Edmonton native Scot Robinson has assembled a collaborative group of musicians named Scot Free Sessions in anticipation of the upcoming debut release "Edmonton Skyline." Latest single "Istanbul" is a haunting tale of modern romance and rounds out a solid set of preview singles in 2022. The sense of narrative and detail-oriented storyline here is very strong, cowritten by Robinson and producer / guitarist, Bobby Cameron.
Scot Free Sessions was a winner and three-time finalist in the worldwide Unsigned Only Music Competition along with being one of the few artists to be named a six-time finalist in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC), so the talent here has not gone unnoticed. I was struck by the palpable sense of emotional authenticity, as well as a blissful, roots-oriented production aesthetic that reminds me just a little bit of Jakob Dylan and the Wallflowers. Self-described as 'Americana storytelling that stains a wounded heart,' this introspective track is both wistful and mysterious, exploring that universal human instinct to offset the empty spaces of our lives with a touch of the unknown. Filled with nuggets of personal wisdom and hard-earned perspective, "Istanbul" centers around an ill-fated union between online acquaintances: with a spark of romance that is dim enough to die instantly, but still bright enough to be exciting. When it comes to 'shaking the sadness from our bones,' we so seldom find what we are looking for.
