Chords and Cords is a podcast project about Paisley’s mills by a collective of buddies and ootlanders living and working in Paisley. Commissioned by ReMode Renfrewshire, artist Rebecca María Morris worked with young artists and oral historians to explore Paisley’s mill heritage through a fresh and engaging perspective. Listen to discover their personal histories through the lens of Paisley’s weaving past, recounting poems, stories, and songs by weavers and Paisley rebels.
Chords and Cords is a podcast project about Paisley’s mills by a collective of buddies and ootlanders living and working in Paisley. Commissioned by ReMode Renfrewshire, artist Rebecca María Morris worked with young artists and oral historians to explore Paisley’s mill heritage through a fresh and engaging perspective. Listen to discover their personal histories through the lens of Paisley’s weaving past, recounting poems, stories, and songs by weavers and Paisley rebels.
Episode Guide:
Episode 1: Punks and Mill Lassies
Kitty introduces a new take on Paisley’s industrial past, featuring interviews with Clarke from the Thread Mill Museum, musician Pauline Vallance, and speaker Neil McClean from the Paisley Punk Heritage Talk. It also includes reflections from former mill girl, Helen Kyle. The episode explores how young people today might engage with heritage in the style of the Paisley punks, with rebellion, creativity, and curiosity.
Photo credits: Neil McLean, Paisley People’s Archive, ReMode Renfrewshire, Oor Wee Toon & Environs Facebook group and Paisley Thread Mill Museum
Logo designed by Kitty Hunter [Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/3ff3c7_/]
Episode 2: Snapshots of Looms and Riots
Jade takes us through her artistic lens, reflecting on the Sma Shot Cottage. We also share songs and poems by Paisley bards Tom Leonard and Danny Kyle. Contributors Clarke, Jade, Kitty, and Helen Kyle also discuss the origins of Sma Shot Day and Paisley’s radical past. We end with Duncan McFarlane McNeil’s poem, When I Was a Drawboy, recited by Jim Ferguson.
Photo credits: Paisley People’s Archive, ReMode Renfrewshire, Oor Wee Toon & Environs Facebook group and Paisley Thread Mill Museum
Original photos by Jade Campbell [Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jademcc_photography/]
Episode 3: The Gaelic Women Weavers of Paisley
A daunder into the Gaelic-speaking Highlanders who came to Paisley in the 18th and 19th centuries. Featuring interviews and Waulking Songs from Catherine Tinney and Inverclyde based Waulking group Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh. Including personal observations from our own Highland podcaster Stuart, this episode traces a line from the mills of Paisley to the roots of Harris Tweed and the cultural resilience of the Gaeltacht. Featuring William Finlayson’s poem, “Weaver’s Lament”, recited by Jill Dibben.
Photo credits: Paisley People’s Archive, ReMode Renfrewshire, Oor Wee Toon & Environs Facebook group, Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh, and Paisley Thread Mill Museum.
Episode 4: Weaving Songwriting Workshop
Join a songwriting workshop led by singer Rebecca María and poet Jim Ferguson, reimagining the voices of Paisley’s mill workers. The episode connects past struggles with today’s concerns, from environmental decline to workers’ rights. It features original music, radical folk songs, and performances from across the decades.
List of songs and poems:
Photo credits: Paisley People’s Archive, ReMode Renfrewshire, Oor Wee Toon & Environs Facebook group, and Paisley Thread Mill Museum.
Episode 5: Blooper Special
A collection of outtakes, fascinating stories about Paisley, its witches, its slang, daft shenanigans, and behind-the-scenes laughs that didn’t make the final cut. Enjoy the ride!
Photo credits: Neil McLean, Paisley People’s Archive, ReMode Renfrewshire, Oor Wee Toon & Environs Facebook group, and Paisley Thread Mill Museum.
