Music from a cold climate

There’s a weird phenomenon that I noticed recently; singer/songwriters from Scotland and Canada sound strangely alike. Separated by thousands of miles and huge ocean, they have nevertheless developed a very similar sound. OK, in these days of the internet and online record sales that’s probably not as weird as I’m making it out to be, but why don’t musicians from Scotland sound like musicians from Australia or those from Canada sound like their American cousins in Mexico? My theory – and stay with me on this one – is that they have both developed their similar maudlin, slightly pessimistic style from living in cold countries.

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