Interview - Catholic Action

Catholic Action came to my attention earlier in the year after reading about them online a few times and seeing a load of posters around town advertising their shows. Around the same time I had discovered the band Poor Things thanks to their song No Way, Jose that was released on Gerry Loves Records.

I was checking them out when I discovered that the two bands paths crossed on a split cassette single on Fuzzkill Records, so I checked that out and was blown away by L.U.V by Catholic Action.

L.U.V came across as a mix of Franz Ferdinand and Teenage Fanclub - upbeat guitar pop with a sense of urgency and great feel to it. At under 2 minutes 30 seconds it was a great introduction to the band and it left me thirsty for more.

I caught them at the Wickerman Festival where they rammed the tent they were playing in at the end of the night; the two guitars sounded glorious and the band looked like they were having fun.

Catholic Action - Catching Up, live at Wide Days

I wish I could be better

I wish I could wish harder

Write another love song and fall in love again

Cause it makes you realise that you love her

Cause it makes you realise that you care

Catholic Action have definitely made a splash in 2015 through a series of releases on Fuzzkill Records; they have all sold out but you there is plenty to explore via their band camp page and via YouTube including a Tenement TV live session for L.U.V and this fantastic session (above) for Rage Music. The releases have led to brilliant support slots, tours, festivals, a growing fanbase and a real buzz.

I am a sucker for a love song and so, based on the evidence released to date, are Catholic Action.  So many of their songs are out and out love songs.....and they are brilliant. Totally heartfelt, played with real feeling, guitars, hooks and choruses to sing and lyrics to relate to.

Put your faith in a pop song

And grow your hair

Lets make a point of falling in love, again

Cause I wanna give myself to you

Wanna give myself to you

Catholic Action - The Shallows

Songs keep coming and I really look forward to an album, hopefully in 2016 but as long as Catholic Action keep playing, writing, recording and releasing I will be happy. With a home studio and bundles of energy, I think it is a safe bet that they will do just that - quite how long they stay on Fuzzkill Records is another question!

I was keen to find out more and singer and songwriter Chris was kind enough to answer some questions I emailed through to him.

Catholic Action are genuine, heartfelt, poppy, punky, soulful and true. Check them out and enjoy.

1. Tell us how you formed - where are you from, how do you know each other, how and why did you get together?

I'm from Erskine, it's a suburb just outside of Glasgow (in)famous for its rather large bridge. The other guys are from in and around Glasgow and Jamie is from Reading. I met Jamie and Ryan in high school and we played in a band together. I met Andrew when I was producing a record for his old band (that Jamie played in, coincidentally). 

The three of us were working on this really guitar heavy stuff at my home studio and we wanted to play it live. We're all good friends and very familiar musically, so it was a no brainer to get Andrew involved at that point. A very wise decision. He's a guitar wizard. 

2. You’ve achieved quite a lot in your first year as a band, what has been key to that? How much of it was planned?

Thank you. Our year has been a very pleasant surprise. We never expected anything like what has happened to us. As far as planning is concerned, we initially set out only to facilitate what we like doing most - making records in my home studio and playing them live. We definitely did not plan for the reaction it'd get, nor on how much it'd change things for the band.

The key to it all, I hope. Is that we make music people enjoy! 

3. What have you put out to date and do you have any releases in the pipeline?

Believe it or not, since last October we've released 10 tracks over 6 different cassettes on Fuzzkill Records: The Now 666 Compilation (Vol I & II), our November 2014 Tour Tape, our split tape with Poor Things, the Under The Covers Valentines Compilation and our single, The Real World. 

As for the pipeline, there'll be a lot of new music and firsts for you to wrap your ears/eyes around. 

4. What has been your best gig to date?

This year we've been lucky enough to have a few that might qualify for best gig.

Playing The Roundhouse in London with Swim Deep, or the 02 Academy with the Libertines. They were special gigs. There were also a few really memorable festival sets… Electric Fields and Wickerman really stand out. However, I think the winner by far has to be playing to a sold out Barrowlands supporting none other than Franz Ferdinand and Sparks (FFS). 

Not only is playing that venue a huge milestone for any Glasgow band, it was also supporting some true musical heroes of mine. Listen to everything Sparks made in the 1970s, seriously. It's incredible. 

I don't know if my favourite moment was actually playing on the stage, or watching Ron Mael play "This Town Ain't Big Enough…" from over his shoulder to a sea of beaming faces… However, I am certain I'll forget neither. 

Coming off the hallowed Barrowland stage

6. What are the bands influences? (musical or otherwise)

Life, maaaan. The thing we're dragged through it at an ever increasing pace. A slow erosion of friendships, values and beliefs in both yourself and everything (and everyone) around you. Guilt: Catholic and otherwise. One woman in particular. We're all a bit lonely now too, aren't we? The list goes on...

I think about these things (and other things) when I write. 

7. How do you write as a band?

It really depends on the mood of the day. I tend to write a lot at home and then take it to the band. Although sometimes, we'll work it up from scratch in the rehearsal room and other times, it'll just be a result of fooling around in a recording studio. I think it's very important to be flexible, it keeps things interesting. 

8. What other Scottish bands do you like?

The Bellybuttons, Spinning Coin and Psychic Soviets are the best bands in Scotland. 

9. What do you think of the Scottish music scene? What is good, what is challenging, what is missing?

My favourite thing about Glasgow in particular, is that the list I just gave you will probably be different if you ask me in a few weeks time. I don't know if it's the crossover with the art school, its rich musical history or just something in the air but there's always something interesting happening. The place is thronging with good bands and artists, all of whom create drastically different but equally valid music. Compare The Pooches and Antique Pony, or Golden Teacher and Elara Caluna and you'll know what I mean. It's a very healthy place creatively, if a little insular. There's a whole world out there, and a lot of this music deserves it. 

Wickerman

Introducing - Poor Things

The Scottish music scene is in a particularly rich vein of form just now with a number of new bands coming to the fore, loads of bands and artists developing and pushing boundaries and established bands still coming up with the goods.

I'm aiming to introduce semi-regular interview/highlight/introducing blogs focusing on new bands coming to the fore. Here is the first one....

Poor Things are a band that came to my attention through a recent split single release on the fabulous Gerry Loves Records label. Their warm guitar pop sounds displayed on No Way, Jose caught my ear - very Fanclub-esque. I look forward to seeing them live in the near future.

I caught up with Craig Angus to find out a little more about the band.

1. Tell us how you formed - where are you from, how do you know each other, how and why did you get together?

Richard and I (Craig) got put in registration class together on the first day of secondary school and instantly bonded over music, he was the cool kid that could play the guitar really well and I was the over-active underachiever.  Eventually we met Gavin who at the time was going out with one of our friends from school and we formed out first band, in 2004 - which is crazy.  

Anyway long story short we started a new band once Richard and I came to University in Glasgow and Poor Things have been playing since 2011 -  our sound has changed a lot since then.  I feel like we've only really existed since 2013, like I was a different person before that... 

2. I’m pretty new to the band, you seem to have released your debut album quickly (which I like) - what made you decide to do that? What has the response been like?

I think maybe because we'd been plugging away for two, three years in the sidelines, it felt like a bit of a bucket list thing - something it would be cool to have as a momento to the band.  I guess because you never know when something like that can just stop - all it takes is one person to emigrate, or just say they've had enough.  With this band and us being such old friends, it could't function without the core three members, and no matter how things go from here that's our small contribution to the world of music.

The genesis, Andrew Dyce from Saraseto Records, who is a great friend and supporter of the band, asked us if we wanted to do it, and we had a bunch of songs that we were happy with and we had made a bit of money from various festival gigs and our first EP, so yeah - why not? 

I think writing an album is a great challenge that presents a few structural obstacles - the whole process definitely improved us as songwriters and the record seems to have reached a lot of people, a lot more than we could really have hoped for considering it was such a DIY effort.  It's not the most well known or hyped release of recent times, but we played a few cool shows off the back of it and the people that like it seem to really like it.  I'm still amazed that people choose to listen to music we make.  I think they're taking the piss probably.

3. Tell us about your other releases - what have you put out to date and is there anything in the pipeline?

One EP (Hurricane Poor Things), One Album (Poor Things), two split singles, one cassette on Fuzzkill with the formidable Catholic Action and one on Gerry Loves Records, a 7" with Halfrican, Sharptooth and Pinact and a contribution to Fuzzkill's Now 666 tape which some of our favourite bands were part of;  Secret Motorbikes, Deathcats, Kill Surfff.   

We've been writing songs for a while now, over a year, with the aim to do another album.  We demoed a track last week, and we're pretty excited about how it sounds.  The scattergun approach to the last record was great but we can probably take a bit more time, spend a bit more money and do something really memorable.  I'm really, really excited about it.  Richard has written some absolutely brilliant songs, and I think I'm putting my best stuff forward too.  

Visit the Poor Things band camp page for releases to date 

4. What has been your best gig to date?

The Gerry Loves launch parties were an obvious highpoint.  We also had a crazy show in Paris in May 2014 that ended up being really busy and I think having travelled so far that was pretty special.

5. What gigs do you have coming up?

We are playing The Hug and Pint on Saturday 22nd August and beyond that are doing a mini tour with our pals Min Diesel in October, the focus right now is writing and finishing off new songs. We're going up to Loch Fyne to do 4 days of solid demoing in early September, before emerging to an unsuspecting world. 

6. Tell us about your influences - what music do you like?

As a unit we're big Weezer fans, big Pavement fans, beyond that we're into Teenage Fanclub, Smashing Pumpkins, Big Star, any indie music from that wonderful 1990s period.  

7. How do you write as a band?

Richard lives in Aberdeen and I live in Glasgow, so we write things individually and then share them over emails, and then when we practice with Gav we bring it all together and pick things apart a bit more.  It's quite a good way of filtering the good stuff.

8. What other young Scottish bands do you like?

We're big, big Halfrican fans - they've got excellent legs.  Also Pinact and Sharptooth who were on our 7" release.  We've done a lot of shows with Catholic Action who are about to really take off and they're a really fun band with great songwriting at the front and centre.  I never miss Tuff Love either.

9. What do you think of the music scene in Scotland - what is good, what is challenging, is anything missing?

That's a tough one.  There's a lot of really great stuff going on, and then stuff that does nothing for me and that perplexes me - but hey, opinions right?  It feels futile criticising a band you're clearly just not into.

I think things are pretty good now thought, and the rise of DIY labels is a brilliant thing, it's encouraging people to be creative and be independently minded. Long term there's an obvious glass ceiling, but it shouldn't matter too much.  

10. For those new to the band - why should they check you out?

It's what Elvis would have wanted.

Rick Redbeard/Adam Stafford split 7-inch, Gerry Loves Records

So I'd been home for an hour tonight before my wife said 'What have you been buying now?' before she handed a package over. The answer was a t-shirt from Gerry Loves Records and a split 7-inch package containing their most recent release (no.9) Rick Redbead & Adam Stafford and an earlier release that I don't have in my wee Gerry Loves collection by (no.2) Trapped In Kansas and Yahweh.

me breathing in!

Gerry Loves Records could be described as a boutique record label based in Edinburgh, specialising in bringing artists together for split 7-inch singles or 12-inch EP's. I can't remember how I discovered them but I bought their first release and I was then involved through Miaoux Miaoux in their third release, also buying their Paws/Lady North release.


So it is a busy and productive label and owner Andy Lobban clearly has excellent taste in music (Paws have signed to Fat Cat and Miaoux Miaoux to Chemikal for example) and art (the packaging is always fantastic).


I have mentioned Adam Stafford a few times on this blog and his offering of 'Vanishing Tanks' for this split 7-inch is one of the best things (or at least my favourite) I have heard from him. 


The guitar riff sounds pretty familiar and it is really bugging me as to what it sounds like. Adam lays down beats over the guitar and then layers his voice to great effect. The section/chorus/mantra 'won't let you walk away, won't let you walk away, out of here now' is glorious.


Adam is a prolific and talented artist, check out his Wiseblood Industries website to discover his back catalogue. I would highly recommend last years 'Build A Harbour Immediately' album to start with.

I had no idea who Rick Redbeard was when I bought this as I ordered it on the strength of Adam.    It turns out that Rick is the lead singer of The Phantom Band, who are a band I can appreciate but can't get into at all.


I didn't have any problems getting into 'Now We're Dancing' though. The guitar riff is softly picked out over some gentle percussion. Rick's voice is stunning, lifting the song at all the right times. This is one of the most beautiful lyrics of the year for me.

I would love to say your name, if only for the sound

Some bubbling electronica is spliced into the song in the perfect way, as is some melodica. This song just sounds timeless. It is ripe for a film.


If you order the 7-inch it comes with 2 bonus tracks as well! I haven't got to them yet as I keep playing the record!


The Yahweh and Trapped In Kansas 7-inch comes in a handmade fabric sleeve with polaroids stuck on by the bands themselves.

'Make Me Stop' by Yahweh is brilliant. It reminds me of acts like the Postal Service. The vocals are put through some kind of effects, the synths bubble, there is some gentle glockenspiel...its all quite psychedelic in a modern way. I love this. The vocal melody just flows superbly.


So there you go - some new music and a brilliant little label run by someone who, like me, is also madly in love with Teenage Fanclub. Check it all out via the links in this blog.



'Towerblock' by Trapped In Kansas is all chiming guitars and very Scottish sounding vocals. It takes a while to get going and when it does the hook is hammered home.

Fall down, this is like love and I feel lost

There are 2 bonus tracks available via download with this release as well, I'll leave them for you to check out yourself.


So there you go - some new music and a brilliant little label run by someone who, like me, is also madly in love with Teenage Fanclub. Check it all out via the links in this blog.

Lady North/Paws - Gerry Loves Records split single

If you google Gerry Loves Records the following blurb will appear on your screen;


A tiny DIY Label in Edinburgh, Scotland, producing quality musical artefacts. 


It is a pretty perfect description.


The first release on this tiny DIY label with a great name (a play on Teenage Fanclub's Gerry Love for any non-Fanclub fans) was a little over a year ago, in April 2010, another split single featuring Conquering Animal Sound and Debutant. Since then releases have also included music by; Trapped In Kansas, Yahweh, Japanese War Effort, Miaoux Miaoux, Wounded Knee and Fox Gut Daata. Now we arrive at LOVES005 with the release of a new 7-inch featuring Lady North and Paws.


Before I go on, it is worth going on to the Gerry Loves website where you get to listen to all the releases to date, hopefully before you buy one or two. 


Full credit to Gerry Loves Records for pouring their heart, soul and cash into Scottish independent music.

A split 7-inch single reminds me of my youth and Nirvana sharing vinyl space with Jesus Lizard. I still have the 7-inch, it is probably worth a decent amount.


The artwork (Gerry Loves Records like their artwork) is more simple than the previous split 12-inch that came out at the tail end of 2010. Lady North get one side and Paws the other in a hand silk screened cover.


Let's check out what is on offer on the vinyl that comes inside.


Lady North offer 'It's All About Gettin' that Claude Monet'. Their music is described as 'math rock'. Now I'm not quite sure what that means, what I get on listen is evidence of a band that are clearly shit hot and exceptionally tight. The recording sounds pretty live, perhaps because of the fact that it sounds like freeform jazz or a jam at times, really loose, yet they know what they are doing.


You can get lost in this, I imagine it would be brilliant live and I'm regretting not going to the launch night at Captain's Rest earlier this month. 


There is what could be considered a drum solo at times, the music veers from jazz to prog to what could also be considered heavy rock at times. 

Paws are up next with the track 'Lekker'. I caught them at Sneaky Petes in Edinburgh back in April and I really enjoyed their energetic set and guitar sounds.


If anything, they sound even more ferocious live with 'Lekker' than they did that night in Petes! 


'Lekker' is under two-and-a-half minutes of driving guitars and beats. The vocals are distoted to the extent where it is quite hard to make out the lyrics at times (along with the fact that they fly through the song) 

yeah we just started something new, but i am still pretty terrified of you

It is a pop punk, fierce love song and over before you know it with a catchy; 

'holy f**k I think I'm falling in love, with you, love uv uv uv, with you'.

Check an acoustic version below;

I look forward to the next release.