Strange Boat: Mike Scott the Waterboys

The Waterboys were formed in 1983 by Mike Scott and have continued under his leadership in several guises to the present day. Their songs, largely written by Scott, often contain literary references and are frequently concerned with spirituality. Both the group and its members’ solo careers have received much praise from both rock and folk music critics. In fact, Scott’s unique mix of Celtic folk music and rock and roll has been credited as promoting the scope of Irish folk music, and has built a strong and loyal fan base across the world. In Strange Boat, renowned rock writer Ian Abrahams has assembled the definitive story of The Waterboys and their myriad offshoots and solo projects. He follows their progress as Scott relocated the band from London to Dublin, to Spiddal near Galway in Ireland and Findhorn in Scotland, adding influences and collaborators along the way. The book examines the role of Mike Scott, an interesting and unique character, driven artistically by his geographic and spiritual experiences, emphasizing a continuity between The Waterboys and his solo work over nearly twenty-five years, saying, “To me there’s no difference between Mike Scott and The Waterboys; they both mean the same thing. They mean myself and whoever are my current travelling musical companions.”