Qulture Magazine

Photos & Words: Madi Briggs

Welcoming in 2026 was the much beloved First Footin’. With thousands in attendance every year, this free live music trail that takes place across some of the finest venues in Edinburgh’s city centre is a celebration of Scotland’s music scene. The New year’s excitement was continued by the absolutely delightful acts in this year’s lineup including Scotstown Dance Band, Goodnight Louisa and SLIX as well as a plethora of others, making First Footin’, as always, a joy to attend.

Starting my day off at the packed St Giles Cathedral, I managed to catch two of Scotland’s current musical trailblazers, Kathryn Joseph and the Tinderbox Orchestra. Beginning with Joseph and her enigmatic blend of indie-folk and alternative with a good dose of piano thrown into the mix, her set was simply mesmerising. Playing some of her newest songs from her album ‘WE WERE MADE PREY.’ as well as some old ones, she had the whole venue’s undivided attention and it’s not hard to work out why. For only having half-an-hour to fit everything in, the Inverness musician certainly packed a punch with her breathy and tender vocals and her standout show was elevated further with the addition of Tinderbox before their set, adding a burst of energy to this already spectacular display of musical skill and charm.

Rounding off the night at St Giles was the highly anticipated Tinderbox Orchestra and they did not disappoint. Joined by three very special guests, Rachel Sermanni, James Emmanuel and Joseph as well as some Tinderbox regulars, I couldn’t have thought of a better way to round off the festivities here.

An eclectic blend of sound and styles, played to the backdrop of a whole host of instruments, its orchestra like never heard before. Tinderbox manages to make you feel like you belong, fun, at times frenzied but always a smashing good time, there was something for everyone within their set. From the dulcet tones of Deep Sea Creature and his acoustic guitar to the upbeat chaos of Archie Hunter’s ‘War Cry’, passion, heart and creative exploration underpinned the entire evening.

After St Giles, I moved on to the stunning venue of The Huxley to see South-Indian/Scottish artist Nikhita. Cultural roots and identity infused with soul and R ‘n’ B sounds, for having never seen the young singer before, I can confidently say that I will be first in line at her next show! Reminiscent of greats including Lizzie Reid and Adrienne Lenker, I’m excited to see what the future holds for Nikhita as I’m certain that she’ll go on to big things.

Wrapping up my night was the 2025 Sound of Young Scotland winner Alice Faye. Having heard promising things about her from friends and family, I was eager to check her out myself and I did not leave Copper Blossom disappointed! Taking to the stage for her second set of the night, accompanied by the extremely talented guitarist Lewis Docherty, the setlist was a sporadic blend of feeling from the jazzy delights of ‘Lovely Mother’ to the more gentle and melancholic tones of ‘Nowhere to Go’, each song was unique but always poignantly beautiful.

A reminder of why Scotland does it best when it comes to music, with artists coming from all over the island to the heart of Edinburgh, First Footin’ was a brilliant and memorable way to kick off 2026!