FORTH VALLEY band Gerry Son & the Smokin' Gun are preparing to release a charity single this weekend, with all proceeds going to Strathcarron Hospice.

The four-piece recorded their new song, titled Slàinte Mhath, at their studio in Alloa and it is scheduled to release on Saturday, December 3.

The song translates to "good health" in Gaelic and frontman Gerry McGlade says the song is a “love letter” to lives lost during the Covid pandemic.

He said: “We were seeing so many people affected by the pandemic – lives were completely turned upside down, people were out of work and the worst part of it all was people were losing lives.

“I wanted to write a song that was an authentic Scottish response to the pandemic and something of a love letter to those that we had lost over the years.

“Slàinte Mhath is to encourage people to toast and raise a glass to remember all the folk that we’ve lost.”

The single will be released alongside a JustGiving fundraiser that the band have launched, with all donations going to Strathcarron Hospice.

The care home is a charity-run facility that tends to patients as they near end of life and provide support to families during this time.

Gerry said that Strathcarron has touched the lives of the whole band and they wanted to thank the hospice for their work.

“We wanted to raise money for a charity that really was close to us personally,” he added: “After we started chatting, we realised that Strathcarron Hospice has affected everybody.

“We all had family who had been treated there and the work they do is incredible.

“They were there to support our families through really hard times so we wanted to do our bit for them.”

Founded in 2019, Gerry Son & The Smokin’ Gun is made up of Gerry (guitarist and vocals), Roddy Mackenzie (guitarist and sound engineer), Gez Schieritz (bass) and Ross Pilgrim (drums).

They record most of their music out of their recording studio in Alloa, which Gerry has described as pivotal to the band’s success.

Gerry added: “We’ve recorded some of our music videos in our studio in Alloa and it’s great to have.

“We love Alloa, it has really been our second home over the past few years. We’re Forth Valley guys initially but we’ve really made Alloa our home when we’re recording.”

The single will be available on iTunes and streaming platforms on Saturday, December 3.

The JustGiving campaign for Strathcarron Hospice can be found on the Gerry Son & The Smokin' Gun Facebook page.