24th May 2024 will see the release of Littoral Zone, the second solo album by Adam Ross - a musician described by Folk Radio as "one of Scotland’s most talented singers and songwriters".

The album is produced by multiple Scottish Album Of The Year Award nominated composer and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Wasylyk and released on London record label Fika Recordings. Arts bodies Creative Scotland and Help Musicians have supported and funded the album in recognition of what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting musical collaborations of 2024.

The album is a heavily lyrical collection of warped 70s-esque indie-folk ballads inspired by Adam’s relocation to the coast. The title, Littoral Zone, is a term used to define where the sea meets the land but also a nod to a style of direct, literary observations about the people, landscapes and states of mind Adam has discovered since moving there. The lyrics cover themes of nature, politics, faith, love and death and are surrounded by Andrew’s deft production featuring luscious string ensembles and brass.

The writing of the album saw Adam move away from guitar and onto piano, having bought a slightly battered upright piano from a local antiques warehouse as a first priority after moving house in 2021. Chords, melodies and musical ideas were recorded on Adam's phone before lyrics were slowly built up during his walks on the beach and clifftops around the village of St Cyrus where he now lives. 

Songs like Free Will and Union Gary chart and exaggerate the at-times ridiculous minutiae of day-to-day life, with the latter musing on British foreign policy via the prism of an unkempt garden. The Going and I Get It Wrong pay tribute to the natural beauty and mystery of coastal landscapes while Brambles falls into the musical tradition of the murder ballad, with a story loosely based on an amalgamation of true events. The album's darker edges can also be discovered in Shrinking and Ego which dwell on aging and self-doubt, however Apogee looks to counterbalance such themes with a pure outpouring of love.

The album sees Adam at his most musically ambitious and precise. In contrast to his more lo-fi and DIY previous work, Littoral Zone is a painstakingly crafted record which celebrates collaboration. Andrew Wasylyk's production and multi-instrumentalist performances bring sonic sophistication which is further heightened by Pete Harvey's heart-stirring string arrangements. Gillian Fleetwood's yearning vocals are a constant highlight throughout the album, as is Rachel Simpson's exquisite brass playing. Ultimately, Littoral Zone is an album of stories and Adam's lyrical knack shines throughout.

Adam Ross - Littoral Zone

Free Will is the first single and the opening track from Adam Ross's new album, Littoral Zone. The song is a stream-of-consciousness journey through a list of doubts, desires, demons and disputes as warped synths and rolling bass guitar slowly build to a sweeping orchestral conclusion. Free Will is a perfect scene-setter showcasing Adam's wry lyricism and the masterful skills of his musical collaborators. The album is produced by Andrew Wasylyk who brings a sonic palette of bone-dry drum kits, modulating keyboards and sparkling piano, all topped off with heart-stirring string arrangements by Pete Harvey, yearning vocals by Gillian Fleetwood and punctuating brass by Rachel Simpson.

Recorded in 2023 during a series of studio sessions in Dundee, the song takes you on a stroll through a north-east village as the narrative flits between parochial and existential concerns, introspection and shabby romance. It marks a departure from the sparse folk of Adam’s previous album and opens up the new, expansive musical world of the Littoral Zone.

Adam says about the song:

"I was thinking about the idea of blame and guilt, having read a book about free will. There's a theory that says free will doesn't exist because there's evidence we make choices before our brains have the chance to actually think about them. And if that's true then it's either a scary/depressing realisation or potentially a liberating one because then there's no need for blame or shame - stuff just happens.  
“Naturally, that led to a line about religion. I had a pretty positive experience with a religious childhood but I don't believe anymore and the only hangover is sometimes finding it hard to shake the idea I'm being watched, which is sort of where the tattoo line came from. I'm really pleased with how this song turned out, particularly the way the outro loops and builds. It felt like a pretty good opening statement for the album."

Free Will is released on 17th January as a digital single. It also comes as a free download with pre-orders of Littoral Zone which is released by Fika Recordings on 24th May on vinyl, CD and digital.

Adam Ross - Littoral Zone - Free Will

Apogee is the second single from Adam Ross's new album, Littoral Zone. The song is an optimistic evocation of the strength of love, with Adam’s thoughtful lyrics tied up in a sweeping orchestral-indie production (courtesy of Andrew Wasylyk) which brings to mind the likes of Camera Obscura and Belle & Sebastian.


The gorgeous string arrangements were written by Pete Harvey and the song also features guest vocals by Gillian Fleetwood and brass by Rachel Simpson. It was recorded during a series of sessions in Andrew Wasylyk’s Dundee studio and the release is accompanied by a live video featuring an 8-piece ensemble and filmed in Abdie & Dunbog Parish Church in Lindores.


Adam says about the song:


“I wrote Apogee during a pretty special two-month songwriting stay in a former lighthouse keeper’s cottage at Todhead near Catterline a few years ago. My wife would visit at the weekends and then I’d be left on my own throughout the week so this song was for her, really.


“Todhead Lighthouse was where I wrote and recorded half of my first solo album, Staring At Mountains, but Apogee didn’t feel right for that album. I had a couple of different ideas about where to take it but Andrew suggested Camera Obscura as a loose reference point since we knew were going to be lucky enough to work with a string ensemble. When I arrived at the string recording session, this is the song they were playing and it was a really lovely moment for me to walk into the room and hear it all coming together. I love Pete Harvey’s arrangement.”


Apogee is released on 6th March as a digital single. It follows the first single, Free Will, which has received regular radio play on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC 6 Music and Amazing Radio. The album, Littoral Zone, is released by Fika Recordings on 24th May on vinyl, CD and digital which is currently available to pre-order.

Apogee

Adam Ross - Littoral Zone - Apogee

Shrinking is the third single from Scottish singer-songwriter Adam Ross's forthcoming solo album, Littoral Zone (out 24/05/24). It showcases a newfound sense of musical melancholy and lyrical contemplation far removed from the sprightly indie-pop Adam has become known for with his band Randolph's Leap. 

The album is produced by multiple Scottish Album of the Year Award nominee Andrew Wasylyk who brings a sonic palette of bone-dry drum kits, modulating keyboards and sparkling piano, all topped off with heart-stirring string arrangements by Pete Harvey, yearning vocals by Gillian Fleetwood and punctuating brass by Rachel Simpson.

Adam explains:

"This song helped define the direction and purpose of Littoral Zone. My first solo album, Staring At Mountains, was very stripped-back and I knew I wanted the next one to have more of a band sound. But it had to have its own identity and justify its existence as a solo project detached from Randolph's Leap. Shrinking explores sounds and feelings that I haven't attempted before in my songwriting as it moves away from indie-pop and into something more laidback and poignant, I suppose. It's a ponderous song about self-doubt and it was built around a simple piano arrangement with a sort of loungey 70s folk-pop sensibility.

"The beginning of the vocal melody was partly inspired by the traditional Gaelic ballad Mo Mhathair after hearing Callum Kennedy's version on the radio during a long car journey while at a low ebb. The emotion in the melody hit me hard. The lyrics were slightly inspired by the poem Not Waving But Drowning by Stevie Smith and are about the way we often mask our feelings of inadequacy."

Shrinking is released on 17th April as a digital single. It comes ahead of the release of Littoral Zone by Fika Recordings on 24th May on vinyl, CD and digital. Adam launches the album with a live gig featuring a 6-piece band on 30th May at Mono in Glasgow.

Adam Ross - Littoral Zone - Shrinking

Fika Recordings is a diy indie[pop] label run from London.
