Under the Radar: Quiet Man
In spite of his name 2026 looking like a busy year for Glasgow-based artist Quiet Man, write Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon
When Quiet Man (aka Charlie Phillips) moved to Glasgow from London in 2022, he didn’t just reconnect with his roots (his grandmother lives in Alexandria) – he also saw his music career take off after he picked up a free piano on Gumtree. In 2025 he was shortlisted for BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year, and he also enjoyed airplay on Radio 1 and Radio Scotland, while support slots have included Fred again…, Medium Build and Harrison Storm.
Boasting a gentle, soulful sound which nods to his childhood singing in church, Quiet Man is as likely to appeal to fans of Lewis Capaldi as Coldplay. Moreover, there are already signs of international interest, and next month he plays both the Antigen festival in Geneva and Borderline in Dublin.
This will be followed by a mini-tour of Scotland in March, with dates currently confirmed for Aberdeen (12th), Inverness (13th) and Stirling (14th), and there’s a single due to be released in April. Summer festival shows are also in the pipeline, kicking off with The Great Escape in Brighton in May, and an album is set to follow in October, see http://www.linktr.ee/quietman_
Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, see www.borntobewide.co.uk
Off Axis Tours CIC is a radical, musician-led social enterprise offering the fairest financial model on the market. Artists retain 100% of ticket profits, tour the UK, via a unique gig-swap system, and perform at festivals. Since launching, Off Axis has delivered over 300 gigs, paid £50,000 directly to artists, boosted venue attendance by up to 40%, and reached nearly 30,000 music fans. Visit https://offaxisgigs.com
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