CONSTANT FOLLOWER

Bio Live

Music of quiet intensity and uncommon grace, Constant Follower is the band built around Scottish songwriter Stephen McAll. Moving between Folk and dream-like Slowcore, their music is marked by its space, intimacy and emotional weight. The new album, The Smile You Send Out Returns To You, spent two weeks in the UK Top 20 and earned the project a third Scottish Album of the Year nomination. The band first came to attention with their acclaimed Shimmy Disc debut, recorded in Stirling and mixed by Kramer at Noise Miami. They have since appeared at SXSW, Cambridge Folk Festival, Glasgow Kelvingrove Bandstand (with Teenage Fanclub) and beyond, gaining international recognition for songs that explore memory, loss and the quiet strength of resilience.

Bio Short

Constant Follower, the band formed around Scottish songwriter Stephen McAll, first emerged with the acclaimed debut Neither Is, Nor Ever Was on Shimmy Disc. The album was shortlisted for the 2022 Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award, followed in 2023 by a second SAY nomination for McAll’s collaboration with Scott William Urquhart, Even Days Dissolve. Known for their atmospheric, meditative sound, Constant Follower have captivated audiences at SXSW (2022–2024) and received airplay on KEXP, WFMU, BBC Scotland, and BBC 6 Music. Their second album, The Smile You Send Out Returns To You, released in February 2025 via Last Night From Glasgow, was met with critical acclaim and charted across the UK: No. 1 on the Official Independent Breakers Chart, No. 2 on the Scottish Albums Chart, No. 3 on the Folk Albums Chart, and No. 14 on the UK Album Sales Chart. It also marked the third consecutive nomination for Scottish Album of the Year. McAll is now back in his Stirling studio, working with a close group of collaborators on Constant Follower’s third album.

Bio Long

Constant Follower is the band formed around Scottish songwriter Stephen McAll. Their debut album for legendary New York indie label Shimmy Disc was shortlisted for the 2022 Scottish Album of the Year Award (SAY) and found its way onto the top of multiple ‘Best Albums of 2021’ lists, leading to a string of notable performances including Austin’s SXSW 2022 and SXSW 2023, and a spellbinding set from the crown of Scotland’s National Wallace Monument. A triumph after tragedy, the album was McAll’s first work many years after an unprovoked attack in his late teens left him with catastrophic head injuries, partially paralysed and unable to write or play guitar. The following decade was spent recovering on the West Coast of Scotland, learning to live, and eventually picking up the guitar to allow the songs that form his acclaimed debut ‘Neither Is, Nor Ever Was’ to emerge.

In addition to his band endeavours, in April 2023 McAll released a collaborative album with renowned folk guitarist Scott William Urquhart. This exceptional work, released on Golden Hum Recordings, garnered widespread critical acclaim and was long-listed for the 2023 SAY Award. Described as "an enchanting, deeply absorbing, and meditative album" (Folk Radio) it showcases the musical affinity and unique talents of these two Scottish songwriters and musicians. The duo has already embarked on their next project, currently in the works and scheduled for a late 2026 release.

Released on 28th February 2025 via Scottish label Last Night From Glasgow, second album The Smile You Send Out Returns To You marked a significant step forward for Constant Follower. Mixed by Dan Duszynski (Loma, Sub Pop) in Austin, Texas, the album builds on the dream-folk and slowcore textures of earlier work while opening new sonic space. It debuted at No. 2 on the Official Scottish Albums Chart, No. 3 on the Official Folk Albums Chart, and reached No. 1 on the Official Independent Breakers Chart. It also broke into the UK-wide Album Sales Chart at No. 14 - an ambitious release, warmly received. The record recieved Constant Follower's third consecutive Scottish Album of the Year nomination.

McAll is now back in his Stirling studio, working on the third Constant Follower album alongside a close-knit group of collaborators. Continuing to evolve the project’s sound while staying rooted in the reflective, melodic core that defines it, the new work is already taking shape - quietly and purposefully - between the cracks of everyday life.

Press Comments for 'The Smile You Send Out Returns To You'

“Hopelessly beautiful.” CLASH Magazine

“Verdant folk arrangements with an otherworldly tension. A deeply atmospheric experience, guided by celestial vocal harmonies.” Under The Radar

"Wow, it's gorgeous." Philip Selway, Radiohead

"A stunning, introspective album of intelligence, beauty and emotional depth." Backseat Mafia

"I know it's only June, but this will be one of my Albums of the Year." Gideon Coe, BBC 6 Music

“Luxurious but melancholy. Epic but comforting. Genuine, heartfelt and profound. Incredibly moving and distinctive… characterised by maturity, perfectionism and an unmatched emotional depth.” KLOF Mag

"Gorgeous atmospheric Folk" KEXP

"A work that leaves you stunned and enchanted." Rockerilla

"A songwriter of rare depth." God Is In The TV

"An album of contemplative beauty, mixing melancholy and magic." Ian Rankin

“Gentle, understated, fully formed and utterly beguiling.” The Scotsman

"A thing of abject beauty, employing gorgeously layered guitars intertwined with haunting vocal harmonies to create soundscapes that blur the lines between hope and devastation." SNACK Mag

Music

Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2e88kVzQmflYCpRR1NjYzX?si=b3b49d41b91d437f

Apple Music playlist: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/constant-follower-all-songs/pl.u-mJy8gE4CN1vxpVM

Links

https://www.constantfollower.com

https://www.instagram.com/constantfollower

https://www.facebook.com/theconstantfollower

https://www.twitter.com/constantfollowr

https://www.youtube.com/c/ConstantFollower

https://www.constantfollower.bandcamp.com

Contacts

Bookings (UK/ROW): craig@runwayartists.com