| The Burns Unit | |
| Origin: | Scotland |
| Genre: | Folk music |
| Years Active: | 2007–2012 |
| Label: | Burns Unit |
| Current Members: |
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The Burns Unit was an eight-piece Scottish-Canadian folk music supergroup. The band formed in 2006, after the musicians met at Burnsong, a Scottish songwriting retreat.[1] The band members come from varying musical genres including folk, pop and rap, and all have either acclaimed solo careers or are also members of other bands.[2] [3] The band had its debut concert in 2009 in Glasgow, Scotland, at the Celtic Connections music festival. In 2010, they released their debut album, Side Show.[4] They continued to perform gigs and at festivals during 2011-2012, then amicably split, with members continuing their own respective careers.
In 2012, King Creosote noted that he is working on a collaborative album with bandmate Michael Johnston, stating: "I have a half completed album lying in Toronto with my friend Michael Johnston from the Burns Unit".[5] The album, The Bound of the Red Deer, was finally released in May 2016 - just a few months before King Creosote also released a new solo album. The duo's album features contributions from former bandmates Karine Polwart and Emma Pollock as well as American musician and producer Gurf Morlix.[6]