The Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse is an alternative indie folk artist, described as “rollocking americana” by Last Year’s Girl. The Horse resides in the Scottish Highlands, in a tiny village named Strathcarron. While primarily a solo artist, he also performs with a backing band called The Wat Wat Kings.

As a songwriter, The Horse is inspired by both real life subjects and subjects that exist solely in his mind. When he starts writing a song, he never really knows where it will end up, stating himself that “once you start, the songs just kind of write themselves”. Musically, he was brought up on bluegrass, country, blues and punk, spent his younger years between alternative rock and hip hop, and cites some of his influences today as Beck, Andrew Jackson Jihad and Hank Williams.

Live appearances have included a one-day nine-stop tour of Glasgow, UK with Tragic O’Hara, a roadside attraction tour in the US and several spontaneous pop-up shows spanning parts of the UK, Canada and Europe.

In Nov 2012, Ramisco was invited down to BBC Scotland to record a session for RAPAL TV. BBC Alba will air the session on April 25th. The track, Seas Air Do Chorra-Bhiod, was named RAPAL’s Gaelic Song of the Year 2013.

In Feb 2013, The Horse created a music video for Danger Danger with one of the Wat Wat Kings, Caliente, it was a no-budget effort, no film crew, just an unattended camcorder on a tripod and a mobile phone in a cereal bowl.

Releases to date include One Zero One Zero One Zero (2010), Fajita’s Basement (2011) and Squawk! (2013). Squawk! is perhaps the most recognised to date with airplay on BBC Radio Nan Gaidheal, The Waiting Room Radio Show (Houndstooth Radio, DIY Radio, Hoxton FM, Radio Andra, Radio Phoenix...), KA Radio, and several other stations, both national and international, prior to it’s release on March 4th, 2013.

On May 6, 2013, The Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse will support The Boy Who Trapped The Sun at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow, UK.

Previous to becoming The Horse, Ray McCartney was a founding member, songwriter, performer and producer of The Kazoo Funk Orchestra. He performed as Little Beard before leaving the collective for brain surgery only weeks after recording a performance for BBC Alba’s RAPAL TV show late 2008. Ray was also the founding member / songwriter and frontman of El Jugador until the band split in 2005.

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