Linden

Linden is the working name for Scottish singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe McAlinden. Hailing from Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland, McAlinden began playing music in his teens and was a member of such formative ’80s guitar pop bands as the Boy Hairdressers and the Groovy Little Numbers, which featured future Teenage Fanclub founders Norman Blake and Gerard Love, respectively. In the ’90s, McAlinden briefly joined the seminal Scottish pop band the BMX Bandits before forming the group Superstar. After releasing several acclaimed albums on Creation Records, Superstar broke up in 2000 and McAlinden took a few years off from recording his own music. In 2011, McAlinden was signed to music impresario James Endeacott and former Orange Juice frontman Edwyn Collin’s AED Records. In 2012, working under the name Linden, he released his full-length debut album, Bleached Highlights. His second solo effort Rest and Be Thankful arrived in June 2015. ~ Matt Collar