Taggart star swaps sleuthing for singing in first live gig

She made her name as the leading lady in Scotland’s most popular cop show. But now Taggart star Blythe Duff has swapped sleuthing for singing in her first live gig.

Blythe, who played Detective Sergeant Jackie Reid in the long-running TV series for 21 years, has teamed up with musician Malcolm Lindsay – who composed music for the hit STV police drama.

The pair, with singer songwriter Yvonne Lyon, have formed the band Lacunas Music Society, and staged their first gig last week. For Blythe, 61, having a band is the fulfilment of a long-held ambition.

She said: “I was always in awe of it. I was really fortunate to be able to listen to music, and then, when I started acting, there were a lot of bands coming from Glasgow and Scotland. I always really appreciated that.

“Sometimes, when you’re involved in one art form, you often think you can’t move into another one. But I have realised that as the years go on, that’s not the case.

“I have always sung a lot. I remember when Bryan Burnett had his country music radio programme years ago, and I went on it and sang some songs by Nanci Griffiths. So the more I think about it, the more I realise, I’ve always sung.”

“My confidence as a singer has got so much better than it was, and to be honest, the whole experience of working with Malcolm and Yvonne feels like it’s tapping into my soul.”

Last year, the singer released a one-off song called Glasgow Town, written by JJ Gilmour of city rockers The Silencers. It was accompanied by a hard-hitting video in which the actor appeared as a character akin to her Taggart role, discovering a body in a back alley, alongside Still Game’s Matt Costello.

During the pandemic, she tugged at heartstrings when she teamed up with actor and musician Cammy Bell to record a cover of The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl classic Fairytale of New York.

She said: “I think since Fairytale and Glasgow Town over the past few years, that maybe people are starting to know that I sing. At this point in my life, I feel as if I have nothing to prove and nothing to lose. And if folk like it, that’s a bonus.”

It’s the latest step in a career which has seen Blythe go from stage to screen, and then on to plays such as the long-running Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London’s West End.

The idea for Lacunas Musical Society came about after Blythe met composer Malcolm at a party after they’d finished filming the series. She said: “Last year, when I did Glasgow Town, Malcolm connected and said we should catch up, and that he had written some music which he thought might suit my voice. I went to see him, we had a good connection. He’s a really gentle soul and is very talented. He suggested we get together with Yvonne, and see what we could come up with.”

Inverclyde-based Yvonne has released 10 solo albums and performed with the likes of Scottish folk legends Eddi Reader and Karine Polwart. Blythe said: “She’s a great singer songwriter, and we realised after just one session that Yvonne’s voice and my voice worked really well together. We have been rehearsing once a month since January.”

Blythe has been taking songwriting tips from Bobby Bluebell and James Grant from Love & Money, and has started playing her guitar again. She said: “I’ve not written any of the songs for Lacunas Music Society, but I have been going to songwriting retreats which Bobby and James organised. I’ve been trying to push myself.”

Early next year, Blythe will be singing again – this time in the theatre version of Bafta-winning movie Wild Rose, playing the part taken by Julie Walters in the hit country music film at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum . She said: “It’s being directed by John Tiffany who I’ve worked with on so many things. He directed me in Harry Potter in London and I can’t wait to get back into rehearsals with him again in January. ”

But before that, Blythe has her debut gig to see through. The name of her new band, who stage their debut concert at Glasgow’s Kilmardinny House, reflects the sound of their music. The word lacuna refers to an empty space or a missing part. Blythe said: “The concert is called, ‘Love loss data.’ It reflects the idea that we are bombarded by social media, and we can’t get away from it.

“There are times when it overwhelms you. Everyone’s heads are so full and it can be hard to find time and space to just reflect on things. It’s nice to just be among talented musicians who really know their stuff. I just do my bit. But I’m absolutely loving it.”

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