Alt-folk five piece, Curiosity Shop, deliver a dose of wistful nostalgia that feels both timeless and affirming in equal measure.
Drawn together from every corner of Scotland, Curiosity Shop have developed a sterling reputation in their home nation for alternative folk with rich instrumentation whose busyness belies its serenity. After supporting fellow whimsical darlings Divorce across the UK in 2025, their debut EP ‘Bound For The Sky’ arrives in September via Fontana Records, ahead of their first nationwide tour. Produced by Kasper Sandstrøm (Divorce, Do Nothing) and mastered by Felix Davis (Cameron Winter, Geese, Westside Cowboy), it stands to be the first of many giant strides for the group if single ‘Wandering Arrow’ is any indication.
We kick off with intricate finger picked guitars before entering a rustling groove. Delicate vocals dance wistfully over the restless instrumentation, a sense of finding peace in a bustling place. Barely there pianos soften the verses before an accordion brings a nostalgic richness to the harmony-filled chorus. It’s a classic case of the complicated being made delightfully simple, conjuring images of yellow cabs rushing past a preoccupied mind. Throw in the half paced pause midway through, yearning laa dee daas and all, and you’re left as full and satisfied as if you’d just enjoyed one of the nineties’ finest coming of age films for the first time.
‘Wandering Arrow’ is, as co-songwriter Ruairidh Wallace says, “an ode to the journey, its ups and downs, doing what you want, and not losing hope whilst simultaneously walking directly into the wind”. You can stumble your way through life, but if you always look to enjoy each misstep and wrong turn, then more often than not you’ll land on your feet. To distill such a nuanced feeling into three and a half minutes, without ever feeling trite or pandering, takes a talent that is increasingly hard to find, and should be enough to put Curiosity Shop firmly on the radar of anyone who still values the craft of songwriting.
Photo by Rosie Sco
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