What we appreciate the most about ‘Weight Will Unwind’ is its aural simplicity… its tenderness, and its quiet confidence. Guided by the heartwarming vocals of Scottish troubadour Finlay Birch, the record delves into indie-folk territories with grace and elegance, layering cathartic, introspective lyricism over an acoustic yet vibrant arrangement. It’s a triumph, the final evidence that one does not need to reinvent the wheel to write beautiful music. Birch keeps it simple in a very effective way.
The listening experience behind ‘Weight Will Unwind’ is also extremely relatable. We mean it: it’s a piece that will give listeners hope and emotional aid, a slice of comforting goodness in the face of an over-complex world. The record was captured live at An Tobar and Mull Theatre, a venue in the Scottish Isle of Mull, where Finlay himself currently resides. As we are told, the song was originally written “in a farmhouse kitchen on a stormy night”. So bucolic!
Intrigued by Birch’s artistry, we caught up with him to learn more about his overall artistry and future goals… Interview below!
Hey Finlay, thanks for chatting with us! I have been listening to ‘Weight Will Unwind’ for a bit, and I appreciate its soothing, evocative character. Before we dive into the specifics of it, are you proud of how the record turned out?
Hey, thank you so much. I am really proud of how the record turned out. It took me quite a long time to get to the point of actually releasing music; I had been writing songs for years, but always felt a bit nervous about putting them out into the world. So to finally release ‘Weight Will Unwind’ and see people connecting with it has been really special. The recording itself feels very honest to me, and that was important. I didn’t want to polish the life out of it; I wanted it to feel intimate and real.
‘Weight Will Unwind’ is framed into a larger body of work, an album that’s set to be released later this year. What can we expect from it? Are you focusing on acoustically-driven folk matter?
Yes, the song is the title track of my debut album, which will be coming out later this year. The record is rooted in acoustic songwriting and folk traditions, but it moves around a bit stylistically. Some songs are very stripped back, almost just voice and guitar, while others open out into more expansive arrangements.
The album was recorded over ten days on the Isle of Mull with my best friend and long-time collaborator Dylan Cooper, who produced the record. Working with Dylan was really special because we know each other so well, creatively and personally: there’s a lot of trust there. That meant we could focus on capturing the emotion of the songs rather than overthinking things.
A lot of the atmosphere of Mull ended up shaping the album, too. Being surrounded by that landscape while recording gave the songs a kind of quiet, reflective space. The record explores themes like change, love, uncertainty, and the feeling of trying to find your place in the world.
I’d love to know more about the talented human behind the Finlay Birch moniker. What does music represent for you? Is it something you grew up with? Was there a specific moment or person that motivated you to build an actual artistic career?
Music actually started quite differently for me than people might expect. I began on the clarinet when I was younger, learning in a fairly traditional classical environment. At the time, I found it quite frustrating; everything was very structured, with grades, rules and traditions about how things should be played. I always felt a bit boxed in by that.
The turning point came when I was about fourteen. I had quite a serious rugby injury that took me away from the pitch for a while, and I suddenly found myself spending more time in my school’s music practice rooms instead. That’s where I really started discovering contemporary music. It felt much more accessible and fluid, like you could pick up an instrument and just start creating something of your own.
After that, I played in a few bands on bass and guitar, and that’s really where songwriting started to emerge. I left school at sixteen to study music at college, and later moved down to Brighton to study songwriting at university. That period was hugely formative for me; it’s where my craft really started to develop, and it’s also where I met my close friend and collaborator Dylan Cooper.
What’s quite special about the album now is that Dylan ended up producing it more than eight years later. Some of the songs on the record actually date back to that time, so in a way, the album captures a long stretch of my life, songs that have grown and travelled with me over the years before finally being recorded. ‘Weight Will Unwind’, however, was written only a few months before I recorded the album!
Likewise, what are some of the artists and bands that have shaped your personal taste? Would you say your musical persona has evolved in the past few years?
My taste has definitely been shaped by a mix of folk and more atmospheric songwriting. Artists like Nick Drake, Bon Iver, and Adrianne Lenker have all been really important to me, but I also grew up listening to a lot of classic songwriters.
I do think my musical voice has evolved quite a lot in the past few years. Earlier on, I was probably trying to sound like the artists I loved, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve started trusting my own voice more, both literally and creatively. Recording the album felt like a step towards finding something that feels genuinely my own.
As mentioned, ‘Weight Will Unwind’ marks your latest single, a heartfelt piece that explores the discourse around emotional weight. What’s the inspiration behind the song? Does it emerge from personal experience?
The song came from thinking about the emotional weight we all carry: memories, relationships, things that shape us. Sometimes those things feel heavy, but over time, they start to shift and loosen their grip on us.
For me, the song is about that moment where you realise that the things you thought would weigh you down forever can slowly unwind. It’s definitely personal, but I also think it speaks to a very universal feeling of trying to let go and move forward.
The reader might not know this, but the single has been recorded live at An Tobar and Mull Theatre, a venue in the Scottish island of Mull. I have also noticed you have a role in the place itself, which suggests you must be rather involved with the local community. What’s it like to live in a Scottish Island? I suspect there’s a certain ‘bucolic’ allure in it all…
Living on Mull is quite a special experience. It’s a small island community, so people tend to know each other and support each other in a really meaningful way. I work at An Tobar and Mull Theatre as well, so I’m very involved in the arts community here, which is incredibly inspiring.
There is a certain beauty and calm to island life: the landscape, the sea, the pace of things… that definitely influences the music. At the same time, it’s not just idyllic scenery; it’s a real community with its own energy and creativity.
Do you ever regret not having moved to a big city?
I think every musician wonders what life might look like in a big city at some point. Cities can be exciting places for music and culture. But for me, living on Mull has given me something very valuable: space to think and create.
Being somewhere quieter allows me to focus on songwriting in a way that might be harder in a busier environment. So while I enjoy visiting cities, I feel very grateful to be making music where I am.
Lastly, we have established that 2026 is going to be a bubbly year for Finlay Birch. Are you planning other single releases, and do you have any gigs on the horizon? Will we be able to catch you in London or Manchester someday?
Yes, 2026 is going to be a big year. ‘Weight Will Unwind’ is the first single from the album, and there will be several more singles released throughout the year leading up to the full record.
I’m also hoping to start playing more shows as the music continues to come out. Most of my performances so far have been around Scotland, but I’d love to bring the songs further afield. Playing in places like London or Manchester would be amazing, so hopefully that’s something that will happen in the near future.