Katie Gregson-MacLeod’s five favourite albums of all time: “Absolute pure songwriting”
Since her breakout in 2022, when merely one demo chorus of her track ‘Complex’ caught the world’s attention, Katie Gregson-MacLeod has been heralded as one of the brightest ones to watch. With lyricism so sharp and so poetic that it merges Cohen-esque metaphors with Joni Mitchell’s confessional streak, it’s easy to tell that the Scottish up-and-comer’s music is the result of a stellar musical education.
Across her three EPs, Gregson-MacLeod’s sound has explored all corners of indie, pop and even the dark and emotive terrain of piano ballads on her aptly titled 2022 project, Songs Written For Piano. Her most recent offering, Big Red, sees her tie all those influences together. ‘September’ is an expansive indie pop track, while ‘Girlfriend’ is stripped back to folkish simplicity.
One thing that’s clear is that more than anything else, Gregson-MacLeod appreciates great lyricism. Time and time again, during our conversation about her all-time favourite artists, the art form of beautiful songwriting comes up as the thing that she loves most. It’s the element that grabs her attention in the work of others and is clearly something she pours so much care into for her own work.
However, it must be acknowledged that asking someone on the spot to decide upon their all-time favourite albums is a tricky task. “I’m gonna cry. I’m already stressed,” the musician said, frantically scrolling through her saved albums and playlists, deciding which releases deserve the honour. In the end, she picked the five that strung to mind first, stating, “To say they’re superlatives is very stressful, but they all have different places in my life.”
Katie Gregson-Macleod’s favourite albums:
5. Songs Of Leonard Cohen – Leonard Cohen
The first one that came to mind as a clear and obvious answer for the musician was Leonard Cohen’s 1967 debut album. After having his tracks performed by other artists first, this release felt like Cohen finally grasping that fame for himself and launching himself into the music world that would receive him as one of history’s most beloved songwriters.
“I just feel like it’s absolute pure songwriting on display,” she said, as one of Cohen’s many dedicated fans and followers. She’s not messing about when it comes to her love for the Canadian act as she admitted, ”I’m obsessed, and I’ve got a tattoo of a lyric from ‘Suzanne’ on my leg. So that’s when you know I’m a real fan.”
4. Either/Or – Elliott Smith
Another artist picked out by Gregson-MacLeod, who clearly values the power of lyricism, is Elliott Smith. Smith seemed to be one of those musicians that other musicians absolutely adore. Phoebe Bridgers is also a huge and vocal fan, even dedicating her second album to his impact and memory.
For Gregson-MacLeod, his influence found her later, but that doesn’t make it any less important. ”I’m a huge Elliott Smith fan,” she said. “I was kind of late to the game. It wasn’t till I was like 18 that I discovered Elliott Smith’s music, but Either/Or was quickly one of my favourite albums of all time,” she continued, adding, “It would be weird not to put it on the list.”
3. Rubber Soul – The Beatles
“I’m gonna have to say a Beatles one,” the musician said, acknowledging the fact that for an act in and around the rock world, not honouring The Beatles as one of the best acts artists in history and the creators of some of the best albums ever made feels like treason. But for her, the issue is attempting to pick which of their record from their ever-evolving discography deserves the accolade. “It’s kind of hard to choose just one album,” she said.
“I’m gonna say Rubber Soul,” she decides, choosing their 1965 album as the band began to explore more countercultural sounds. “There’s something about the little microcosmic world they created in that album,” she said, attempting to define what makes it so special. “[There are] also some big hitters like ‘Michelle’ and ‘In My Life’ and ‘Norwegian Wood’ that are some of the best songs of all time,” she said, “so I’m going to stick with that one.”
2. Songs – Adrianne Lenker
Proving that all-time favourite albums don’t have to be old picks that are decades removed from the modern day, Gregson-MacLeod includes some newer picks in her life. The first is Adrianne Lenker’s beautiful solo album, Songs, released back in 2020. With tracks like ‘Anything’ and ‘Not A Lot, Just Forever’, the record expanded the world of her songwriting into more intimate and delicate places.
“I just think it’s like one of the best contemporary albums,” the musician explained. “I think her whole discography is stunning but that album, I always find myself going back to it. At any moment in my life, it always feels right,” she continued. As Lenker stripped her sound back from the full-band world of Big Thief into something more gentle, that move felt deeply impactful for Gregson-MacLeod as she added, “I feel like as someone who comes from a folk background, I find it really inspiring.”
1. Heavy Elevator – Hamish Hawk
For her final pick, she comes even closer to the modern day as she celebrates the work of an artist from her Scottish homeland. “I’m gonna say another contemporary album from an artist from Edinburgh called Hamish Hawk, and the album is called Heavy Elevator. It’s his debut album that came out a few years ago,” she said. Released in 2021, the record received major critical acclaim, launching him as a real name of note in the new music world.
For Gregson-MacLeod, its impact in only a few short years has been major on her own work. “I’m in awe of the album,” she added, “The lyricism, the feeling that are evoked and the catharsis of the production.” As major praise for a new release, she continued, “So many of the songs on that record are some of the best in recent years that I’ve heard”.
