Introducing Supersun

Supersun came to my attention via a scene that is naturally developing among a young group of kids in and around Glasgow who share a mutual love of guitar bands - ranging from The Beatles, The Velvet Underground and The Byrds, through to classic Scottish bands like Teenage Fanclub, Velocity Girl era Primals, Eugenius and The Mary Chain. They seem to have found each other or be in the process of finding each other, which is amazing. It's creating a lot of energy. 

Led by Adam Graham, Supersun are not just crafting infectiously melodic and harmonious tunes, but also actively nurturing the city's vibrant scene through their exciting new night, The Cabbage that is held upstairs in The Doublet Bar on Park Road. 

Supersun live debut at The Cabbage

Back in November, I was fortunate to attend the first night (also Supersun's first (and so far only) gig) that featured The Violets, Fatale and Supersun, before all 3 united for a gloriously loving ramshackle sing-a-long of Teenage Fanclub's Everything Flows. There was a fanzine, stickers, and friends playing records after the bands had finished. Just a lovely, positive, friendly and welcoming scene. The second Cabbage night is on 15th January. It sold out in 5-minutes. There are only 40 tickets, but that is fantastic!

The Cabbage Forever - Instagram page

As an older guy still kicking about the scene, I feel inspired and uplifted when I learn about all these young bands getting into the kind of music I was discovering when I was their age. The beat goes on.

Everything Flows at The Cabbage

Supersun, as you'll learn in the interview below, is very much a family affair, injecting their shared history and undeniable chemistry into a sound that marries the sun-drenched harmonies and chiming guitars of the 60's - Adam and his brother Jack both play twelve strings. Shack and The Coral came to mind during their set - there is a loving dash and splash of modern psychedelic jangle-pop in the Supersun sound. 

Adam's ambitions for Supersun are driven by a deep pride for Glasgow's musical heritage alongside a love and understanding of new guitar bands breaking through. He sounds determined to leave his mark on the city - through music and events.

I caught up with Adam to discuss the origins of Supersun, their influences, the ethos behind The Cabbage and what is coming up next ...

1. How did the Supersun form? Where are you all from and what do you each play? How did you get to know each other?

Supersun has ended up as a bit of a family affair. There’s me, Adam – the one who sings the songs and plays guitar. Then there’s my brother Jack and sister Julia, who provide the blood-harmonies and colour things in with a few other sounds. Finally, there’s our cousin Chris who plays bass. I needed a vessel for the songs I’d been writing – asking the others to join was just the obvious choice, and the easiest. Since then, we’ve really come together as a force of something I believe to be pretty special.

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

My brother and I have been playing together for as long as I can remember. We have been writing and performing as The Plastic Youth for a while now – Supersun is the new project, with myself emerging from behind the drums. At the moment, I’ve been taking the lead on the writing front, but the real essence of the songs only sparks once everybody has added their charm.

Jack, Julia, Adam and Chris - Supersun

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

We are all massive fans of the 60's – this is what we grew up with in the house and what has ultimately informed our style, especially the harmonies. Our sound feels fresh, something I’ve not really heard before. We encapsulate the charm of the 60's with the pulse of the baggy 90's, with some nods toward modern psychedelic jangle-pop. A bunch of bands that have really influenced the sound would be The Beatles, Donovan, The Stone Roses, The Charlatans, The La’s, Melody’s Echo Chamber, and Alvvays.

4. You've started a night at The Doublet called The Cabbage. What is the idea behind the night? And the name?

The Cabbage is a celebration of all that has come from Scottish youth across generations – from the past masters of Scottish music to the fresh faces on the block. The idea of The Cabbage originally came about to offer Supersun and the bands around us a different route into the industry – an alternative to average, uninspiring nights. At its core, we are the new youth culture, dedicated to championing the next generation of Scottish artists – having a good time while we do it.

As for the name, I remember working with Gerry Love on The Plastic Youth album, we were talking about naming the tracks. He mentioned their song The Cabbage, I don’t know if it was a caution of giving something a mental name or just pointing it out as one of those things you do at the time. Either way, when I was thinking of a name for the scene, I thought that’s perfect – I’ll use that. It’s a nod to Scottish music and captures that feeling of being young and not caring too much.

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

Pride. I feel proud to be from Glasgow, knowing everything that has come from the city in regard to music and art. I also feel a drive to etch our name onto its cultural tapestry.

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

We are pretty fresh on the scene, so the future’s wide open. There is definitely something special stirring in Scottish music – our future lies in helping it off the ground and leading the charge. We have a few tricks up our sleeve; the first we can share is our upcoming show with The Cords and BMX Bandits. We are sitting on a number of big tunes, so the plan is to get them out as records as soon as we can. Other than that, we are going to continue creating exciting stuff with The Cabbage and Fool Creations.

Come along for the ride – let’s see where it goes.

Supersun play Mono on Thursday 12th February for the launch of Fool Creations. TICKETS

Fool Creations is Adam's new events and record distribution company. Find out more about them in February.

Introducing Wonder 45

My friend William was raving about a new band called Wonder 45. I checked them out and could see why! Wonder 45 are fresh out the wrapper and perfectly formed. Gorgeous soul, top class musicians and vocals that just grab you. The band started as an instrumental recording project and grew from there.

I asked William if he fancied writing a blog .... and he has. Enjoy!

Introducing - Wonder 45

Guest blog by William Thomas

Sometimes a band comes along which just jumps out from the crowd, demanding to be noticed – it’s a rare but unmistakeable feeling for listeners. The needle hits the groove and the music just… crackles.

It can either be an indefinable quality, or clear as day. Wonder 45 are firmly in the latter category -everything hits right, the band is tight, the melodies effervescent, the production crisp and warm.

This London soul ensemble started out life as producer/writer Holley Gray, guitarist Ross Ewart, drummer Chris Nickolls and keyboard player Steve Pringle.

They’ve since been enhanced by singer/songwriters Jess Greenfield and Gavin Conder and the outfit have since gathered real momentum with their first gig only happening in January this year. You would never know, such is the assured nature of everything they do.

From their studio cuts too, the manifesto is clear. You can hear the authentic, classic influences coming through loud and clear, but there’s a sharp, fresh pop sensibility too. If you were thinking of another band which had immediately turned its retro influences into earworm gold, then Oasis might spring to mind.

It’s an apposite comparison, because songwriter and vocalist Greenfield is also a key member of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, providing affecting backing vocals, keyboards, and percussion both live and in the studio.

Given Noel’s high bar for fellow band members, that’s an endorsement to be proud of, and it has clearly given her a strong platform to spread her wings further with her own musical ambitions.

Greenfield brings that high flying, arena-filling prowess accrued over the last six years to Wonder 45 in spades with standout vocals on the likes of Cry – a gritty, passionate cri de coeur to hold onto love through both bad times and good – the swinging Nothing’s Gonna Change, and Superman which immediately commands attention with its powerful rhythm section and lyric that pays tribute to not settling for a love that’s anything less than heroic.

Conder is no vocal slouch either on Wonderland where the barriers to true love are cast aside with a soaring chorus.

Cry - live studio session

Make It Happen is meanwhile an unapologetic wah-wah guitar-driven note to self, reminiscent of Sly and The Family Stone in their pomp. Carpe diem, grab the opportunity, whatever you want to call it – it’s an inspiring, propulsive crowd-pleaser addressed to anyone resting on their laurels delivered with funk and fun. There is brass in abundance – driving organ, and whip cracking percussion all the way.

Collectively, the singles display a wide, scintillating repertoire of styles, all delivered with complete confidence and melodic panache. Here, you’ll find drama, pathos, lust, longing, and all points in between. Most importantly, each track fizzes with intent, and you wouldn’t be surprised if Wonder 45 very quickly find their career launched into orbit.

The band have undoubtedly released a steady procession of consistently great songs in recent times – all of which have caught the attention of, and made waves with, a long list of prominent radio names, culminating in what is already sure to be an instant classic debut LP Wonderland out on 31 May via Big-AC Records.

Wonderland - live studio session

Introducing The Cords

One night last year, my phone repeatedly pinged with a series of WhatsApp message from my sister Carla, who had started doing some work at The Rig Arts Centre in Greenock. Carla's constant pings told me about how she had begun mentoring a young, still at school, teenage band called The Cords and she raved about their pure indie pop sound, comparing it Sarah Records, C86, early Pastels and Shop Assistants.

The Cords are Eva on guitar and Grace on drums, two teenage sisters from Inverkip in the West of Scotland, who have quickly gathered support via a couple of shows at Mono (supporting The Vaselines and then Carla) and a couple of in-house shows at The Rig Arts Centre.

My heart melted when I caught The Cords live. Warm guitar chords with limited/no effects, beautifully pure melodies and beats, playful hooks and a sibling chemistry easily won me and the Mono crowd over. Afterwards, it was great to see kids and adults supporting the band by buying up their pin badges and homemade bracelets. My youngest daughter Rosie and her friend Emily were in the front row and they proudly wore Cords pin badges to school the next day. 

I love that The Cords proudly declare their love for 80's and 90's DIY indie pop and that it is inspiring them to do it themselves. And I love that they have the confidence to put up a live bootleg recording of their first proper gig (supporting Frances and Eugene from The Vaselines) at Mono. This is true teenage angst delivered in a beautifully raw, honest and pure garage guitar pop style.

The Cords - live at Mono 14/09/23

The Cords are definitely a band to watch out for over the next couple of years. It's still very early days for the duo, but I dropped them a message via Carla to ask a few questions for the blog and Eva kindly took the time to answer them.

When and how did you form?

My sister and I have both been drumming since we were 6-years old and our drum tutor Lesley McLaren started Rock school at Rig Arts to give teens the chance to form bands and be given guidance so we jumped at the chance to be involved! 

I had started teaching myself guitar and Grace decided to learn bass. I hadn't even thought about singing or songwriting at this point but after meeting Carla she really inspired me to start writing. Keiran Savage (master of all things guitar) was a great help and gave us so much encouragement. Within the first few months we had written and learned 2 songs and learned The Pastels Check My Heart to perform at the first Gig@Rig. From there we carried on writing more and more and started an Insta account which gathered a great following @the.cords_band

Do you both write your songs?

I mostly write but Grace helps with ideas and she wrote Weird Feeling alone. Grace comes up with the drum parts but we mostly work together on everything.

Do you have any plans to record at present? Or are you taking your time?

We are very very excited to be going into the studio to record with Simon (Poster Paints/Frightened Rabbit) and Jonny (Chvrches) this month!

You've already played 2 shows at Mono. What do you enjoy about playing live?

We really love playing live as it's so much fun and we love that people come to see us and even the little ones when we supported Carla at her all ages album launch as it doesn't happen that often. They were dancing and enjoying the music which was brilliant. We just love Mono, it's our favourite so to have played 2 gigs there already is incredible!

Did you receive any words of encouragement from The Vaselines?

They said they enjoyed our set and we got a hug from Frances after the set. Their set was amazing and we never imagined that we would support The Vaselines never mind our 1st big gig!

What music are you enjoying listening to at the moment?

Anything Rose Melberg for me is a winner and she is such an inspiration to me. Also The Umbrellas can do no wrong as they are my favourite band. Grace loves The Cure, Slowdive, and My Bloody Valentine, she's a wee shoegazer. We both love most of the same music and both loving Seablite just now.

Any plans for 2024 or are you taking your time?

We do have very exciting plans for 2024 but you'll just need to keep following to find out more!

Anorak Patch

It's been a while since I blogged on a brand new band. Lockdown has caused me to look back to favourite bands and albums, rather than search for new music. A recent discovery reminded me how exciting it can be to fall for an emerging, new, young band.

Based in Colchester, teenage band Anorak Patch (top marks for a super cool indie name) are currently receiving airplay on 6 Music from Steve Lamaq and Tom Robinson. With a 13-year old drummer who used to play guitar but switched to drums so he didn't have to stand up, this is a young band displaying bundles of infectious angular teen punk energy. They currently have 3-songs on YouTube so I thought I would check them out.

Art punk pop humour is all over Beans, their debut recent single. This is a band who must have been raiding their parents Britpop albums and found albums by Elastica and early Blur. The guitar in particular is very reminiscent of Graham Coxon. This is the sound of a band having fun!

When I was young, I used to run

Down the street, cause I was searching for sweets

Anorak Patch are brothers Oscar (guitar) and Luca Ryland (drums) and Effie Lawrence (keyboards) and Eleanor Helliwell (bass).

6 Week Party mixes more thrashy punky guitar with clearer vocals, a gorgeous extended dreamy breakdown before a Blur style closing section where the guitar stops and starts. The vocals by Effie Lawrence are immediately captivating, the production is excellent and this is the most 'mature' song out of the 3 available.

6-weeks, 42-days, is too long, is far too long

Woke up and my hair was gone

Speech To Text is noisy brashy and infectious with drummer Luca taking on lead vocals. Again, I can't help but think of the frantic energy of some early Blur songs. The video, with guitarist Oscar in an old charity shop blazer and bassist Eleanor standing tall and looking chilled, also reminded me of Blur. The guitar playing is excellent and a cool melancholic keyboard riff underpins the thrashy guitar and drums.

Anorak Patch have so many exciting elements coming together; their youth, energy, that sense of experiment with their ability, instruments and sound -  they are still finding themselves. I look forward to hearing what they come up with next. I can imagine them playing in one of Glasgow's basement venues; Sleazys, Broadcast or The Hug and Pint ... who know when that might be! They certainly have youth on their side!

Sun Rose and L Space at Nice n Sleazy

Last night I caught two stunning bands in the basement of Nice n Sleazy, both blew me away.

I introduced L-Space in a previous blog. I was really looking forward to seeing them live and they didn't disappoint. Singer Lily wore a headband that lit up and started the set kneeling in front of a tiny keyboard at the front of the stage, picking out a beautiful melody, covered by an umbrella that also lit up. Her band mates created a beautiful wall of noise to back her up.

The 4-piece were refreshingly different to any band I have seen in Glasgow in a while. Gordon Johnstone played some brilliant riffs and melodies on guitar, before at times unleashing some ferocious white noise. Synth player Maura Keane looked super cool, creating some great sounds, whilst bassist Dickson Teller kept the groove.

Blue Flowers was a highlight for me as I've really fallen for that song, but in truth the whole set was incredibly impressive and there were knowing nods from the people around me that we were witnessing a band with huge potential. The crowd responded with increasing applause and hours after each song. A great set.

Sun Rose were launching their debut LP The Essential Luxury by playing their first ever show after a grand total of four rehearsals. The album was created by Albert Kawmi, Calum Muir and Gus Wemyss between Glasgow and Manchester, with emails playing an important role.

The trio gradually pieced together a stunning album full of inventive beats, breaks, layers, sounds, melodies and harmonies. With no band name, social media or gigs to concern themselves with, this gave them an almost unique freedom in todays day and age to take their time.

I'll be blogging about the sublime and blissful album in the very near future. What were they like live?

The trio became a 6-piece for the night; lining up with Calum and Gus playing back to back synths, Albert on bongos, maracas and very occasional synth, backed by guitar, bass and drums.

What a treat! The band played superbly. Albert told us how it was his first live show in 4-years. He looked confident and full of joy. Calum and Gus looked deep in concentration, playing synths, getting involved in funky percussion and both complimented Albert superbly with harmonies and backing vocals. Their band mates looked delighted to be playing to a packed Sleazys and to be involved in creating such sublime music live.

Debut single Smirk gave us an indication of the style and capabilities of Sun Rose live. They were on it - funky, sublime and able to recreate the layers and changes in pace that they beautifully offer on their album,

Dry In The Water was outstanding; surging upwards, dropping back to almost nothing before soaring sky high and taking the audience on a journey with them.

Second single Minima was blissful and the band had the confidence not only to sing a song in Arabic but to also drop in a cover version of The Pointer Sisters Automatic.

Singer Albert was quick to thank the band, their friend who drove them to and from Manchester, the audience and then his wife Lynsey who was celebrating her birthday. The audience sing song was followed by Albert coming into the audience for a kiss. There was a collective awwwww, a nice touch as Albert when back on stage and told us of how he broke the news to Lynsey that they were launching the album on her birthday.

The band ended their set with Counting Upwards, the beautiful closing number from their album. They got lost in the gorgeous sounds they were producing and there is a section where things just build to a euphoric mantra.

There was no encore. Just grateful thanks to the audience and to Last Night From Glasgow who Albert said the album and gig wouldn't have happened without.

What will they do next? Will they play again? A packed Sleazys will hope so. And for any festival promoters reading this - get them booked. Blissful, funky and euphoric.

Album review to follow. Check it on Spotify HERE or order vinyl HERE

Introducing L Space

Photo by ChumChi

The older I get, the harder it becomes for a new young band to get me really excited. Or it could just be that although there may be countless new bands and not that many of them are actually very good or exciting! It’s probably a bit of both.

I mean, do I need to go searching like I used to when I already have access to so much music I love and the fact that it is easier than ever to explore back catalogues of bands/artists of years gone by?

Of course I do! I’m always looking for new music to fall in love with, I will forever chase the buzz of falling head over heels for a new band that are breaking or just waiting to break through.

Anyway, I’ve found a new band that I’ve fallen for. They are pretty brand new, although they have already put out an incredible amount of music through 2017. L Space are the band in question. Gordon Johnstone, Lily Higham, Dickson Telfer and Maura Keane span the Central belt of Scotland and come together to ‘write music about the future using big synths, dreamy guitar and ethereal vocals’ and their Facebook describes them as dream pop, electronic and cinematic.

L Space have released 11-songs to date through 2017 via a series of digital (to my knowledge) EP’s and singles. The quality more than matches the quantity.

I chose Blue Flowers to check out first as I liked the title and I fell for it on first listen; think Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval fronting Portishead.

Photo by Brendan Waters

But there is so much more – this is not a band who find a formula and stick with it, this is a band looking to utilise the sounds at their disposal and the wonderful voice of Lily Higham. Brother Mars is an acoustic comedown gem that those of my generation could compare to early Beth Orton – sublime.

Space Junk meets their dream pop, electronic and cinematic biog head on, whispered vocals that rise with ease, changes in pace and beats at all the right moments and building to a glorious and euphoric conclusion.

When it all just gets too much

I can drift off, drift off, drift off

I am living like space junk

Southern Reach is a dark and menacing instrumental, dropping to a bubbling synth and sampled vocal. Propaganda sounds like a companion piece, with huge beats introduced to dramatic effect halfway through. Carry Armour has drum n bass beats with more sampled voices and a cinematic feel, while Escape V4.1 and So It Goes are hauntingly beautiful.

The band seem incredibly creative with their beats, layers, soundscapes and melodies and I can’t wait to see them live. In the meantime check a Spotify playlist of their releases to date and an interview with the band below.

Photo by ChumChi

How did L Space form? Where and when?

Lily: L-space formed gradually in the prebiotic pools of various workplaces and arts events. Gordon I met when we both needed to glue our shoes together at work, Dickson I met through his spoken word and writing (check it out) and Gordon knew him through his work with The Grind, and Maura I met in a world of unending noodles at the restaurant we worked at. We glooped together and good music came out.

Where did the name come from?

Lily: The name is based on an alternate dimension in the Discworld series of books by Terry Pratchett. Because knowledge = power, and books contain a lot of knowledge, they warp space and time, creating another dimension. You can access the dimension through places like libraries and book shops where there are large amounts of books, and when you enter you can see bookshelves stretch off endlessly in all directions. In Terry P's words "[a] good bookshop is just a genteel blackhole that knows how to read." Basically, I like books and I like physics, so this name is cool.

Did you have a vision for what the band would sound like then? If not, how quickly did you arrive at ‘your sound’?

Lily: I had some vision: I wanted to write beautiful, interesting, noisy music with a mixture of electronic elements and 'real' instruments, creating a retrofuturistic sound while not being too cold and digital. But most of our sound came together naturally from the combination of the band's talents and influences. For example, in my case, I read a lot of sci-fi and like to read about future technologies that will make our world better, so those themes often make their way into my lyrics. Also my voice seems physiologically fixed to have a particular sound to it, and I am working with that sound and its limitations and qualities to find melodies and tones that fit our visions.

Gordon: I think I always had a clearer idea of what I didn't want us to be more than what I thought we would sound like. I definitely didn't want us to be another guitar band or a soulless electronic group. It's important to me that people know there's a very human heart to our songs even when the music is largely created on synths and tackles fairly futuristic topics. Many of the songs start as fairly abstract soundscapes and become fully formed songs when we add bass and vocals, so our sound is somewhere between the two extremes.

Dickson: With writing most of our music on synths and having Lily as our singer, we always knew we were going to have an ethereal sound. Then we added groove and noise and . . . ta-dah!

Maura: Gordon and Lily have been the main masterminds of the sound, but I think we're always trying new things and looking for different influences.

You have released 11-songs already. How do you go about creating/writing? Where do you record?

Lily: Sometimes we write together, building up songs from a base idea that one of us has come up with, but other times we are a very modern band that does most writing separately and sends each other our recordings electronically. Praise to our great internet lord. We record most of the synths at home and record the vocals and instruments at Homegrown Productions studio on a farm in Larbert. We have good fun recording there and it has the benefits of a resident cat and dog. However, one time the cattle escaped and we had to wait until the cows came home before we could finish! When I write a song alone at home I usually start off messing around on my guitar or with beats and sounds on my computer and humming along to find a melody I like. Then I record it terribly on my phone and send it to the others.

Gordon: I usually start with one synth tone, or one chord, I like and build from there. It's not unusual for our songs to have forty or fifty layers on them, but usually we strip a lot of them out when everyone adds their various parts. I love densely layered production like El-P and 65daysofstatic and I think that shapes our music a lot. One of my pet hates is when a song doesn't have an identifiable "good bit", so the music I write almost always builds to a climax or some kind of crescendo. 

Dickson: Usually Gordon writes the skeleton and then we all jump in, bringing our own thing to the party.

Maura: Gordon is always coming to us with new songs and ideas - you can't stop him writing songs. I think it's amazing to work with people who have so much to give musically and are so creative, very exciting and inspiring for the future.

The releases to date highlight quality and quantity. Are you always creating new sounds and songs? Is that important for you?

Lily: I am always coming up with new ideas for songs. It happens when I'm playing around with my guitar or noises on the computer, or it might just happen while I'm walking somewhere or in the shower. I even dream songs sometimes! Many ideas get lost as I don't record them before I forget them, but if I can I try to remember them in some way so we can use them for future songs. It is important for me to always have this creative output as it gives me a feeling of purpose and value.

Gordon: Constantly creating things means the world to me. Since L-space started I've realised that I'm exceptionally difficult to work with sometimes. I've got this compulsion where I can't stop creating music and I constantly want to release it and put it out into the world, but that doesn't always sit comfortably with a band moving at a sensible pace. I pushed us all quite hard for a few months to release a lot of music and do a lot of shows and it payed off when Last Night from Glasgow signed us. Now we can take our time with the album, be pickier with our gigs, and generally enjoy the creation process a lot more!

Dickson:  Yes. It's a good disease.

What have been your highlights from 2017?

Lily: It's hard to choose! One highlight was playing at MugStock festival in the pouring rain while Dickson's dog Dasher ran on stage and while most people were sheltering, two people were dancing in the rain in front of the stage and having a great time. It was nice to see them enjoying it, and for us it was an unusual and memorable experience. Also dog.

Gordon: For me I think it was when Last Night from Glasgow told us they wanted to release our album. It was the culmination of months of hard work and a lifetime's ambition. Knowing that we have a goal and a purpose, that a group of people believe in what we were doing enough to put their name behind it, means the world to me. In terms of the music itself I think it was when we played at a small show for a sci-fi magazine called Shoreline of Infinity. It felt like we turned a corner in terms of our performance and how we were received.

Dickson: Playing a street corner as part of the Merchant City festival and going down well. Also, listening to the final mix of Aloe on Elie beach. I had recorded my bass and then gone on holiday while the others did their thing. It was really cool watching the waves and listening to our latest creation at the same time (cos usually first listen is in the studio)

Maura: I loved playing the Merchant City Festival in the summer, playing outside right on the street and being really noisy. Releasing our single Aloe and getting signed by Last Night From Glasgow are up there too!

So you’ve essentially released an albums worth of songs. But you’re now working on your first album. Will that effect how you approach things and the way you write/create? E.g. will it be written to flow together, or will it be business as normal and anything goes?

Lily: We have all our songs written separately, but I think because they have been written in quite a short space of time, they have all been created from the same kind of 'zone' of ideas and phase of our music writing. The themes of the songs are mostly looking forward to a utopian future and so far I think they all have the L-space sound to them. Because of this, the songs sound like they go together, and all that is left is to put them in an order that most keeps the listener engaged, and with songs next to each other that enhance each other.

Gordon: I think because we have a fairly good idea of how we want to sound the songs will sound pretty coherent. The songs have all been written fairly recently, but some of the ideas on the albums are things I've had rattling around since I was 16 and it has taken L-space to make them work and sound how they should. The overarching theme of a better future is something I think will always underpin our music.

Dickson: There are always plenty songs. We're re-working a couple but the rest are new and fresh, and cool, and noisy, and lovely.

What music are you enjoying at present?

Lily: 65daysofstatic, Julien Baker, The Twilight Sad, Bjork's newest album and the Cocteau Twins record given to me by our record label Last Night from Glasgow.

Gordon: Tusks, The Samuel Jackson 5, Tom Waits, Run the Jewels, Deltron 3030, Lana Del Rey

Dickson: Sun Rose, Agnes Obel, Bicep, Public Service Broadcasting

Maura: I'm listening to lots of electronic music right now, I saw Sylvan Esso live the other night, the energy was amazing. I'm enjoying discovering a Japanese artist called Shintaro Sakamoto who is more 70s pop-rock.

Returned From Sea

Amanda, Heather, Sophie and Jonathan

At the age of 41 I still have dreams about being in a band. This band tends to be a 4-piece - 2 guitars, bass and drums and be a kind of indie guitar pop band like The Lemonheads or Teenage Fanclub, with the odd 11-minute psychedelic wig out or detour into electronica.

But last night I watched Sister John play the first of 2 sold out shows at The Hug and Pint to celebrate the release of their stunning debut album Returned From Sea and wished I could be in a band like theirs.

A band that can play slow, with tender care, pull off 4 part harmonies with ease; a band that can jam, choose super cool covers by having super cool taste, swap instruments, sound like angels and write truly beautiful songs.

So yeah, I'm a fan and The Hug and Pint show was superb.

Returned From Sea 

Stunning artwork by Brian Sweeney

Returned From Sea is warm, lush, sublime, beautiful and wonderful. As I type I'm listening to Rider On The Hill when the band just play on with gorgeous oooh oooh oooh oooh's sounding heavenly.

Opener Thinner Air will pull you in in a heartbeat, you're immediately in Sister John's world. It feels kind of familiar but new, you'll definitely like it. Single Sweetest Moment flows sweetly and freely, sounding impossibly easy and pure.

Singer and songwriter Amanda McKeown has an incredible voice that she uses wisely - whispering, soaring, using all her power at times, taking it right back at others.

How good are they? The first time I heard Backstreet Swimmers I wondered who they were covering. I felt the same with Try To Be Good. Was it an old Neil Young or Gram Parson song?

No, both were written by Amanda and with help from her exceptionally talented band - Jonathan Lilley on guitars, keys, bass, harmonica, percussion and backing vocals; Heather Phillips on violin and backing vocals and Sophie Pragnell on viola, drums, percussion and backing vocals - they are both gems.

I see you everyday and I think of the sun

If there's a simple thing I can do it now

And when I write it down

I can try to be good

Returned From Sea is an album with real depth. Dive in, stay in, the water is warm and soothing.

The inside gatefold sleeve

See You Again is almost like a lullaby, so tender, so beautiful, so simple - but yet so clever. The slide guitar is spine tinglingly slow and beautiful.

One of my live favourites from The Hug and Pint was Sister John's Dream, it was quite Velvets-y. Swallowed The Moon was also a live highlight with Amanda introducing the song by asking everyone to think of someone that has pulled them through at some point. Amanda pours her heart and soul on to vinyl; you can hear it and feel it.

This is such a strong album; 12-songs that are all really beautiful. Amanda McKeown is a special talent - as are her band.

Listen to the violin and viola sound like they are weeping on Friends and then listen to Amanda's heartbreaking fragile voice and then feel a tingle down your spine - wow! Very special.

We're the same

We chose the sun

But saw the rain

Gone is another stunner. He Came Down is just beautiful. It's hard to capture just how special this album is. So listen yourself.

Search on Spotify to stream immediately but do yourself a favour and order the gatefold vinyl from the Last Night From Glasgow website.

Sister John will be playing more shows; those announced are; 04/11 Braemar Gallery, Braemar and 19/11 Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh

There Are No Saints

I first listened to Siobhan Wilson's There Are No Saints the week after its July release. It was a gorgeous sunny day, I was out at my Mum's in Carluke and I downloaded the album so I could listen to it on the drive home.

The windows were down and the sun was beaming down, shades were on. In truth, I'd normally choose something far more upbeat than this beauty of an album to drive to. But the music captivated me. It stayed on and I even took a detour home so I could listen to it all.

A month or two on and I am listening to the album on headphones, marvelling at Siobhan Wilson's voice, the arrangements and most of all the feel of the album. It is gorgeous.

Wilson is classically trained and on songs like Disaster and Grace when she plays piano, backed by strings, she sounds like a dream - really beautiful, what a voice.

The production, by Chris McCrory of Catholic Action, is just perfect. Wilson and McCrory allow the songs space to breath. Whether backed by fuzzy electric guitar, piano or strings, Siobhan Wilson sounds heavenly. Just listen to Whatever Helps.

You're stuck in the break of a wave

You're haunted by a line from a song

Siobhan divides her time between Scotland and Paris and if anything her voice sounds even more sexy and dreamy when she sings in French. J'attendrai is exquisite, sounding like it could be from a French Disney film - gorgeous melodies. Paris Est Blanche is just magical.

Make You Mine is jaw dropping, heart stopping, spine tingling gorgeousness. Wow! Even managing an AC/DC reference!

Closer It Must Have Been The Moon is another stunner. This has an Eva Cassidy kind of feel to it. Just gorgeous.

Check this brilliant feature on Drowned In Sound where Siobhan gives a track by track guide to the album. They describe There Are No Saints perfectly as elegant and beautiful, dark and stormy.

I really hope to catch Siobhan playing live in the near future. Check her website for live dates. Scottish dates confirmed at present are 24/09 Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh and 28/09 Tolbooth, Stirling. You can stream, download or buy a CD or vinyl by visiting Song By Toad Records.

Siobhan covering Aztec Camera for The Quay Sessions

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.

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.