Since the release of his debut album, 'Moving Up Country', James Yorkston and his band The Athletes have built up a substantial following in Ireland. Described as "folky without ever being fuddy", the album showcased Yorkston's tales of love and longing, wrapped up in his inspired guitar playing and a delicate and intimate sound. The record's quiet intensity was bettered by the follow-up 'Just Beyond the River', released in September 2004.

Yorkston grew up in the Fife village of Kingsbarns, where he began playing guitar at the age of eight. He left the village to move (with a girl, naturally) to Edinburgh at 17. There he combined a love of folk with a stint in garage-punk band Huckleberry, but saved his hearing by deciding to embark on a solo career. His debut single, 'Moving Up Country, Roaring the Gospel' was released in 2001.

Recorded in just two weeks, 'Just Beyond the River' found Yorkston and The Athletes working with Four Tet mainman Kieran Hebden. A less immediate album than its predecessor, it was also greeted with widespread acclaim and signalled that Yorkston will be one of the brightest and most enduring talents in the years ahead.

www.jamesyorkston.co.uk