We are The Other

A collaborative project bringing together artists of diversity in cultlures and practices, including musicians, a dancer, visual and spoken word, and a film-maker.

The artists are from Iran, Yemen, Syria, Brazil, Chile and Scotland, some have a lived experience of forced displacement and migration before settling in Scotland.

They have been welcomed as ‘New Scots’

Listen on Bandcamp

Our Goal

Together the artists explore the diversity of their artistic practices, cultures, life-stories and experiences shaping a vibrant and moving multimedia experience for audiences.

Meet our Musicians

The story of The Others

Originally founded in 2019 with 4 Iranian musicians and 2 Scots for an Edinburgh Fringe performance.

Then in 2020, with support from Creative Scotland’s Creative Development fund, and the EPAD Practice Support Fund, The Other brought together eight incredible musicians to work on five compositions to consolidate this project.

At that time those involved were from Scotland, Iran, Chile and Brazil.

About Us

The outcome for the initial collaboration, was a performance for The Pianodrome Sessions, recorded and filmed in their unique 100-seat amphitheatre in Granton, Edinburgh, on 29 June 2021. This was also streamed during the Refugee Festival on 17 July 2021.

Our amazing sax player Matt Wright, is also Co-Director and founder of The Pianodrome

Watch the Performance

April 2023

Further funding supported the recording of 6 tracks, recorded at Castlesound Studios in Pencaitland, with Stuart Hamilton as engineer, and we were incredibly lucky to have renowned Scottish composer and producer  Pippa Murphy as producer on these sessions.

This was supported through a Creative Scotland funding award.

Be Notified of Release

Iain Mackechnie will be attending WOMEX during October 2025 to represent and promote the artists to World Music professionals. We are currently planning out a tour of UK festivals, and a tour of rural Scotland for 2026. We are open to small and large venues, offering a variety of line-ups to fit venues and events.

Come and join us at our gigs in 2026.

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