Following from VULIN’s successful EP “Tethered to Sleep”, mastered by Guy Davies and praised by many critics, Craig MacLeod offers a fresh sentimental masterpiece “Kirk Road”. Produced and recorded in St Marnock’s Church by the Scottish singer-songwriter, he vitalises the concepts of real space in familiar and intimate surroundings.
I asked Craig a few questions about his debut album, which is set to release on the 31st of July.
In the beginning of “Òrla”, we hear your daughter enter the church, how has family been a big influence on your upcoming album?
“I love that introduction to the album and that track. The album actually begins with my daughter opening the doors of the kirk. I’d left the microphones running and gone to get her, so what you hear are her reactions as she walks into the space—her wee voice echoing around the church, and her running up and down the aisle between the pews. At the time, I wasn’t entirely sure it would work, but I’m so glad I included it. It’s a special memory to have captured.
The whole idea behind the album was to record songs in a real space and allow that space to become part of the music. I wanted the ambient sounds and atmosphere of the village to naturally find their way into the recordings, adding a sense of realism and humanity.
Kirk Road was recorded and produced by me in St Marnock’s Church, just across the road from our family home. Fowlis is where my wife and I bought our first house and where our daughter was born. In many ways, I’ve been working on this album for most of her life, so it’s deeply connected to that chapter of becoming a husband, becoming a father, and putting down roots in a village with such a rich history.
Those experiences are reflected most directly in songs like “Òrla”, “Daughter”, and “Morning Light”. Other songs draw on memories of my own upbringing in Arbroath and explore themes of love, loss, family, luck, grief, and connection.
Tracks such as “Arc”, “Jigsaw”, “On a Wire”, “Endless Days”, and “Wishbone” are all, in different ways, attempts to make sense of life’s complexities and our place within them.
Looking back, I think the album is ultimately about family, belonging, and trying to understand ourselves through the people and places that shape us.”
Your new single “Jigsaw” just released on the 5th of June. To understand the memories and experiences you take inspiration from, what does the metaphor of the title “Jigsaw” mean to you in the context of the track?
“The “Jigsaw” metaphor is intentionally open to interpretation, and I often enjoy writing in a way that leaves room for different readings.
A jigsaw is made up of lots of individual pieces that come together to form a larger picture, and I found that to be a compelling way of thinking about identity. In the song, the character is the jigsaw itself: a collection of fragments, virtues, flaws, memories, and contradictions. Some of those pieces might appear damaged or misshapen in isolation, but they still belong to the same picture and help make the whole person who they are.
Through that image, the song touches on family, introspection, addiction, health struggles, and self-destructive behaviour, while also acknowledging the effect those struggles can have on the people we love.
Although the song can sound self-deprecating on the surface, I don’t think it’s ultimately a pessimistic song. There’s tension in it, certainly, but there’s hope as well. For me, it’s about learning to accept the parts of ourselves we’d rather hide or reject, and recognising that we’re often judged more kindly by others than we judge ourselves.
Ultimately, “Jigsaw” is about self-acceptance. It’s about understanding that we’re all made up of imperfect pieces, and that those imperfections don’t diminish our value. If anything, they help shape who we are. By the end of the song, I hope there’s a sense of peace, growth, and the possibility of moving forward.”
There is a certain focus on an appreciation for the present and the moment. Can you tell us about the inspirations for these mantras in the previous song?
“It’s been interesting to see how people have interpreted that line, because I hoped it would carry multiple meanings. “Blessed present, not past or future” is primarily about my daughter. Like most children, she has that wonderful ability to live completely in the moment, and I think there’s something we can all learn from that. At the same time, the line is also about celebrating the present itself rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. There’s a play on the word “present” too. Having a child is a gift born from love, and that gift exists right now, beyond any regrets about what’s gone before or anxieties about what might come next.
That idea carries into the following line, “For a moment, just a moment.” On one level, it’s an invitation to appreciate the present while it’s here. On another, it’s a reminder of impermanence—the present moment is always fleeting, and in a broader sense so is our time together. I wanted those lines to hold both the joy of being present and the awareness that nothing lasts forever.”
Regarding your upcoming album “Kirk Road”, there is a lot of speaking in place of singing. Does the composing process differ in this regard?
“Not really. I think “Òrla” is the only track on the album that includes a spoken-word section. I’d already written the tune and originally intended it to remain entirely instrumental, but after recording all the parts and beginning the mix, I found myself inspired during the bridge and had the idea of introducing some spoken words and phrases. It felt like something that might fit naturally within the piece.
I’d never included spoken word on a track before, and if I’m honest, I was a little conflicted about it at first. There was a part of me that worried it might feel a bit self-indulgent or cringeworthy. But I was happy with the words themselves, so I left the song alone for a while and came back to it later with fresh ears. When I did, it felt much more natural, and I realised it added something meaningful to the track.
I also liked the idea of it opening the album. Because the song is about my daughter, there was something quite special about speaking those words directly. I suppose I also thought that one day she might return to it and discover meanings in it that she’s too young to understand now. At five years old, she’ll hear it very differently than she might in twenty years’ time. As for whether songwriting is poetry, I’ve never really thought of my songs as poems. I hope the lyrics are poetic, and I’ve been fortunate to receive feedback that suggests they are. A lot of that probably comes from my love of language, imagery, and finding interesting ways to express ideas. But I still see them primarily as songs rather than poems.
That said, “Òrla” may be the exception. The writing process itself wasn’t any different from my usual approach, but the change in delivery inevitably makes it feel closer to poetry than some of the other songs on the album.”
Has the success of your collaboration on James McAvoy’s film California Schemin’, which focuses on Scotland’s most famous music industry story, influenced your upcoming releases?
“In terms of songwriting and production, no. I had actually finished this album—and another EP that will be released later in the year—before I had the opportunity to work with Billy Boyd (Silibil) on music for the film.
That said, the attention around the film, along with my collaboration with Billy, has helped bring more awareness to my own work. Being associated with James McAvoy’s film California Schemin’ has naturally led to more press and visibility, so in that sense it has been influential—but more from a marketing and awareness perspective than a creative one. It’s helped get the name “VULIN” out there, rather than shaping the music itself. As a side note, Billy actually really loved the track “Arc” from Kirk Road, so we ended up doing a remix of it together, which appears on our Lost Soul EP, now available on all streaming platforms.”
It was a pleasure to speak with Craig on his new album “Kirk Road”, available on the 31st of July. In the meantime, keep up to date with @vulinmusic on Instagram!