This laid-back guitar tune sits squarely within the long-standing tradition of broadly appealing Scottish folk tunes, and Carl Marah succeeds at adding his own contribution to the latest wave of this genre with his new single, Stags and Hens.
Stags and Hens mixes pop music and a light-hearted folk ballad with a Paolo Nutini-inspired feel to it. It echoes the mood of Amy MacDonald’s seminal Scottish track This is The Life, narrating a fun night out spent observing stag and hen parties animating Edinburgh. It manages to sound nostalgic without sacrificing its playfulness. The production is strong and organic, with the electric guitar chords in the background that harmonise with Marah’s singing. The whole piece fits together: the sonic profile, his voice, and the lyrics transport the listener right to that specific night out.
This single was an instant favourite and took me back to the first time I came across Paolo Nutini’s Candy. With his storytelling abilities and the easy-listening nature of this song, Marah’s first EP does an amazing job at satisfying the loyal fans he has acquired so far, and at opening his work to a wider audience.
Carl Marah is performing in Glasgow at McChuills on Wednesday, 8 July 2026.