BIO

Ewan MacFarlane has spent his life writing, performing, and producing songs. A Scottish songwriter with a lifetime of stories behind him, his new music moves into a stripped-back sound rooted in country/Americana and songs shaped by time.

Known for his work with The Grim Northern Social ,Apollo 440 and his solo work , Ewan has released several albums. From international stages to stripped-back acoustic rooms, his writing has moved through rock, electronic, and acoustic influences, all of which continue to shape the music he makes now.

In recent years, Ewan has focused much of his time on production and artist development, working closely with his daughter, rising artist Ellijai, from his home studio in Glasgow. Alongside that work, he has continued writing new material of his own.

His latest songs move into country, Americana territory, with a more stripped-back sound. The writing is grounded, with humour, grit, and a reflective approach to storytelling.

This is Ewan in a fresh new chapter writing some of his strongest songs yet. With a run of new releases planned throughout 2026, Ewan is building towards a full album in 2027.

Background

From the late nineties until 2018, Ewan was part of Apollo 440, touring internationally and co-writing and performing on key releases including Electro Glide in Blue and Dude Descending a Staircase albums.

During that time, in the early 2000s, Ewan also formed and fronted The Grim Northern Social, writing the songs at the heart of a band that built a loyal following before signing to One Little Indian and going on to play major stages including Glastonbury, T in the Park, SXSW and CMJ New York.

Alongside his work with Apollo 440 and The Grim Northern Social, Ewan also explored electronic songwriting and production through Mennska, his collaborative project with Filip Rasch-Olsen, releasing an album and a run of singles throughout the 2010s and playing shows in Norway.

After two decades with Apollo 440, he stepped away in 2018 following a final show in Seville with them, moving into a more personal phase of writing and recording.

In 2020, during lockdown, Ewan began writing and sharing a new song every day from home. What started as a daily writing challenge became a turning point, leading him back to the acoustic roots of making music. That period led to his debut solo album Always Everlong in 2021, followed by a Deluxe Edition, and then MILK in 2022.

Across his solo records, Ewan showed a more personal side to his writing. The songs carried the influence of the classic writers he grew up on, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and the great American storytellers, but always through his own voice, gritty background, and Glasgow edge. Always Everlong and MILK received strong support across media, including BBC Radio airplay, Album of the Month recognition from The List, The Daily Record, The Herald, and The Times and coverage in Classic Rock.

Ewan’s acoustic albums, Dove and White Feathers, brought the writing into a more stripped-back and intimate space. Released in 2023 and 2024, they gave space to songs from across different parts of his life, including unreleased favourites from The Grim Northern Social era.

In recent years, he has also spent much of his time producing and developing other artists from his own studio, Stag Studios, including working closely with his daughter, rising artist Ellijai. That work has brought another side of his experience into focus.

Now, with his new material moving into a more country, Americana and roots-led space, Ewan is enjoying entering a fresh chapter, with new releases planned throughout 2026 ahead of a new album in 2027.