Directing Live Music for BBC Scotland's ‘The Entertainment Mix’
The Oddness edge has been brought to BBC Scotland’s newest entertainment series, The Entertainment Mix. Our director Kieran Howe led the show's music sequences, capturing live performances from some of Scotland’s top talent in the BBC Radio Scotland studio. The first series of the show, hosted by Michelle McManus, aired throughout early 2025 across BBC iPlayer, socials, and YouTube.
Working closely with the BBC Scotland Street in-house team, led by Robert McGroary, each session had its own unique style. Creating a brand-new music video aesthetic tailored specifically for every artist was a creative and technical challenge, especially as each performance was captured in a live multi-camera environment.
As Kieran puts it, "Lori Duncan Allan, our senior producer, gave us total creative freedom. As a director it’s awesome to have that, but you have to be able to deliver something knock-out every time. 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' was a particular audience favourite. The series featured performances from other artists such as Nathan Evans, Kyle Falconer, Lauren Mayberry and Dead Pony.
"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 BBC commissioners and enthusiastic feedback from viewers underline just how much appetite there is for authentic musical storytelling.
"We've been shooting 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 moments."
Watch this space.
