Introducing Other People's Leisure

Other People's Lesiure came to my attention towards the end of 2025 via Instagram. A video of two people with a bank of electronic equipment, rainbow coloured lights and a silhouetted singer was captivating. The synth sounds were sublime and I found myself playing it a few times in a row.

The song was 1.30 AM Again, their debut single, the first in a trilogy that the band released in quick succession in October and November. Check them out on all the usual streaming/download sites.

A quick review of their singles to date;

1.30 AM Again is dreamy and hypnotic electro for the opening 60-seconds, with a banging beat, vocals and new synth sounds introduced at the 1-minute mark. It's a gem.

Na Lap feels beautifully chemical and clubby. At times there is a lot going on, at other times elements are dropped to leave the song floating, before synths, vocals and beats kick back in. Rather gorgeous. I'd have loved this in my clubbing days!  

Brevis Lux reminds me of Underworld - psychedelic and even a bit of a shoegaze element coming across in the effects on the vocals. I love the feel and production on this song. Trippy!

Other People's Leisure take their name from the legendary Trainspotting scene where Spud is encouraged by Renton to take a dab of speed before attending a job interview. The friends debate the dilemma of (a) not trying enough and getting his Giro taken off him, or (b) trying too hard and actually getting the job. The dab of speed does the trick!

Watch the incredible scene HERE

Enough about Trainspotting. I was keen to learn more about Other People's Leisure so fired them off a few questions. Check their answers below.

Other People's Leisure play Leith Depot on 5th March and The Hug & Pint on 13th March.

1. Who are you? Where are you from? And how and when did you form Other People’s Leisure?

Other People’s Leisure is Craig A. and Craig P. We’re based in Rosyth. We’ve known each other for about 15 years. Craig P. was in an indie band, The Draymin, with one of my (Craig A.’s) good mates. 

We started OPL properly in March 2024 after years of sharing music we love, gigging, and bouncing ideas off one another through various solo projects.

2. How do you create your songs and sounds? Do you jam or bounce ideas off each other? Or come with near finished songs?

It’s a mixture of approaches. We both use Ableton and are always coming up with new ideas. Craig P.’s ideas tend to arrive more polished than mine. We’ve got similar musical taste and tend to follow the feeling of something rather than forcing structure early on, then strip it back once we know what it wants to be. A lot gets removed rather than added. Craig P. is our lyricist, so he normally takes the lead on words. Since developing the live show, we’re planning to write the next batch of tunes on hardware rather than in Ableton.

3. Was there a moment when you both thought ‘yeah, we’ve got something here’?

From the moment we started working together it felt like it could be something special. The music, visuals and sound all seem to be landing emotionally with people, which has been really encouraging.

4. What kind of music are you listening to at present? Have any bands/artists in particular influenced you?

It changes constantly. I’ve been loving 1-800 Girls and a lot of lo-fi-leaning stuff recently. We both listen pretty broadly, but we’re drawn to music with melody that strikes an emotional chord. Anything that balances mood, rhythm and space tends to stick. Influences include Junior Boys, Bicep, Four Tet, Young Fathers, Ross From Friends and Maribou State.

5. When you think of Glasgow/Scotland and music, what comes to mind?

A strong tradition of people doing things their own way. Life was historically tough, and that’s shaped a certain resilience and honesty. We value that mindset and a strong work ethic, and we carry it into how we approach the band. I lived in the old Gorbals as a teenager, so Glasgow helped shape who I am, and that’s fully intertwined with music for me. Scotland’s music scene has always punched well above its weight internationally, and I’m proud of that.

6. You released a trilogy of singles in quick succession. What was your thinking behind that and do you have plans to keep releasing singles? Or are you working towards an album?

The trilogy changed a few times, and we had quite a bit of input from Red Jerry at Hooj Choons. He suggested adding vocals, which definitely elevated the tracks. We plan to experiment with different vocalists, and using Craig P. on Na Lap felt like a good way of showcasing another side to us. We’ve got around ten tracks at an almost-finished stage. They took a back seat while we prepped the live show, but we’ll start releasing those early next year.

7. You’re playing two shows in March. What can we expect from them?

A live set that’s very much its own thing rather than a direct playback of the records. Hardware, live vocals, visuals, and room for things to move. We love to jam, so if the room responds well, people might even get a 30-minute version of 1:30am Again. We’re playing on the bill with Glasgow’s PRZDNT. Two of his tracks made my Spotify Wrapped this year, so I’m really looking forward to his set as well.

8. Any other plans at present?

More releases, more live shows, and continuing to build things steadily. Hopefully some festivals lined up which we’ll be announcing in the new year.

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

Introducing - Fatale

What is it about you Uddy (Uddingston) boys and The Velvet Underground?

Back in mid-April, my friend Derek sent me a cryptic WhatsApp message, and then followed it up with soundcloud links to a young teenage band called Fatale . Del had produced and engineered demos for two songs; Moves You and a cover of The Velvets Femme Fatale.

Fatale soundcloud

Del was excited enough to also post in the Teenage Fanclub Fanclub Facebook group with the statement  - If you like Catholic Education era Teenage Fanclub then you'll love Fatale.

Fatale, as you might have guessed from Derek's comparisons, love electric guitars that crash, collide, chime, blur, reverberate and fuzz together in the glorious way that I have loved for over 3 decades.

Hailing from my home town of Uddingston (on the outskirts of Glasgow), I was determined to find out more about this young band that seem to be bursting with talent, taste, looks, great hair (I found out upon meeting them), energy and enthusiasm.

Moves You is the first song that they have released. The overdriven guitars are fired up beautifully, there is a sublime dreamy breakdown, before they burst back into life. Vocally, this is pure So Far Gone/God Knows It's True era Fanclub, raw and soulful harmonies, young romantic lyrics sung from the heart.

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

Meanwhile, their cover of Femme Fatale is gorgeously raw and warm, sounding like a lost Fanclub cover they recorded for Bandwagonesque era b-sides.

I caught up with guitarist Christopher Jollie to find out more in the interview below. It was also great to bump into the whole band after the BMX Bandits show on Friday night. During the gig they stood to the side, shaking their heads in time and singing-along, Chris wearing a Eugenius t-shirt. They looked like a real gang, tight friends, a band. 

I can't wait to see them live. Read on for info about how they formed, influences, writing and news about their next gig.

1. How did the band form? Where are you all from? How did you get to know each other?

Our singer Ben and lead guitarist Euan are cousins and both of them had came out of playing with other bands. Myself and our bassist Oscar had been school friends with Ben and had played in a drumless, gigless band just before Fatale. A total shambles. Euan and our drummer James had also been school pals but had never played in a band together. 

From James perspective Euan was playing songs with his wee cousin (he thought he was nine) and wanted him to drum with them. When we show up at his garage for a jam, to his surprise there’s three eighteen year old's with guitars. The band just took off from there.

2. How did you start creating music together? Does anyone take the lead on writing? Or do you jam ideas?

We started off with acoustic demos recorded by Ben and Euan, and built up from there. It’s a collaborative process we go for, with everyone coming in with their own songs, and fleshing them out in practice. I’d always hated showing folk my own songs, but I had Moves You as a demo on my phone from months before and tried to show it to the guys. I had to do that another twice before we sort of took it seriously as a song, and now we’re in the process of getting it recorded and produced. We do have very diverse influences, which allows us to do different things with each song.

3. What kind of music are you listening to at present? Have any bands influenced you?

I was just at the Barras seeing Dinosaur Jr. and wow. They’ve always been a band that I’m just in awe of. I’ve been listening to a lot of soul music and bands like Big Star, the Kinks. Apart from that I’ve been getting dead into Eugenius, who had sort of passed me by when I was discovering the Fanclub. Scottish music has shaped our sound unlike anything else. There’s just something inside a lot of Scottish bands that just can’t be replicated. We are very keen to keep that sort of thing going.

4. How did you get on playing McChuills at the start of May?

McChuills was our first gig together, and it was a sellout. We were opening for a very good Irish band, The Labourers, and playing alongside our good pals, Bogle, as part of the Vicar Street Social night. We were originally scheduled to play a Sunday Soundclash on the 4th of May but due to the football it was cancelled. 

That had left us without a gig until July, but thankfully our mate Ben Brown managed to pull some strings and get us a spot on VSS thanks to a demo recorded by Derek McKee. We played 7 songs, including covers of the Scream’s Velocity Girl and the Velvet’s Femme Fatale. Our closer, Moves You ended up getting played twice since we didn’t have another song and the crowd were wanting more. I had already plugged out my guitar when Ben tells me we’re replaying it. You can’t plan for the energy in the room, and everything came so naturally.

5. What do you have coming up in terms of gigs, recording and releasing?

Our next gig is a part of King Tut’s Summer Nights Festival. We’re opening for a band we know called The Violet’s on Sunday 20th July, so it should be another great night. TICKETS

We’re also looking at our options for getting Moves You recorded and released in the next month or two, to keep the excitement going. Del done a great job of our demo so we’ll be looking towards him for potentially recording some covers to put out over the summer. We’re also in the early stages of setting up a once or twice a month event, looking at platforming the sound of young Glasgow. It’s exciting times for us, but it’s just the start of something that we truly believe in.

Keep On Dreaming

Keep On Dreaming is the second single from my sometime/part-time band Starboard Hazes.

The song had the working title Lemonhead right up until when it was recorded. It's one of the few songs where I had the music before the lyrics. I thought the chords were very Lemonheads-y, so that became the title.

A lot of musicians who are much better than me will say that eventually you just have to let go of a song. Stop tinkering with it, stop taking things out or adding things in..

I get that. I'd have liked to spend more time on this. To make it a little more Lemonheads-y, maybe with some warm acoustic guitar for the rhythm. But we recorded 4 instrumentals in around 6-hours, going back another day to record vocals. We didn't have much time! 

So although it didn't turn out quite the way I had it in my head, it does capture the energy and zest from the recordings. I was absolutely buzzing, so we raced through it! Me on rhythm guitar, James on lead and Calum Muir on drums.

I think we recorded in 3 takes. Then James overdubbed bass. I went back one evening in February to record vocals with Annmarie Lochrie. Done!

What next?

Well we have another 2 songs we recorded at the start of the year that we'll put out over the summer. We'll start with Bandcamp and then put all 4 out as an EP on other digital channels. I'm at the age where I can't keep up with them all, but I used Spotify!

Then James and I are getting together in the summer to work out 3 or 4 more. After that we'll find out who is available to go into the studio with us to record them. And we also hope to play a gig!

In the meantime, you can stream or download (for free) the single via our Bandcamp.

Me and James working out the songs

Introducing - Brontës

 

Kristen AM Brodie Photography

Back at the start of July my friend Steven posted a video on his Facebook page saying that his daughter Eva had formed a band. Steven has impeccable taste in music (a real mod and northern soul fanatic) so I clicked to watch the video (see end of blog) he had linked.

And I was impressed! Brontës looked great and sounded superb, playing two original songs; First Hand Arrogance and Down To You, sandwiching a cover version of Shakira's SheWolf in between!

I found myself replaying the performance a couple of times, realising how much I was missing getting out and about in Glasgow to hear guitars and watch cool young bands. They just looked in the zone, locked into grooves, cool vocals, but also having that edge of this - this is us. They weren't trying too hard, like many bands do.

First Hand Arrogance has real tight groove, allowing the two guitars to drive things along over the top of it, in a kind of punk Chic style, going all rock for the chorus in a quite delicious way over a come and get it, first hand arrogance hook.

Down To You starts of really playful; musically and melodically, reminding me a little bit of early Vampire Weekend, but the vocals are just beautifully dreamy, the duelling guitars work so well - one all scratchy punk funk, the other picking out a kind of dancey riff. 

I thought I'd find out a little more ahead of their first ever gig, taking place at King Tuts this Thursday with Spyres - who I also intend to feature in a future blog.

How did the band form? How did you get to know each other?

Yana and Amelia started the band after finishing college in 2019. Erin, Jon and Eva joined a little bit later. We're from different places out and around Glasgow and we met through college / university / going out.

How did you start creating music? Does anyone take lead on writing? Or do you jam ideas?

We all study music and wanted to be in a band. We take turns writing lyrics but jam the music together.

Kristen AM Brodie Photography

Do you take influences from any bands? What do you all listen to?

We get a lot of influences spanning different genres, including Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club, Donna Summer, Mazzy Star, James Brown, Massive Attack and our all time favourite - Pitbull.

You're about to play King Tuts, is this your first ever gig? How are you feeling about it?

Yeah, it's out first gig as a band and we're really excited and a bit nervous to play to a crowd, but we can't wait to get out there and cut our teeth.

You launched Brontës with a recording of a live session performance. What gave you that idea?

We share a studio with Weekend Debt and Stoned Immaculate and Crowded Flat use the space to record their sessions. We were asked to record one and thought it was a different way to launch our sound and see the reaction we got ... which was overwhelmingly positive.

And this prompted Last Night From Glasgow to sign you up. Will you be releasing anything soon?

It was a total shock to be signed as quick as we were and we're so thankful to LNFG for picking us up and giving us the opportunity. We're in the studio soon and should hopefully have a single out in the near future.

So much is changing, but do you have any more shows planned? Or anything else for the rest of the year.

We have a couple of shows coming up towards the end of the year, so keep an eye out and make sure to come along. We'll be spending a lot of time in the studio writing new material and recording.

CLICK HERE to watch the Brontës Crowded Flat session if you don't see the video below.

Comes A Time

Mark W Georgsson is one of my favourite artists. I got to know Mark a number of years ago when he was in a great wee band called Velveteen Saints and we have stayed in touch. Mark lives and breathes for music and I felt that shone through in his beautiful 2017 debut album Faces and Places .

Mark's shows to accompany his album, whether solo or with his friends in his band, were a joy. Warm, intimate, melodic and natural - in the music and in the playing.

It's taken a while for Mark to produce the follow up, but Comes A Time is out now on Last Night From Glasgow and for me it's perfect timing, just as the nights are drawing in, this is an mini-album to warm your soul.

Ode to Rannva is a beautiful opening song, Mark's voice sounds as good as I have heard it, gentle and true, the music builds to some beautiful epic moments.

True happiness is what means most to me

Waiting for You sounds like a lost George Harrison & Paul McCartney collaboration, a jaunty romp with a psychedelic drop in the middle before picking up the beat again. The jam at the end contains an outrageous piano solo that lead the band to closure in style. I'd love to see and hear this live.

Mark demonstrated his romantic soul and nature on his debut and he wears his heart on his sleeve with True Love, a tender celtic ballad featuring gorgeous pedal steel guitar (Tim Davidson) and viola (Anja).

Celtic Americana could be a new genre that Georgsson establishes, One of a Kind sees him at his charming best, with stunning strings adding an extra dimension to his sound.

A true beauty like you is hard to find

As a heart like yours is one of a kind

Hanging Around starts from a gentle riff, light brushes on the drums back Mark as he sings tenderly before the song lifts gloriously for a catchy sing-a-long chorus.

Mark co-wrote this song with Kieran Webster form The View. Mark has this to say -  It's a very honest song about addiction, dependencies, ups and downs, highs and lows. But it's also about hope and hanging on in there, and fighting for yourself and the people you care about and love the most.

The title track is lush and heartfelt, at times the vocal is only accompanied by a barely strummed acoustic and atmospheric sounds from JJ McGowan on vintage Space Echo, the second half of the song builds to a dramatic conclusion

What I say to you only skims the surface of my mind

Baring all my thoughts and dreams together with lost time

Comes A Time is available on vinyl from Last Night From Glasgow and digitally from all the usual places.

Read on for an interview with Mark.

How are you doing? What has life been like during the last six months?

I'm really good, cheers. To be honest, I've been totally fine over the last six months and throughout most of lockdown, but I do know that I'm very lucky in that sense as I know a lot of people have really struggled.

I found myself having a lot of time to reset my body and mind by trying to exercise and work out most days and just try to be as positive as possible. I learned a wee bit of piano, read a bit more, listened to a lot more music, I even dabbled in improving my Icelandic (it's absolutely solid to learn by the way!)

I found myself reflecting on a lot of things and the things in life that are important to me, or should be. I also found myself taking the time to reconnect with a lot of friends and family that I hadn't spoken to in a while where we'd all been "too busy" to previously and that was great.

Don't get me wrong, I really missed not being able to actually catch up with friends and family properly by going to the pub, the football, a gig, or popping round to someone's house, simple everyday freedoms and things that we all take for granted.

And what have you been up to musically since the release of your debut album? Did you set out to write a collection of songs?

After my first album Faces and Places came out in 2017, I toured it with a Scottish Highlands and Islands tour and played quite a few festivals and gigs over in Iceland and the Faroe Islands as well as playing some really great support slots like Chance McCoy, Asgeir and Junius Meyvant too, which were all really cool.

I'd been sitting on a few songs and musical ideas that didn't fit the vibe of the first album and I decided that I wanted to explore a different sound and direction and actually try to and record a mini-LP that was clearly different from the first record.

I had quite a clear vision of how I wanted it to sound and flow, and I always knew it was going to be called Comes a Time so it was great to get stuck into those initial ideas as well as trying to revamp older songs and write new songs in a different way from how I had previously to try and fit the idea that I had in my head for the new record.

So many friends were involved on your debut release; musicians, photographers and producers. Who was involved this time?

I like having a lot of friends and people involved in my music, whether that be in the studio or playing live. I'm a people person, although I also like playing and recording solo too when the gig or song suits it. 

I roped in quite a lot of friends for this record too, albeit most of whom weren't involved in the first album. Like I said, I had quite a clear vision for Comes A Time and how I wanted it to sound. The first person I asked was my mate JJ McGowan. JJ is an amazing guitarist and all-round excellent musician with a great touch and feel and a real ear for sounds, layers and sonics, so I asked him to play and to help produce the EP with Jim Lang recording and engineering it.

I asked my good mate Michael Gahagan to play drums and percussion, Dave Brown was on bass and Robbie Noble played piano and keys. We rehearsed all of the songs as a band except the two acoustic tracks, unlike the first album which wasn't rehearsed that much at all and was more live and improvising sounding.

The majority of the mini-LP was recorded in a beautiful cottage overlooking Loch Fyne which was a really nice chill out vibe and experience for everyone. Some of the overdubs were recorded back at Jim's studio flat in Glasgow where some more friends such as Emme Woods, Tino Macdonald, Tim Davidson, Pedro Cameron and Anja Ormiston all kindly lent their talents to the songs.

The strings for the lead single One of a Kind were arranged and recorded in Reykavik by Arnar Guojonsson and there are also two co-writes on the record; Waiting For You was written with an old school pal of mine, Gordon Andrews and Hanging Around was written with Kieren Webster of The View.

As for the cover photography for the single and mini-lp, the legend that is Brian Sweeney was involved again.

Comes A Time is out when there are unlikely to be opportunities to tour or play a launch party. Will you be doing anything differently?

The record just came out on 14th August, so I'm still trying to promote it as best as I can online and hopefully people continue to buy the vinyl, digital or listen to it whatever way they choose.

I'd had another Scottish Highlands & Islands Tour scheduled for September to promote the EP which has obviously been cancelled, but I'm hoping to reschedule that for Spring / Summer next year taking in places like Orkney, Shetland and a few other places and venues that I've never been to before, which is exactly why I love travelling and playing up north and all over Scotland, going to new places and meeting new people. But with the way things are just now, I'm just going to take it easy and take things as they come, wait to see what happens.

What music are you listening to at the moment? And did anything influence the songs on this album?

Over the last week or so I've been listening to The Redwalls - De Nova, Turin Brakes - Lost Property, Oasis - The Masterplan, Lau -Ghosts, The Hummingbirds - Moving On and The Beatles - The Beatles (The White Album).

Also new / recent songs and records by Barrie-James, Willie Campbell, Kris Drever, Cara Rose, Scott Forsyth - a fantastic Glasgow based guitarist who is releasing very interesting country stuff righ now and Declan Welsh and The Decadent West.

As for influences on the new record, musically / sonically ... The Beatles, Sigur Ros, Neil Young, Semisonic, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Dinosaur Jr to name a few. Not to mention the people and experiences that the songs are actually about.

Are you writing anything at present? And in the absence of gigs, do you have any plans to do anything online?

With the new record just out, I'm concentrating on giving that as much time as I can to push it first. So, I'm not really in a rush to write anything new at the moment. I do have a few ideas sitting around, plys a possible writing collaboration that I might explore if and when I feel the time is right, but I don't like to force the writing process these days.

As for online gigs and stuff, that's not really for me, not that I've got anything against it, but basically I'm technologically inept and useless at that kind of thing.

I actually watched quite a few online gigs and streams during and after lockdown, one which I think is absolutely top notch and is on most Wednesday evenings, Zoe Bestel - live, check her out, an incredible singer and ukulele player.

Introducing Sister John

In October 2016 Last Night From Glasgow received a lovely Facebook message from a girl called Amanda McKeown with a private soundcloud link to an album's worth of demos. Amanda asked if we were seeking any new acts, said they formed in late 2015 and had played a grand total of 3 shows.

The bands name - Sister John - was interesting, their Facebook profile pic (below) looked amazing - a simple click and we were transported into their world - all warm acoustic guitars, spine tingling violin and stunning vocals. We were in.

Amanda, Heather, Sophie and Jonathan

Sister John were introduced to the world at Christmas with their song He Came Down and showcased their taste, style and talent at The Christmas Effect charity show with stunning take on Winter by The Rolling Stones and Christmas Must Be Tonight by The Band.

They are 4 immensely talented musicians and singer/guitarist Amanda McKeown is writing some beautiful songs. Return From Sea, the bands stunning debut album that we were introduced to in demo form last year, will be out on limited edition gatefold vinyl in September. Some of the songs have already been picked up by BBC Radio Scotland.

Expect a review nearer the time, but read on for an interview with Amanda. If you like what you hear and read below then visit the LNFG shop to pre-order.

1. How did the band form?
I've been singing for a while and marinating in music all my life but only started writing a couple of years ago. Warren McIntyre who runs the Seven Song Club at the Tron knew I'd been writing and asked if I would do a set so I asked Jonathan, Sophie and Heather to play with me and we just clicked. They are all incredibly talented players and we have a very sympathetic musical feel between us.

2. How quickly did your find your sound?
I had quite a clear idea of how I wanted the songs to sound - really it was about the minimum needed to convey and enhance the emotion.

3. Am I right in thinking you write all the songs? Do you have a set process or do songs just arrive? The Sweetest Moment sounds so natural, did it just come out like that?
Yes. I write in notebooks a lot. Sometimes I have imagery in my head and I'll connect it to another story - perhaps a film or some experience of my own and whatever it's about will emerge, then I'll play it for the band. Sweetest Moment was written in a morning - I searched for the right first line for a couple of weeks though.

4. Did any music, events or people influence the album?
Writing for me has partly been a process of revealing to myself what is going on with my thoughts, my emotions. The album in retrospect feels like a journey - it couldn't have worked sequenced in any other way. Not to be too grandiose about it but there seems to me to be strong themes in there - navigating in a challenging world, the tangibility of the past in the present, the tension between yourself and society. And from rain to sea to tides and rivers - I didn't realise how much I used water as a metaphor.

5. How important was it to get the album out on vinyl?
I am thrilled about that. It's the perfect format for the sound.

Sister John album 

6. You've only played a handful of shows and your 2 launch party shows have sold out. Will you be adding some more soon?
We're really excited about the launch shows and hope to play Edinburgh and one or two other places around Scotland before Christmas - then perhaps back in Glasgow for Celtic Connections, fingers crossed.

Sister John at the Old Hairdressers

7. Are you writing at present?
I've started writing number two and curious to see where it takes me and our sound.

8. Who/what are you listening to at present? Any other local bands/artists?
I love Stephen Solo - a fellow LNFGer. He writes beautiful songs.

Pii 2

2016 was a good year for albums, I had a number of contenders vying for the 'accolade' of my favourite album of the year - in the end it was Pii by Stephen Solo that won through. An eclectic eccentric album recorded on an iPhone 6 taking in sublime Albarn-esque melodies, Boards of Canada soundscapes, a song that was like a Limmy sketch, imagination and experiments.

Pii 2 has also been recorded completely on an iPhone and it is a psychedelic, melodic, imaginative, crazy, melancholic beauty.

Check it out for yourself on Spotify.

The freedom of being able to record on the hop, not having to book or finance a recording studio and having a supportive label that has a ready made audience and is as interested in the people they work with as the music they release, allows experimentation and creativity - something sadly lacking from a lot of music these days.

Songs were recorded in the work car park, the living room, the laundry cupboard and one - the stunning No Pill For What I've Got in the bath.

Other standouts for me include LocoCoco, the sublime Think Strange, the fragile Secrets You Keep and the glorious flowing Slipstream. Then the closing quartet of David Bowie Never Had To (more on this later), iPhone psychedelia on Can't Wait, the aforementioned No Pill For What I've Got and the beautiful touching Bye Bye Song featuring Stephen's son.

Pii was written around the birth of Stephen's first son, Pii 2 around the birth of his second. This isn't a pattern he sees continuing, but he did take a unique approach to recording the 'difficult' second album - recording that, ditching it and then writing and recording the joyous 3rd 'comeback' album.

The debut album was released on a USB credit card, the follow up is out today on a USB cassette tape! You can also download from iTunes or stream on Spotify. If you like it, then buy a super cool USB cassette via www.lastnightfromglasgow.com

Internet Song starts off with a mood of clever insanity before verging off into dreamy gorgeousness. Solo (real name Farrell) can seemingly pluck a melody from thin air and when the chorus comes in it can take you somewhere special.

Feel like I'm glowing

When you're downloading

Feel like I'm floating

When I'm uploading

How does he do it? LocoCoco captures attention immediately, the melody, the voice, the backing vocals, the hooks - it does all seem effortless. Check the switch into this section of the song - sensational!!!!!

I'm tired

From feeling that I got nobody to talk to

I'm wired

From punching the clock cause it never stops

It never stops at all

A psychedelic guitar riff picked out over lush warm synth ushers in Think Strange. It is a gem. All of Stephen Solo's material is interesting and imaginative, but when it all really comes together it is incredibly special.

For a fleeting second I think of the bands selling their souls without a hope in hell of producing anything as gorgeous at this....and I laugh.... cause this guy is producing something as good as this on his iPhone 6! I've just listened to it 4 times in a row.

It's hard to admit when you're wrong about somebody

A dreamer in love with the dark

Hoping it will never come back

Farrell's love of being able to freely experiment when he has a moment to himself with his phone is joyfully expressed throughout the album. Mini Metal Girl is one of those moments where you think what goes on in this guys head? But in a good way.

I mentioned that Secrets You Keep is a highlight; Stephen singing over an acoustic guitar with just the odd little synth bubbling in the background is just gorgeous. And when he harmonises with himself it is pure Beatles.

I love you more with every secret you keep

I love you more with every cut that goes deep

David Bowie Never Had To is madcap genius. Farrell takes us into his world by comparing it to David Bowie's. I laughed out loud on first listen and then promptly listened a further 6 times to appreciate the humour, imagination, reality, songwriting and melodies.

David Bowie never had to carry a washing machine up 3 flights of stairs

David Bowie never had to downgrade his home entertainment package because he's on a zero hours contract

David Bowie never had to consider using his keys as a weapon at a dodgy bus stop

Don't want my own universe

But I'd be happy in my own little world

The song has a great twist at the end where Bowie joins in the conversation from the other side. Just listen to this - please. It is genius.

Can't Wait is home made psychedelia and then Farrell introduces another one of those magical moments from 2-minutes onwards. Flowing melodies and harmonies - sheer beauty.

I have friends who I always trust when it comes to music. So when my friend Craig asked me if I had heard Stephen's song No Pill For What I've Got then I knew it was going to be special. And it is. Recorded from the bath (which you can hear at the start). It has a sleep, dreamy, melancholy vibe with a beautiful melody and soulful reflective lyrics.

The album closes with Solo playing ukulele and singing to his eldest son about the colours of the planets of the solar system. It is a captivating insight into how music plays such a part of his life and evidence of how he can just come up with ideas and melodies with ease.

Order the incredibly cool cassette USB album from the online store (click just the album) or head to iTunes to download or Spotify to stream. Enjoy.

Introducing Dead Man Fall

I first heard of the band named Dead Man Fall a few years ago when they somehow managed to get their song Bang Your Drum involved in a big way on the Craig Ferguson Show in America. The results (noted in the interview below) were nothing short of staggering for a young unsigned/DIY band from Scotland.

That success is only part of their story. Like every band or artist I am friends with or have spoken to; there are challenges, frustrations and thankfully moments where you are reminded why you do it.

Despite hearing about them back in 2014 I never managed to see them live until May when they supported their friends Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 at their Academy show. I was thoroughly impressed and said as much in blog review.

I dug deeper and what I have heard mixes a celtic melancholy with euphoria, heart and soul with hope  and dreams. They are impressive. I should have checked them before now!

The band have released a string of singles over the last few years, check this Spotify playlist;

I got in touch with the band to find out more about their history, what makes them tick and to find out what else they have planned ahead of their headline show at the wonderful St Lukes in Glasgow on Saturday 5th August. TICKETS HERE

Check their most recent video below for What's The Point which, for me, mixes Doves with Hot Chip.

1. How did Dead Man Fall form? Where and when?

DES: I intially started DMF in my own bedroom in Cumbernauld. I was drumming in another band called Odeon Beatclub and was writing tunes in the background. Once that all came to an end in 2013 I started pushing forward with the songs on my own. I had recorded a few songs to get things going then gradually got the guys involved by letting them hear the recordings and the kind of sound I was pursuing. We all went to school together and had been in many other bands, but never in the same one. The name Dead Man Fall comes from a game we used to play out in the street, sometimes I think it makes us sound a bit darker, almost like a goth or metal band but It's grown into itself.

2. Did you have a sound in mind when you formed, songs written?

DES: In the early days the sound was very electronic based. I would program beats, synths and all that then start to put real instruments and vocals over the top of that. It started to go in the way of the bands I had grown up listening to such as Joy Division and New Order as one of my older brothers always blasted that out when we shared a room, combined with the bands I was starting to listen to round that time such as The Rapture and Hot Chip. I had about five songs written before anybody else joined. Nowadays songs come from myself in the same way, but also from jamming as a band in the Studio. That's exactly how Bang Your Drum came about so it's helped to add a different element to our sound.   

3. You received some incredible exposure in America, how did that come about?

VINNIE: It all started from me sending Craig Ferguson a tweet with our video for Bang Your Drum which I just hoped he would retweet to his 2 million followers.  He then set up his own tweet saying “another great band from Glasgow” which included our video.  Then about 5 minutes laterhe followed us and sent us a DM asking us to come over and play on the Late Late Show. I nearly passed out when that came through.  My hands were shaking when I was trying to phone the guys.  Anyway to cut a long story short we never got the Visa but he then asked if he could use our song for his final episode. We of course said yes.  When we seen how it was used it blew our mind.  He had all these A-List celebrities lip synching to our song and then a live performance in the studio after that with guys like Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols on guitar.  It was mad.  Then about two days later we went to number 1 on the American iTunes Rock Chart, number 1 on US Amazon digital downloads, number 2 in Canada and around number 25 in the uk.  Our social media exploded.

4. Was it frustrating not to be able to get over there afterwards?

VINNIE: Like you wouldn’t believe.  A lot of time and money was wasted to not even get a sniff.  It took up so much of the band’s time so we looked as if we were doing nothing for a while.  We also couldn’t get a Visa this year to go over and play the Firefly Festival in Delaware.  The whole American visa process is a farce.  It’s just a big money making industry in it’s own right.

5. What else have the band achieved to date? What has been your favourite live show to date?
DES: A highlight was playing the Tbreak stage at the first time T in The Park headed to Strathallan. I would't say that was my own personal live favourite. We played The Record Factory and King Tuts within about two months of each other, and both of them were rammed, hot and sweaty. It was also the first gigs were we had people singing the lyrics back to the tunes. Our recent support slot with Colonel Mustard at the O2 was a brilliant show although we had a few stressful technical difficulties up on stage. Gareth our Drummer loved that one! Mainly because the audience were great but also he thought it was a buzz wondering what was going to go wrong next....My Bass decided to cut out mid song(s), My acoustic guitar slipped out of tune with new strings the day before. Gareth's bass drum beater also flew off mid song, he had to run and grab another kick pedal and screw it on before the beat was supposed to come back in. He managed to do it though!   

6. What have you been up to most recently?

VINNIE: We’re just back from Amsterdam last weekend after going over to film our video for our next single Andy Warhol.  We filmed it all ourselves and got a lot of good footage.  We were all dressed as Andy Warhol although we could have easily been mistaken for Tim Burgess.  It got a bit messy later on.  I lost my mind then lost my phone.  Luckily most of the footage was on Gareth’s phone.  It was only minimal footage on mine although some of it would’ve been good stuff.  It was a great trip though.  By that I mean the trip to Amsterdam.

7. What have you got planned?

DES: We really need to hit the festivals next year. We're playing a brand new scottish festival 'Argyll Gathering' down in Helensburgh in August. It's a cracking line up with Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5, The Lafontaines, Mickey 9's and Bwani Junction playing too. We're also playing a Musicians against Homelessness show in the Drygate in September but after that we're going to be applying for every festival we can. When we play to a new crowd more often than not we really win them over. I would like to think that the set we can blast out is more than deserving and suitable for a number of festival stages.    

8. What music are you all listening to at present?

VINNIE:  I’ve become slightly obsessed with Arcade Fire of present.  I had been wanting to see them for years and got to see them at the Corn Exchange only last month.  It blew me away.  Now I’m just watching clips of them on Youtube and stuff like a little teenage girl.  It’s not healthy.  The past few weeks I’ve been jumping between them, LCD Soundsystem, Nick Cave, Radiohead and Coldplay….and I don’t care who knows that, I love them.

Gareth’s just been listening to the song Everything Now by Arcade Fire, Kev has been listening to Suuns.

DES: I probably don't listen to as much new music at the moment. Today I had on AM by the Arctic Monkeys. It's one of the rare albums I never ever skip a song on. The other day I was delving back into The Prodigy reliving the glory days. Sometimes I'll stick on older stuff like Marlena Shaw and Motown stuff, Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell must be one of my favourite tunes ever.