Guest Blog - Allan Guthrie

As you are all well aware, I have a great love of music. I have music playing continuously and blog about my passion regularly. I thought I would invite some of my fellow authors to share the ten songs that they like to play while they are writing. I have also requested their guilty pleasure to add a little bit of fun.

My first guest is fellow Scot, Allan Guthrie. Allan is an award-winning Scottish crime novelist, a literary agent, and co-founder of Blasted Heath. His latest book is Bye Bye Baby, a police thriller novella, published in paperback by Barrington Stoke in December 2011. A self-published ebook edition was an Amazon Kindle top ten bestseller earlier in the year, selling over 35,000 copies. 

Many thanks, Sinclair, for the invitation to supply a playlist of songs I listen to while writing. I'm afraid I have to cheat a little, since I can't write when I'm listening to music. I've tried many times but I'm the world's worst multi-tasker.

So here's a list of the ten songs I listened to most whilst not writing over the last few months.

Maria Solheim: Different Seasons


Norwegian singer-songwriter of off-kilter pop songs. 

Amanda Palmer: Leeds United


In a world where it's hard to be decadent any more, Amanda Palmer manages to succeed. Btw, this is the video where her record company wanted the images of her belly removed cause it was too fat. She refused and was dropped for being uncommercial.    

NIN: Something I Can Never Have (live studio version)

Best version of the best song ever written.

The Blue Nile: I Would Never


Paul Buchanan has that same haunting edge to his voice that Trent Reznor has, and the kind of emotional intensity to their voices that means they could be telling you the sky is red with yellow spots and you'd believe them without queston.  

Fresh Mud: Make The Devil Mad


Nothing quite like a bit of hard funk, now, is there?

Kimbra: Good Intent

I didn't know noir pop existed till I heard this.

Niki King: Wild Is The Wind


Scottish jazz singer with a great voice.

Julia And The Doogans: Come Home

Another Scottish singer with a great voice. Love the cello. In an idea world, Bye Bye Baby would be adapted for TV and the end credits would roll over Julia Doogan's vocals.

Rubberbandits: Song For Willie O'Dea

This should probably be my guilty pleasure, but I think it's such a great piece of musical parody that I don't feel guilty listening to it. It's a song about an Irish  politician I'd never heard of. Doesn't matter. The dancing's great. Reminds me of me.

Fiona Apple: Fast As You Can


A good song to play when your deadline's approaching. 

Guilty Pleasure: 

The Baseballs: Chasing Cars.

Well, um, yeah. Be happy!

Thanks Allan for this fantastic list of songs. There are a few favourites and one or two tunes that are new to and I love to discover new music. I hope you enjoy Allan's playlist and that you will support his writing.

I will be inviting some more authors to contribute their musical favourites in the near future.