Merlyn Driver

Merlyn Driver is a singer-songwriter whose music is shaped by the wild landscapes of Orkney, the remote archipelago in northern Scotland where he was born and raised. Growing up on a smallholding without electricity, he spent most of his childhood outdoors, only starting formal schooling in his teens—an experience that deeply influenced his creative outlook and connection with nature. His sound draws from folk traditions, but it’s also peppered with global and contemporary influences, reflecting his studies in ethnomusicology and a fascination with Scandinavian and African music, especially the Sámi vocal art form of joik.

Driver first made his mark with the 2017 EP *This Is the Corner of a Larger Field*, but it was the 2022 multi-artist project *Simmerdim: Curlew Sounds*—a collaboration inspired by the threatened curlew bird and released with the RSPB—that earned him widespread acclaim, including national UK radio play and glowing reviews from major music magazines. His debut solo album, *It Was Also Sometimes Daylight*, arrived in October 2025, featuring a rich blend of acoustic instruments and recorded bird sounds, with standout collaborators including Owen Spafford, Nathan Riki Thomson, and Francesca Ter-Berg. Beyond performing and recording, Driver is a cultural producer, writer, and educator—organizing intercultural music projects like Making Tracks and teaching at institutions such as the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Whether on stage or in the studio, his work is united by a quiet, contemplative reverence for the natural world and a commitment to fostering connection between music, environment, and community.