Award-winning Scottish troubadour Dean Owens is nothing if not prolific! Since 2022, he has released 4 new studio albums (including recordings with iconic Latin rockers Calexico, and collaborations with celebrated Italian producer Don Antonio and Grammy nominees Neilson Hubbard and Will Kimborough). He has recently been recording an album of brand new material in Italy (the land of his lion tamer ancestor) – scheduled for release mid 2027. Recent live highlights include touring in Australia(including the prestigious Port Fairy Festival) and performing at Cambridge Folk Festival. 2026 has included an official showcase at Folk Alliance International (USA), and special invitations to perform in Norway and Italy, and now he’s about to release a new album, recorded with the Scottish musicians from his band The Sinners, titled Our Favourite Sins which can be preordered here
Our Favourite Sins is, in some ways, an”accidental” album, made in response to demand from fans at gigs for Sinners versions of the songs in the set. So it’s a kind of Best of Dean Owens (part 2, after 2020’s The Man From Leith). Recorded as live (no session musicians, no overdubs) with Dean and his Sinners musicians – Craig Ross (electric guitar, BVs), Adam McMillan (double bass, BVs), and Pip Cardwell trumpet) – at the Slate Room Studios, Pencaitland (Scotland).
It has been released gradually over the summer (digitally, from Jun to Oct) in bunches of 3 songs, leading up to the full album (17 songs in total) release on 9th Oct (CD and digital). The album concentrates on the band’s live adaptations of more recent songs from the last 4 years of Dean’s studio albums- Sinner’s Shrine, El Tiradito, Pictures and Spirit Ridge alongside some older live favourites (Southern Wind, The Night Johnny Cash Played San Quentin, Strangers Again and Raining In Glasgow) from his previous 8 albums… and one brand new song, Road of Diamonds). These are stripped-back versions, adapted for the Sinners 4-piece lineup.
Our Favourite Sins is released on Continental Records Services (Netherlands). Dean comments: “I’ve been touring with these wonderful musicians (The Sinners) for nearly 4 years, and it seemed like the right time to try to capture the essence of our unique sound and on-stage chemistry on record”
Live dates are coming up to support the release, kicking off with a series of low-key, intimate shows in England, including Liverpool for our 25 year AUK celebration, London, and Yorkshire, followed by October dates with The Sinners in the Netherlands. They finish the year with their now regular pre-Christmas hometown gig at Edinburgh’s Pleasance Theatre. Tickets available here. There is also a chance for fans to grab a free sampler on Bandcamp (even better if you actually pay for it!) at this link.
“Our Favourite Sins” Tracklist:
1. Hopeless Ghosts (3:52)
2. Arizona (3:57)
3. My Beloved Hills (4:43)
4. Sinner Of Sinners (3:14)
5. New Mexico (3:32)
6. Face The Storm (5:15)
7. Strangers Again (3:17)
8. Boxing Shorts (5:29)
9. The Rain That Never Lands (4:09)
10. Light This World (4:03)
11. Spirit Of Us (4:13)
12. Land Of The Hummingbird (3:57)
13. Raining In Glasgow (4:49)
14. The Night Johnny Cash Played San Quentin (4:47)
15. Road Of Diamonds (4:27)
16. Southern Wind (4:03)
17. After The Rain (3:47)
Dean Owens 2026 UK Tour
Fri 11 Sep Denbigh Castle Liverpool
Sat 12 Sep Private show Nr Towcester (Sold Out)
Sun 13 Sep Kingsmead House Concerts, High Wycombe
Mon 14 Sep Green Note London
Tue 15 Sep Private gig Market Harborough (Sold Out)
Weds 16 Sep Hutton Rudby Arts Hutton Rudby N Yorks
Thur 17 Sep Thirty Coffee Shop Filey
Sat 28 Nov Americana-UK 25 Liverpool
Sat 25 Sep The Ice House, Berwick Upon Tweed (UK) with The Sinners
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