James Johnston Wows Scottish Crowd With Bagpipes

Mary Varvaris

James Johnston and a bagpiper stunned fans in Scotland with an energetic performance of 'COUNTRY SONG.'

James Johnston
James Johnston(Credit: Jared Hinz)
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James Johnston just wrapped his first-ever headline tour of the UK, a run that was met with venue upgrades, sold-out shows, and line dancers at every turn.

However, it’s Johnston’s performance at SGW3 in Glasgow, Scotland, last week (11 August) that’s made headlines. During the show, he played the brand-new track, COUNTRY SONG – a surprise B-side to TAKES ME BACK – that fans already knew the lyrics to.

To make the moment even more special for his Scottish fans, Johnston brought out a bagpiper – an Australian musician living in Scotland – to boost the performance and bring COUNTRY SONG to life.

Discussing the live bagpipes in Glasgow, Johnston told Gig View in a new interview, “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time. Before I’d even thought about coming to Scotland, before I put this show on, I had that song. It’s been around for a little while.”

He added, “I knew when I was coming here, this is the time to release it. It was pretty cool to walk out there and have bagpipes in Scotland playing the new song.”

While the original song contains bagpipes, the energy when performed live is something special. Check out the footage below.

During his UK tour, Johnston performed headline shows in Glasgow, Manchester, and Birmingham, and played at the Country Calling festival.

Johnston’s UK tour follows a milestone period for the Australian country singer.

Earlier this year, he received standout recognition from the Countrytown Awards, with fans crowning him Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year for the second consecutive year, as well as naming BACK IN THE DAY Song of the Year and WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME Album of the Year.

He’s also lit up stages at CMC Rocks and Sweden’s High Chaparral Country Festival this year, promoting his latest album, WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME. Australian fans will soon see him perform at Gympie Music Muster and The Bend Classic.

Last year, Johnston unveiled his second album, WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME. The record saw him reunite with longtime producer and friend Jared Adlam, as well as collaborate with fellow Australian country star Morgan Evans.