Saint Mungo EP by Fatale

Last June I published a blog on Fatale, a new young band from my hometown of Uddingston. They had just played their first couple of gigs and released a demo of an original song called Moves You and a cover of Femme Fatale. You can still check them out here - FATALE DEMOS

I fell for Fatale instantly. And then fell even further upon seeing the band live and bumping into them in person in McChuills and at gigs. Ben Robertson (vocals), Euan Corrigan (lead guitar), Christopher Jollie (guitar and songs), Oscar Tighe (bass) and James Lindsay (drums) are super tight, literally bouncing off each other whether on stage or hanging out. They look the part, with great hair, style, warm smiles and a cheeky charm. 

Live, and in recordings, they have developed considerably in the last year. Building interest and generating greater reactions with each and every gig. They are getting about town in all the right places ... and have a wonderful natural confidence, as well as a real thirst for discovering music.

Fatale have wisely taken their time to record and release. Waiting to find the right studio and producer. Chris McCrory has done a cracking job in capturing their raw energy, ear for pop, love of guitars and instinct for hooks and flows.

The result is the six-track vinyl only Saint Mugo EP - named after the patron Saint of Glasgow. You can catch the brilliant DIY video for the song Jesus Christ below. It's like The Monkees in Glasgow sunshine on Buckfast Tonic Wine!

Read on for my track-by-track review. You can also check this recent blog for an interview with Christopher Jollie. You can also order the EP from the fabulous Monorail.

Moves You

Moves You is an absolute blast. 30-seconds of overdriven guitars leading to the first verse, which could be mistaken for a chorus. This is one of Fatale's strengths, they have an instinct for melody and hooks, verses are like choruses. Raw and soulful harmonies, young romantic lyrics sung from the heart.

Would you find a price for all the stars that shine on you?

There is a sublime, unexpected, dreamy breakdown after the first chorus before Fatale burst back into life. Guitars crash, collide, chime, blur, reverberate and fuzz together. Glorious.

Winged Horse

The guitar intro to Winged Horse warms my heart. Fatale quickly find a groove behind it and the beats encourage handclaps. The bridge to the chorus has the hook I'm walking through the East End of my mind, I'm searching for a place I cannot find. Then the double chorus 

You take a piece of me

To make some time for you

Every word I meant to say

Ends up lost along the way

This is under 2.5 minutes of flowing guitar pop. 

Another Sunrise

Another Sunrise begins with warm Big Star-esque guitars that sounds like they are basking in summer sunshine. Ben Robertson croons the opening lines.

That summer feeling can't keep me warm the rest of my life

Things then explode for the prechorus, with Robertson calling it out.

I'm beginning to wonder is that all that there could be

My eyes are open, but there's nothing I can see

This leads to the defiant, don't give a f**k  statement hook of I'm going out tonight. I can imagine this blasting out of radios and speakers, and being sung wholeheartedly by teenagers across the country (and beyond). Another verse, prechorus and chorus lead to guitars rising and Robertson repeating the hook. Then Fatale slow it down to a delicious fuzzy feedback fade out.

Jesus Christ

I first caught Fatale playing in King Tuts in July 2025 and described Jesus Christ as the catchiest guitar pop song I've heard in a long time. While there are a few contenders on this EP, this is a beautiful riot of a song and recording. Serious top marks to producer Chris McCrory for the energy and guitar sounds he has captured. He gets it - big time.

The guitars of Euan and Christopher collide gloriously, there are more hooks than Rocky Bilbao fighting at his peak. Most bands would love to have the verses to this tunes as choruses! The bridge/pre-chorus is even catchier and then there is the chorus itself;

 

Jesus Christ knocked on my door

Just let me sleep ten minutes more

Coming out with songs of praise

Oh now I'm lost in a Catholic haze

Having had the pleasure of spending time with main songwriter Christopher, one ambition (that he has mentioned more than once) of his always sticks out: he wants to write songs that feel like one continuous giant chorus - or a seamless sequence of them. Hook after hook.

So immediately out of the chorus appears another super catchy bridge back into the chorus. Keeping up? Well if you can't that is part of the charm of this delicious slice of guitar punk pop.  You'll want to play it again ... and again.

How can I hold my head up when you're down

How can I stand the world when you're not around

The little fuzz bass break after the middle eight is superb. Then it's straight back into the chorus for a final blast. Think God Knows It's True era Fanclub meeting The Undertones for a couple of pints of Guinness and then having a jam. Catchy guitar brilliance. Infectious energy. 

St Mungo

Title track St Mungo is beautifully melancholic. Robertson's voice has an aching quality to it as he sings she's the song I've never sung. The backing vocals are heavenly, and there is a wonderful feeling to the guitars, especially as they ring through solo/break after Robertson declaring I swear I will learn. They continue to ring through the short outro with gorgeous band harmonies I'll never, ever, learn

Long Hair

Speaking of melancholy, Fatale strip things right back, to go acoustic for the final track. Robertson sounds dreamily in love, not caring about anything other than being with his girl. 

I don't know what you're thinking baby

I don't know if your hairs grown long

Robertson declares took so long to find you, and then sings it again, as if he can't believe his luck. Keyboard is introduced and beautifully and naturally adds to the dreamy feeling.

There is a real organic feel to the recording, almost demo like. But sometimes a demo captures things in a way that can't be replicated. Robertson mumbles that's fucked at the end. But he gets it bang on. Sung from the heart. 

Fatale - NYR at King Tuts

Glasgow seems to recognise how dark, wet, cold and miserable January is, so the city does its very best to put on music events to keep spirits up. Celtic Connections attracts artists and music fans from across the globe. Closer to home, King Tuts Wah Wah Hut promotes the best new bands around as part of their New Year Revolution series of shows through January. 

On Friday (9th) night I headed in to see Fatale, a young five piece, still in single figures for gigs and yet to release a single. As mentioned in an earlier blog this month, I think Fatale are the most exciting young band in Scotland at present. They look great, have fantastic taste in (and enthusiasm for) music and out of their 11-song set, taking into account the 2 cover versions, 5 or 6 of their own 9 songs sound like they could be clear and obvious singles. 

This was the best I've seen Fatale. They played with confidence, introduced new songs to their set and looked like they were having even more fun on stage than the audience, who were jumping and pogo-ing around. There was even a brilliant display of crowd surfing during the band's final song! 

Lead singer Ben Robertson somehow managed to keep his hat on for the first few songs, before eventually taking it off due to the heat in the room. Robertson is a natural front man, his energy is infectious. He has his arm round his guitarists at times, while at others he is down at the barrier and in with the crowd. Good vibes.

Good vibes all round. From the warm guitar opening of September onwards, Fatale blitzed King Tuts. A cover of The Vaselines Molly's Lips third song really got the place going.

Head's Gone could be one of the aforementioned singles. While Jesus Christ almost certainly will be. A teasing intro with Big Star-esque guitar sounds leads to the band flying through the verse to the chorus. 

Jesus Christ knocked on my door, just let me sleep 10-minutes more

Coming out with songs of praise, righteousness lost in the haze

Another Sunrise is another one that connects, the defiant statement hook of I'm going out tonight will probably be blasting out of radios and speakers within a couple of years and be sung wholeheartedly by teenagers across the country (and beyond).

Fatale were in full flow. The duel guitars of Euan and Chris (sporting a Shonen Knife t-shirt) were deliciously fuzzy, bassist Oscar locked in the groove, while James (vintage AC Milan shirts swapped for a Maradona T) on drums drove things forward.

By The Tide is another guitar pop gem. Fatale seem to have a natural feel for a good song structure. They know when to build a bridge, when to rip through a verse, when to hammer home a chorus or hook. 

New song Wired (To The Feeling) felt effortless. The band seem to be writing brilliant new songs ona regular basis. They could already start recording and releasing a steady stream of singles. But they (probably rightly) are letting things build. After all, as mentioned previously, they have still played less than 10 gigs. You can check a couple of demos on their soundcloud though.

I'm wired to the feeling

When I'm by your side

Electricity is flowing

Everything's just right

With every tear you don't cry

With every tear you don't cry

Fatale closed with the two songs they recorded as demos 8-months ago. Their cover of Femme Fatale by The Velvets has become a sing-song, the call and response chorus and then the hook see the way she walks, hear the way she talks is sung with love on stage and in the crowd.

Then it was the glorious Moves You, like a long lost Fanclub song from between A Catholic Education and Bandwagonesque. Full of zip and zest, but with a sublime breakdown and harmonies, before a furious romp through the chorus, cracking instrumental with a brilliant guitar solo and another run through the first verse and chorus for good measure. 

Fatale head out on the road in February for dates with The Cords. Keep an eye on their Instagram page.

26/02 - Cafe Drummond, Aberdeen

27/02 - Beat Generator, Dundee

29/02 - Upstairs, Inverness