Our 2-track EP is now for sale on iTunes and Amazon Music (scan the barcode below to get there quickly or search for "Purple Aardvark Project") for a fixed cost. All money raised from the sales goes directly to Maggie's Aberdeen. If you like the songs, please donate more towards the vital work of Maggie's centres through this page. Here's why it all happened:

The Story Behind the Purple Aardvark Project

It’s often not until you need something, that the source becomes so obvious:

Late in 2014 Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer. Just over a year later, after a mastectomy and some other surgery, she was given the all clear. While the surgery was successful in removing the cancer and the scars healed, it was apparent that the psychological scars were much deeper. This is where Maggie’s comes in to it all. The surgeons and nurses at ARI are amazing, and the care Ruth received was extremely high, but when the clinical care stops the psychological damage starts. The staff at Maggie’s Cancer Support centre in Aberdeen were there from that point. Not overpowering, but caring and positive. With mindfulness courses, staff who understand and want to listen, and many other types of support, they help cancer patients and their families through some of the toughest challenges a person can face.
After the care and help Ruth was given, I wanted to do something to make people aware of what the large, concrete structure near the helipad at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary was all about. As it was a charity, I also felt we should give something back so I spoke to some of my musical friends and suggested we played a fund-raising concert, and I was overwhelmed by their enthusiastic response. The Purple Aardvark Project was formed!

 In July 2016 we played a concert and raised some money for the centre, but we felt we couldn’t just walk away. None of us wanted to play live again as it would have taken away the specialness of the July concert. Then we thought “why not write a song, specifically for Maggie’s?”. We asked Ruth for some key words to describe her feelings around her diagnosis, and after the help and care the staff at the support centre had given her. The band’s two songwriting stars then created not one, but two songs, inspired by the words we were given. Those songs are now available to buy and download. All the money raised from purchases goes to the Maggie's support centre in Aberdeen. We hope that they stir up your emotions a bit, and that some people are able to relate to the words and feelings we tried to express. We also hope you enjoy listening to them, but most of all, we hope you feel inspired to support the vital work the staff in Maggie’s Centres everywhere provide.

These are the words Ruth gave us, that inspired the songs:

After diagnosis:-
Despair, unfair, hurt, angry, lost confidence, “why me?”, frightened, negative

After support from the staff at Maggie’s:-
Hope, understanding, dignity, friendship, care, regained confidence, positive

As for the band’s name? If you want to know, ask any band member how it came about. They’ll happily tell you, depending on the size of your financial donation…..

Jonny Edwards

At the Concert in July 2016, Ruth and Gemma spoke of their personal experiences with cancer, and how they had gotten through them with the help of the staff at the Maggie’s Centre in Aberdeen. It’s only right to end this with their words –



The experience of being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer was one of the hardest things I have had to deal with in my life.
I was shocked how difficult the mental and emotional recovery was - my physical recovery from treatment was hard but the loss of confidence, fear and anger took much longer to recover from (and still affects me).
NHS cancer care services were amazing but have limited resources to deal with the mental and emotional support, especially once treatment is finished.
For me, Maggie's was a godsend! It was a safe and comfortable place where people understood what I was going through without forcing support on me.
Through Maggie's I recovered some of my confidence and started to feel hope. Through one of their courses, I also met a wonderful group of ladies who had had a similar experience and we have become firm friends and a fantastic support for each other.
Thank you for supporting the amazing work that Maggie's do!!

Ruth Edwards


Of course my cancer treatment would not have been successful without medical expertise and treatment from the hospital, but I often felt like "just another body to be fixed". This is in no way meant to devalue or complain about our NHS. It's just a result of it being so incredibly over-stretched. At Maggie's, I always felt like what I simply wanted to be - a human being. The staff took the time to get to know me, so that every time I visited, they remembered me and made me feel welcome. The support I got from the Maggie's staff, and the other cancer patients I met at the Maggie's centre, has been so central to my recovery. Thank you.

Gemma Bicocchi