend to be influenced by the band’s home in Western Scotland, Angus says that they have the power to connect with audiences all over the UK.

“In the past few years there has been a strong renaissance in traditional music particularly with younger audiences.”

He cited the influence of bands such as Runrig who were the real pioneers of taking traditional music to the mainstream.

“It started with Runrig and then bands like Capercaille and now there are bands such as Skerrymore and Manran,” he said. “All these elements have come together and our rise has really coincided with this burst of interest.

“If you asked me three years ago I’d have said we were at our peak but then we’ve continued to keep growing. Next year we might be back where we were 10 years ago or we might be doing even bigger gigs – who knows.

“We just want to bring our form of traditional music to a wider audience and that’s why we’re heading to see you in Bury. We’re heading down for a great, wild party.”

Skipinnish, Bury Met, Friday, July 26. Details from www.themet.org.uk