Fiddler John McCusker on how staying true to his music steered twists and turns of an acclaimed career

Looking back on an acclaimed 30-year musical career, trad star John McCusker admits there was never a grand plan.

Instead, the celebrated fiddle player credits only a passion for music, a determination to keep playing and a slice of good fortune.

He has worked with some of the most renowned folk musicians and crossed genres, touring the world alongside Mark Knopfler and crafting tunes alongside Billy Connolly.

Celebrating his three-decade milestone with a greatest hits compilation and a Celtic Connections show this month, McCusker admitted he’s never had a blueprint.

“Some of my best musical experiences or collaborations have been by pure chance,” he said. “They come from a place of just wanting to try and make good music and hang out with people and have a laugh.

“Every musical collaboration has started with that, or getting excited in the pub and wanting to work with musical souls that inspire me. I feel very lucky that there’s always something to look forward to.”

Very happy to announce the release of my ‘Best Of’ double album 🎻🥳

Scotland's foremost fiddle player releases John McCusker – The Best Of to celebrate 30 years of making music

Released Friday 20th January 2023 on Under One Sky Records

Featuring over 50 musicians and singers pic.twitter.com/aifMTClK4o

— John McCusker (@johnmccusker) December 28, 2022

The 49-year-old rarely listened back to his own music, until now as he marks 30 years in the business. One of his most treasured memories is his time working alongside Connolly, soundtracking the legendary Glaswegian comedian’s six-part documentary tour of New Zealand in 2004 for BBC1.

“It’s a good example of blagging it,” McCusker laughed. “I had never really done TV music before so it was a real learning curve and a bit of pressure because it was Billy Connolly, my total hero. He would send me little snippets of him playing, so I’ve got this cassette of Billy playing his autoharp and saying really funny stuff.

“I got to know him a bit. Like everything else in my life, apart from the music you get to hang out with these people that you’d never dream you’d ever get to be friends with.”

His career has led to a succession of “pinch yourself moments”, like the surreal experience of recording music to accompany Connolly and a Maori choir singing Pokarekare Ana, and also being the filling in a “Proclaimers sandwich” in the recording studio with the Reid twins. As a studio guest and touring musician he has shared stages with the likes of Paul Weller, Paolo Nutini, Teenage Fanclub, Graham Coxon of Blur, and former Fairground Attraction singer-songwriter Eddi Reader.

“You’re meeting people that have been a big part of your musical life,” he said. “I’ve never taken anything for granted. I just try and enjoy the moment and thank my lucky stars.”

In the late 2000s, when his time working with ex-wife Kate Rusby in her band and as a producer came to an end after 12 years, McCusker wasn’t sure where his career would take him. But then came a call from the office of former Dire Straits frontman Knopfler.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life. I didn’t have loads of money and gigs but it felt like it was time to do something different,” said McCusker.

“Mark heard me on lots of records and enjoyed my fiddle playing and getting to join his band turned my world upside down. I didn’t think that call would lead to being in his band for the last 15 years and playing on loads of records and touring the world.

“Whether it’s the Royal Albert Hall or the Hollywood Bowl or Madison Square Garden, as a folk musician those are things that you never think you’d get to do. It wasn’t just travelling on a private jet or playing in these venues you look at and go ‘holy moly’, but also learning from Mark and his band of geniuses. That felt like starting again.”

What makes McCusker’s success all the more remarkable is that nobody in his family growing up in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, played music.

He attributes his choice of career to the influence of his mother’s Irish background, her record collection, and the fact she volunteered him for violin lessons at school.

“It wasn’t my choice, but I took to the fiddle straight away,” he said. “For whatever reason, I was given that thing where music has always felt very natural to me. I wanted to play football and my mum literally took my ball away which, in hindsight, was probably a wise move.

“I heard traditional music and I was drawn towards it. I was the only one that was listening to that kind of music, doing Irish dancing and playing tin whistle at the school concerts. It didn’t make you attractive to girls but it was just part of me.”

At 16, he formed his first folk group and sent a demo to local collective Battlefield Band’s manager in the hope of getting a record deal.

They liked what they heard, and McCusker was recruited into the band, leaving school and setting into motion a life on the road playing music.

“That was the start of the journey,” he said. “It was my mum’s worst nightmare. She wanted me to be a classical musician and then have a proper job.

“I never looked back. My whole life is to play music and make records and travel, which is amazing, especially at the time when the folk scene wasn’t anything like it is now.”

McCusker felt that now, 30 years on, was the perfect moment to reflect.

“It’s got me excited about what I want to do next in different projects and different records,” he said. “It’s certainly an ongoing journey.

“The best thing that’s happened to me throughout my career is that I feel so comfortable on any stage playing music. I can just be myself. I suppose it completely makes sense.”

John McCusker: The Best Of is released on January 20 and he plays Celtic Connections two days later. See celticconnections.com