Directing Live Music for BBC Scotland's ‘The Entertainment Mix’
Oddness was thrilled to bring our distinct flair to BBC Scotland’s latest series, The Entertainment Mix. This season, our director Kieran Howe led the creative vision for the show's music sequences, capturing live performances from some of Scotland’s finest artists, broadcast across BBC iPlayer, socials, and YouTube.
Working closely with the BBC Scotland Street team, led by Camera Supervisor Robert McGroary, each session was crafted with a bespoke visual feel. Creating a brand-new music video aesthetic tailored specifically for every artist was a creative and technical challenge, especially as each performance was captured live.
As Kieran puts it, "Our senior producer Lori Duncan Allan gave us incredible creative freedom, which is exciting but also a huge challenge. Each artist deserved something unique and bold, and delivering that standard consistently on live radio takes a phenomenal effort."
Among this season’s highlights was a standout session from Scottish indie icons Franz Ferdinand, which earned its own special release on BBC iPlayer. For Kieran, this had personal significance: "I grew up listening to Franz Ferdinand, so directing their session was surreal. Like meeting your idols. They took the project to a whole other level."
Another exceptional moment came from Becky Sikasa, whose cover of Bob Marley's 'Is This Love' blew everyone away, leaving not a dry eye on set.
"Every artist has their own vibe and unique energy," adds Kieran. "We see our job as capturing exactly that: whatever makes them different, whatever sets them apart."
Audience reactions confirm what we've always believed: Scotland craves more compelling music content. Strong support from the BBC commissioners and enthusiastic feedback from viewers underline just how much appetite there is for authentic musical storytelling.
"We've been creating sessions for years," Kieran concludes, "and we'd love to see how we can push the format further and deliver even more powerful live music experiences."
Watch this space.
