He has shared stages with Bonnie Raitt, Patti Smith, Steve Earle, Rosanne Cash, Paolo Nutini, and Jools Holland.

[4] After a 6-month world tour with Mark Knopfler, McCusker released a new record along with Orcadian singer Kris Drever and Idlewild front man Roddy Woomble.

The album Before the Ruin was released in September 2008 and featured members of Teenage Fanclub, Radiohead, Michael McGoldrick, and Heidi Talbot.

In 2007, McCusker was jointly commissioned by the Celtic Connections festival and Cambridge Folk Festival to compose Under One Sky, uniting Scottish and English musicians of different genres, from Gaelic singer, Julie Fowlis to ex-Blur guitarist, Graham Coxon.

[6] In 2014, McCusker appeared on Wenlock Hill, the new album by Simon Fowler's solo project, now called 'Merrymouth'.