THE days of hanging up a huge banner over the M90 and flyering around Dunfermline may be over, but the compulsion to write music has never left Craig Penman.

It was back in 2004 when the Draymin formed, a Rosyth five-piece who would go on to play at T in the Park and SWSW, among other eye-catching festivals.

Now, 17 years on and with the group disbanded, Craig goes it alone as Crombie Point, a nod to his family’s history and his early upbringing.

He released his first solo album in 2019 with little to no promotion behind it. The electric-heavy A Pound For A Penny came out during a dark time in his life but he now steps back into the light with Cry by the River Forth.

Released yesterday (Friday), it is just one song on a 12-track album also earmarked for a launch later in the year.

Ten of the tracks were recorded by himself at his own home studio, while the remaining two were recorded with the help of Magnus Collie at Substation Studio in Rosyth.

Having stayed in this part of the world all his life, the allure of the Forth and all of its charms and features was too hard to ignore and thus much of the material on the impending album – Welcome to the Forth – is inspired by the waters, bridges and the surrounding walkways that provide the stunning views we can all sometimes take for granted.

“When I need to clear my head, that’s where I’ll go,” he told Press:ON this week.

“Whether it’s with family or by myself, I can’t seem to stay away from the Fife Coastal Path and the areas around Rosyth and the Forth.

“It’s such an inspiring place.

“We’re very lucky to have this all on our doorstep.”

The acquisition of an acoustic guitar last year that he had sought for some time proved to be the catalyst for getting creative again after a break from music and in a further effort to lift his spirits during the pandemic.

Last year was the chance to take stock of where his life was and where it was going, and rekindling his love for the sound of a guitar provided a boost of forward momentum after becoming somewhat disillusioned with new guitar music.

“It’s all been doom and gloom with nothing really to look forward to, so I’ve had to look at the positives and look at what is good right now,” the 40-year-old remarked.

With past escapades with the Draymin behind him and with a young son of 12 to keep an eye on, Craig’s hopes for his upcoming releases are fairly modest.

“I’d really just be happy if people enjoyed it,” he commented.

“There’s no real long-term plan here and it’s very different times to how it was back when starting out with the Draymin. You have to promote yourself so much on social media now and I find it all a bit frightening to be honest!

“In the run-up to the album launch, I think I’ll be putting out a new single from it every four to five weeks to build interest, and I would love to do a vinyl campaign.

“That, in a way, reminds me of when we were putting out CDs as the Draymin. That was also back in the days of Myspace, us flyering all over Dunfermline trying to get our name out and all other kinds of ways to get noticed.

“I can remember a couple of us got up at the crack of dawn one day to put up a big banner over the M90 to let people driving know we were playing at T in the Park on the T Break stage!

“If we were starting now, we would obviously just have had to adapt to things. That’s why I do feel a lot for young bands in the area just now. There’s a real pool of talent here – we’ve always had that here – but there’s so much work you have to do online to reach people and get your music out there. 

“Despite that, I do feel that playing gigs and word of mouth are still the best methods. People are always going to pay to see their favourite bands and gigs are what we all love; whether playing one or going to one, we remember those nights.”

Cry by the River Forth is out on streaming platforms now.