The Edinburgh Reporter is running an exclusive competition in collaboration with Laura Silverstone and Good Stuff In Between for readers to win five pairs of guest passes – for ten people – for the Mash House gig where Laura will be the headline act on 27 September.
Edinburgh’s Laura Silverstone has spent years taking the long way round in the sanctuary of her trusty van. From grassroots gigs and tours as a travelling troubadour, to acclaimed slots at some of Scotland’s biggest festivals, she has built her career step by step, mile by mile.
This month she brings it all back home with the release of her new single Dream On and her biggest Edinburgh headline show yet.
The single was released on 5 September, and it is as intimate and inspirational as it is defiant. Written as a conversation with herself, it channels setbacks and often solitude of life on the road into something far more hopeful and triumphant.
Laura said: “It’s a song written to myself. It’s a reminder to get up and keep going, even when it feels like you’re not moving forward. At 16, I thought a talent scout would just find me and everything would happen instantly. At 29, I realised this is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to run it yourself.”
That shift in perspective gives Dream On its strength. Lyrics that speak of loneliness and exhaustion, lift into a chorus about finding light and keeping faith. Laura said: “You have to find your light and shine it. Because nobody else is going to shine it for you.”
The song has already struck a chord with audiences in Europe, where she toured earlier this year. In the Netherlands and Germany, fans picked out Dream On as a highlight of her set, quoting its lyrics back to her after shows.
For Silverstone, though, the biggest moment will be closer to home. On 27 September, she headlines The Mash House in Edinburgh – perhaps her most significant city show to date, and the day after performing at Lost Evenings, Frank Turner’s international festival at the city’s Corn Exchange alongside Nina Nesbitt, Waverley, Midnight Ambulance, Seán McLaughlin & the Wind-Up Crows to name a few.
“Frank Turner is going to be amazing, it’s such an honour. And playing The Mash House the next day is a milestone for me,” she said, “Edinburgh is where I first learned how to connect with audiences in small rooms, playing late-night shows and busking throughout the festival.
“To come back with a song like Dream On and headline a venue like this feels like things coming full circle. It’s also my 30th birthday, so I hope it’s going to be a real celebration.”
The Competition
Edinburgh singer-songwriter Laura Silverstone is ending her tour with a headline homecoming gig at the Mash House on 27 September, including her new single ‘Dream On’ which featured on the radio as part of this month’s BBC Introducing Scotland, with support from Devin Casson fresh from opening for Del Amitri at Floors Castle.
The Edinburgh Reporter has teamed up with Laura and Good Stuff In Between to give away five pairs of guest tickets to the show with doors opening at 7pm.
All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is answer the question using the form below. Send your entries to us using the form below – Closing Date 25 September at noon. The winners will be picked at random. T&Cs apply. No refunds or exchanges. The Editor’s decision is final.
