“Hoochie Fig is an Edinburgh based musical partnership made up of Keith Paton and Tim E Riley. The foundation of their music is acoustic guitars and vocal harmony but arrangement around these fundamental folk-rock roots can take their songs far from that musical bag and at times into the experimental.”

Hoochie Fig Flyer, Edinburgh Fringe 2000

In the beginning there was whisky. From the whisky came the name – Hoochie Fig, alter ego of one Timothy Eric Riley.

On the last day of the old Millennium, said Tim Riley (T-Fig) and Keith Paton (K-Fig) met and sealed a friendship in whisky, gunpowder and Mr. Kipling’s apple pies. On the first day of the new Millennium, Tim introduced Keith to Hoochie Fig and they had their first musical experience together (albeit a very tired and drunken one).

In the Edinburgh Festival that year, the Fig played two  well received shows, gaining a rave review (sic) and kick-starting a friendship and musical collaboration that would go from strength to strength.

The Fig, Acoustic Edinburgh 2009

Over the next 8 years, Hoochie Fig gestated into the musical force of nature celebrated amongst those who know them. (Those who don’t know them usually ask “Hoochie what?”, but only until they’ve been figged for the first time).

During that time, Hoochie Fig has caused wives and children, been a four piece rock band, a three piece acoustic act, two one man bands and finally settled into the dynamic acoustic/electric duo both known and loved by fans and peers alike.

With the addition to their live show of occasional percussion, beats and samples from Edinburgh’s Jimmy Hooverfish (or H-Fig), things are getting figgier and figgier.

Hoochie Fig are currently working on their self-released debut album due 2010