ROBIN AULD BAND

Born to Ayrshire Scots parents in Lusaka, Zambia, Robin’s childhood was spent alternating between Southern Africa and Scotland, a journey reflected in the African and Celtic influences in his music. He learned to play the guitar by listening to Hendrix, Ry Cooder and Neil Young, also absorbing the influences from the indigenous guitarists of South Africa such as Philip Tabane, Tony Cox, Madala Kunene and Steve Newman. The beach and surfing were the main elements of his early years in Cape Town, which he moved to when he was 10 with his mother and brother. He started out playing as a sideman guitarist in various seminal Cape Town line-ups such as the Lancaster Band and Steve Walsh Roots Rhythm band before going on to write and sing his own songs. He had several national hits with the band Z-Astaire, produced by Kevin Shirley who went on to work with Joe Bonnamassa, Led Zeppelin and John Hiatt amongst others.He then embarked on the journey to take his music abroad, and it was in the UK that his music evolved from the pop sound of his earlier recordings to the contemporary mix of roots influences that make up his sound today. Based in Cape Town, he has recorded and performed in New York, Nashville, London, Glasgow and California while touring the UK and South Africa regularly.Over the years many of Southern Africa’s top musicians have appeared on an Auld album and the credits include musicians like Anton Fig from the David Letterman show, Louis Mhlanga, Schalk Joubert, Barry van Zyl and Johnny Clegg. Along with many tours of his own, he’s opened for and performed with artists such as Osibisa, Michelle Shocked, Angelique Kidjo, Jackson Browne, Lloyd Cole, Mud Morgenfield and Seasick Steve.