The SAY Award shortlist

The Scottish Album of the Year Award (the SAY Award) has been a welcome addition to the Scottish music and arts scene since its inception; highlighting the quality and diversity that our nations artists create year on year and provoking debate about what albums should make the shortlist and of course; who should win.

The ten albums on the shortlist are noted below; the fact that the likes of King Creoste with his critically acclaimed From Scotland With Love, Withered Hand with his brilliant New Gods and The Twilight Sad with their most acclaimed album of their career, haven't made the shortlist has already created heated debate amongst Scottish music fans.

Little known acts like Happy Meals are on there - I have really fallen for their album since wondering who the hell they were when they popped up on the long list.

Let's see who is on the shortlist - in no particular order;

Last years winners Young Fathers are shortlisted again with Dead. They won with a mini-album/mixtape last year that created a heated debate regardless of the quality. The band followed that up by winning the Mercury Music Prize and have been gathering incredible critical acclaim and a growing fanbase.

The band are fiercely independent, prolific and are developing a reputation for fierce live performances. Dead has already won the Mercury - can they do the double? They may well be back on the shortlist again in 2016 with their latest album White Men Are Black Men Too.

The Amazing Snakeheads Amphetamine Ballads sent them careering around the globe causing havoc with their energy and passion. They imploded in February this year to the dismay of many.

Will their sole release win them the SAY Award? It's a menacing album mixing all kinds of stuff - The Doors crossed with punk, rock n roll and jazz at times - as evidenced on Flatlining below.

I caught them at the Wickerman Festival last summer and they were sensational live. They wouldn't be my own personal choice but would be popular with many.

Kathryn Joseph is someone I can see winning the award. Appearing from nowhere with a beautiful Vic Galloway session and causing some Scottish bloggers to melt with her Bones You Have Thrown At Me And Blood I Have Spilled album. I have yet to hear a bad word about this album or her live performances.

Listen to the gorgeous The Bird to get an idea of the beautiful sounds and imagery she creates.

Happy Meals have already won a new fan in me. Their name caught y attention when the SAY Award longlist was announced and I was transfixed by the gorgeous and eclectic sounds they create on their Apero album. It is just so gorgeously different - think Stereolab crossed with Kraftwerk in the year 2025. 

I really hope to see them live in the near future. 

Belle and Sebastian have made the shortlist with Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance. I reviewed the album on release HERE 

It is a brave album; dealing with personal illness, incorporating disco influences, yet remaining distinctly Belles. As per the review, I think there are some incredible songs on the album. Stuart Murdoch is an exceptional songwriter and I certainly wouldn't be surprised if they won.

Paulo Nutini is on the shortlist with Caustic Love. Paulo is a huge artist with worldwide appeal and this album has won him new fans, including those who perhaps poured scorn on him and his music in the past.

I haven't heard the full album however a couple of my best friends have been won over by it. Performances and songs like Iron Sky below highlight why he may become the most mainstream artist to win the SAY Award to date.

Honeyblood are a band that have worked exceptionally hard over the last year to promote their eponymous album that was released on Fat Cat, a label that has taken Scottish acts to their hearts over the years.

Honeyblood (the band and album) is very old school indie guitar music - so no surprise that I quite like it. Humour, warm guitars and good hooks are evident throughout. That said, I'd be surprised if they win and have done well to get to the shortlist.

Paws are another act on the Fat Cat Records label and their album Youth Culture Forever has understandably found favour in America where they have toured extensively. The slacker/grunge guitar sound can be exceptionally catchy at times but it isn't without depth and there is so much more to them as evidenced on their near 12-minute epic War Cry which has echoes of Nirvana, quiet verses then truly exploding into life.

SLAM are veterans of the Glasgow music scene, so in that sense it is good to see them on the shortlist with their Reverse Proceed album. It must be around 10-years since I have seen or heard SLAM in action, however I am reliably informed that they are still leading their field.

Judge for yourself with this continuous mix of the album;

Mogwai's Rave Tapes didn't make the shortlist but Rock Action label mates Errors have made it with Lease Of Life. Pardon the pun but they seem to have had a new lease of life - I was surprised when I caught them live in Glasgow Green for the Commonwealth Games last summer. They put on an incredible show to match their sonic soundscapes.

Errors have a real chance of winning for me. They seem to be progressing as a band, unafraid to explore and experiment, willing to bring friends (Cecilia Stamp on guest vocals) into their inner circle and gathering some fantastic reviews.

Check Through The Knowledge Of Those Who Observe Us for evidence of the expansive, melodic and experimental sound that Errors are capable of creating. The songs were created on the Isle of Jura and this epic 13-minute closer is a song with plenty of dreamy space, not in a rush, building gloriously.

So there you go - my top 3 in no particular order would be Happy Meals, Errors and Kathryn Joseph. My outsiders would be Honeyblood and Paws. But technically each artist has a 10/1 chance of winning!

The SAY award ceremony is at the ABC in Glasgow on the evening of 17th June.

Barraloadasoul

It was a like a scene from a film; beautiful, widescreen, everyone was ready; looking good, feeling good, dressed to impress...lights.....camera....action...

Last night at the world famous Barrowland Ballroom was an absolute joy; listening to and dancing to some incredible tunes on the talc dusted dancefloor with good friends. The atmosphere was exceptionally positive and friendly. Good vibes spread from the dancefloor to the DJ's and back again.

People looked amazing, the age range was vast and everyone was there to have a good time. Early on we watched enthralled as a young guy in huge flares kicked and spun with his girlfriend who was just as good as him.

The tunes were superb - a few we knew, loads we didn't. We ventured to the bar downstairs a few times through the night where DJ's were also playing and I fell in love with a new song - Tyrone Barkley's Man of Value. What a tune, I had to find out what it was and the DJ obliged.

Back up the stairs people had loosened up and the dancefloor was busy. There were some incredible dancers but most people, myself included, were there to have a good time and dance our hearts out to some great songs - the best tunes at the best venue.

The DJ's all had 30-45 minutes to spin their tunes and show their taste, skills and collections. There were some slow burners, some floaters and many a stomper - DJ's wanted people dancing.

Jackie Wilson's (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher was euphoric. People had their hands in the air, punching the sky in delight as they danced and sung along.

What a night! This was the second annual Barraloadasoul - roll on next year.

Grand Prix by Teenage Fanclub - 20th anniversary

Grand Prix by Teenage Fanclub was released 20-years ago on Creation Records; it is an album jam packed with all of the things I love about the Fanclub and listening back it still seems to have a special zip and zest to it.

From the opening chords of About You, through guitar pop gems like Sparky's Dream and Discolite, reflective moments on Mellow Doubt and Tears and the outstanding Don't Look Back - Grand Prix is the sound of a band at their very best.

Norman Blake, Gerry Love and Raymond McGinley share the songwriting duties and Grand Prix is an album that reflects magnificently on their progress as writers and musicians. In many ways Grand Prix was the start of another stage in the Fanclub journey, leading on to Songs From Northern Britain and Howdy!

The quality was always there from the debut single Everything Flows, through A Catholic Education, Bandwagonesque and Thirteen. However it is turned up a notch - the songs, the musicianship and production are sublime.

Quinn, Blake, Love and McGinley - 1995

About You sets the tone for the album, warm sounding guitars, upbeat, harmonies and a sense of urgency - all wrapped up in well under 3-minutes. It is almost un-McGinley like; not only for its lyrical simplicity but also for the fact it is so upbeat and urgent; Raymond's work is usually more melancholic and reflective.

Gerry Love contributes 4 exceptional songs to Grand Prix, beginning with Sparky's Dream, the playful riff at the start suddenly explodes into life and Love is (or has been) head over heels but has discovered that love isn't always so easy.

If she lived in space, man

I'd build a plane....

Need a crystal ball to see her in the morning

And magic eyes to read between the lines

I took a wrong direction

From a shooting star

In a love dimension

Fading fast from taking this too far

Sparky's Dream quickly became a live favourite and the band still play it to this day. Love is full of hope and also reflection as the song builds into the flowing chorus, backed by beautiful backing vocals.

The Quietus described it thus;
It never stops ascending. Even where pop songs usually calm down, in the bridges and buffers between the major melodic attacks of verses and choruses, there is no break in the skywards gradient. In some genres this might be more common, but pure pop onslaughts as unrelenting as this one are rare and exhilarating in indie rock.

The opening trilogy concludes with the Mellow Doubt and the three songs remain staples in most Fanclub sets.

I remember going to see the band at King Tut's on the Mellow Doubt 'tour' when they played 3 gigs in Glasgow. As always, there was a degree of humour with the Fanclub, especially when Norman whistled the solo to huge applause. This happens at their shows to this day.

Mellow Doubt is a beautiful song, full of love and heartbreak and aptly named as it is by far the most 'mellow' song in the Fanclub cannon up until that point. I listened a lot to Teenage Fanclub when I went travelling back in 2007 and into 2008 and the song took on a new meaning when I was thinking of proposing to my girlfriend through the lines.

There is no choice, in what I must do

Nothing is greater, than to be with you

Norman's voice is soulful and true throughout the song, particularly in the line;

these feelings don't go away

Gerry Love is in sensational form through Grand Prix. Don't Look Back is a song of pure beauty, shining like the sunshine that Love mentions early on and containing the gem of a line;

I'd steal a car to drive you home

The pace, structure and feeling on this song is just perfect and the guitars that kick in at the end just lift the song superbly to conclusion.

Raymond can be very playful with his lyrics and melodies and that is highlighted on Verisimilitude, although it is the simplest lines that get me when listen back.

I always feel good when I look at you

In you I know our needs are the same

Neil Jung was written by Norman for a very dear friend of his. The guitar chords are warm with a melancholic riff picked out over them. At almost 5-minutes, it is the longest song on the album, allowing the band time to create some gorgeous sounds on their guitars and for Norman to get his message across to his friend.

Norman reaches out to another friend, Creation Records boss Alan McGee, on the piano based ballad Tears. The strings are beautiful and horns come in to just give the song that little edge.

Gerry Love has written some exceptional songs in his time and Discolite is one of my very favourites. Classic Love; it starts with nice warm chords and you can almost hear Gerry chewing his gum as the beat kicks in, the guitar speeds up and the band are off- flowing superbly. There are ooh's, there are aah's as the song speeds up only to return to the warm slow chords at the start before the beat kicks back in and we are off again.

Love takes the song to a new euphoric level with the section below; something that will leave you punching the air in delight, especially if you have the good fortune to catch Teenage Fanclub playing it live.

When the DJ plays your tune

There's a light inside your moon

If the takes don't take you

And the breaks don't break you

Get the train on time, I've waited much too long

The pace slows for Raymond's Say No and he displays his incredible talent for song structure and feeling with clever rhymes allowing the song to flow.

Gerry Love is on fire again with the stunning Going Places; a chiming guitar riff ushers things in gently and Gerry is in a reflective mood yet also finding the space and time (as always) for a lovely romantic line;

I've requested the stars to shine

The song slows superbly for the got the notion... section before lifting to glorious conclusion.

I'll Make It Clear bursts immediately into life; Norman is hopelessly in love and it is the two of them against the world, no-one else understands.

Raymond's last song on the album is the mellow I Gotta Know before Grand Prix closes with the appropriately titled Hardcore/Ballad that explodes into life with a furious jam before dropping to a delicate acoustic guitar with Norman sounding in love but hurt and reflective.

You're my friend but that's not all

We're above them all

Staying here, staying dear

And love is easy to define

Mine is yours as yours is mine

Through the pain, through the pain

20-years down the line Grand Prix remains an astonishing album with real depth to the songwriting, playing and production - timeless.

Miaoux Miaoux at Stereo

I can't remember the last time I was at a gig in Stereo. I'd forgotten what a cracking little venue it is - conveniently located near Central Station, yet hidden away down Renfield Lane, shielded from some of the mayhem that the centre of Glasgow can bring at times.

Last night was the launch of Miaoux Miaoux's School of Velocity, his second album on Chemikal Underground. The exposed brick work and industrial pipes running through the basement venue kind of transports you to New York or Berlin. Stereo has a wonderfully relaxed vibe in the upstairs bar and that transfers downstairs.

We caught the end of Kill The Waves, impressed by the soundscapes the 6-piece created on stage. I had high hopes for Monogram after falling for their song Romance that was released last year, picking up some airplay including some from Radio 1. They didn't do it for me last night though - the drum sound overpowered pretty much everything else; the singer (admittedly) wasn't in the best of form - blaming it on burrito he had pre-gig. Romance was a clear highlight in the set and they have set the bar high with that song - fingers crossed they can reach those heights more often in the future. It is early days for the band - they only played their first show in April.

On to the main event - Miaoux Miaoux; Julian Corrie backed by his trusty sidemen on bass and drums and also joined by the beautiful Cairn String Quartet on a number of songs.

With no expense spared on the silver balloons spelling M I A O U X the band set about showcasing the talented Corrie's tunes from his two Chemikal albums.

Autopilot and Better For Now are sublime, the closing instrumental of Better For Now sounded absolutely stunning last night.

Luxury Discovery from School of Velocity was a highlight with Julian proclaiming 'Oh my god, it really is beautiful to me as well' before going into a glorious falsetto with echoes of Pharrell crossed with Chic.

Hey Sound! was the point in the gig when the crowd started dancing,. An extended version allowed the band the time and space to jam on and really find a groove to get lost in along with those dancing in the crowd.

Lead single It's The Quick was another that got even more people moving with the effects on Corrie's vocals bringing something a little different; the pulsating synth riff turns into a monster when the bass kicks in.

The closing Stop The Clocks is one of my favourite songs and last night the addition of the Cairn String Quartet took it to even greater heights of beauty.

I'll be reviewing School of Velocity in the very near future - it is out on Chemikal Underground next week. I got an advance copy last night and on first listen Miaoux Miaoux has produced a beautiful work of art.

Belle and Sebastian at the Hydro

On Friday night, Belle and Sebastian, one of Glasgow's most celebrated and loved bands, stopped off at the SSE Hydro to play their largest home town show to date to promote their Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance album.

The indie-est of indie bands and their fans had a ball, quite literally.

Backed by the Scottish Festival Orchestra the band played an 18-song set; sprinkled with favourites from throughout their career, the odd obscurity and a selection from their current album.

Belle and Sebastian are no strangers to large venues; they have played the likes of the Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Gardens - and they took to the stage with confidence - easily transferring their indie and sometimes twee charm to a huge audience. It was an enjoyable and slighty surreal show.

Stuart Murdoch was in great form, bounding down a catwalk that extended into the audience, at home behind a piano, bongo's, guitar or keytar and dancing liberally around the stage.

Nobody's Empire opened the show and fan favourites I'm A Cuckoo and Dirty Dream Number 2 were dropped in early on to get everyone in the mood.

Everyone was in the mood, but just to be sure the Belles had a number of tricks up their sleeves. People were invited on to stage to dance, huge inflatable balls were dropped from the ceiling and in the most surreal moment of the night the band had dancers on stage with huge Toblerone props for Lord Anthony.

Lord Anthony is probably not a song many would have chosen to appear on the setlist for the bands largest hometown show to date; but Belle and Sebastian somehow transformed it to an arena song - using the props, dancers and large screens to create a visual pop art feast.

If You're Feeling Sinister turned this huge arena show into an intimate celebration of stunning indie pop. Murdoch beaming from ear to ear at the crowds reaction.

If You Find Yourself Caught In Love was a glorious pop romp with the strings soaring while The Boy With The Arab Strap turned the Hydro Arena into the largest indie disco in the country.

Legal Man was incredible as the crowd danced and hollered the closing section back at the band;

Get out of the city and into the sunshine

Get out of the office and into the springtime

Sleep The Clock Around  is one of my personal favourites from the Belles catalogue and we were treated to Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying and Le Pastie De La Bourgeosie for the encore.

The Girl Effect

On Saturday night I headed through to Edinburgh as my sister Carla, singer and songwriter in TeenCanteen,  celebrated her 30th birthday by putting on an incredible show in aid of Scottish Women's Aid.

Indie legends like Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), Duglas T Stewart (BMX Bandits), Eugene Kelly (The Vaselines) were included in the line-up that also featured TeenCanteen, Machines In Heaven, Broken Records, Flash Talk, No More Tiger and The Spook School.

The aim of the night was relatively simple;

• each act was asked to cover 2-songs by girl groups and had a maximum of 10-minutes
• the night was to raise funds for Scottish Women's Aid
• all acts, the venue, tech staff etc etc gave up their time for free

Could my sister really pull this off? An incredible 14-acts in the stunning Summerhall, all the changeovers, tech issues and timings...

The answer, as anyone who was there will testify, was a resounding yes. Everyone embraced the spirit of the night, creating a positive atmosphere from the off that only increased as the night went on.

There was a large queue snaking down the stairs waiting for the doors to open at 7pm sharp and at 7.20pm Carla, Megan from Scottish Women's Aid and the poet Jenny Lindsay told us about the acts playing and the aims of the night and we were off.

It would be impossible to do the night justice, but a full list of the acts and songs covered is noted below. The range of pop music from the 60's through to the present day was fantastic, I thoroughly enjoyed the choice of songs and the way bands stamped their own authority on them.

I would personally like to say thanks and well done to everyone involved in the night - it was brilliant to be part of - like a mini-festival and it raised some much needed money for Scottish Women's Aid.

Thanks to Kat Gollock Photography for the pictures.

The GT's - Chains by The Cookies, Tell Me Baby Why You've Been Gone So Song - Brenda Lee and Jessi Coulter

2 guys in black suits playing acoustic guitars (one of them formerly in OMD) opened proceedings. Their startling ability on the guitars was mesmerising. They extended the songs to use their full 10-minutes, jamming on in glorious fashion.

Bodyheat - I Never Dreamed by The Cookies, We Got The Beat by The Go-Go's

The beautiful flow of I Never Dreamed was an early highlight of the night and a song I'll be tracking down.

Machines In Heaven - Bills, Bills, Bills by Destiny's Child, Nowhere To Run by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas

A huge pulsating electro riff ushered in the second song by Machines In Heaven with singer Davie using a vocoder. The melody sounded familiar - this was the classic Nowhere To Run being modernised and sounding absolutely amazing. I hope they record it.

Photo by Kat Gollock

Henry and Fleetwood - Fortunately Gone by The Breeders, Manic Monday by The Bangles

Manic Monday was another highlight of the evening for me with many around me singing along. The combination of bass and synth and male and female vocals was very enjoyable.

Golder Arm - Walk Like An Egyptian by The Bangles, Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me - The Pipettes

Goldern Arm got the crowd going with a romp through another Bangles song before getting the crowd to clap along with the pure pop rush of The Pipettes.

Flash Talk - Freak Like Me/I Love Rock n Roll by Sugababes/Joan Jett, Push It/Cherry Bomb by Salt n Pepa/The Runaways

Flash Talk really got the crowd going; using their full 10-minute allocation and musical excellence to mash up some classic girl group songs - pop, rock, rap and punk. 

Duglas T Stewart with Norman Blake - That Lonely Feeling by The McKinleys, Nobody Knows What's Going On In My Mind by The Chiffons

A brilliant performance from Mr Stewart, tugging on the heartstrings with his opener before going full on garage with the closer.

Raffle - we then had a raffle with some superb prices generously donated by the acts on offer. Duglas and Norman stayed on to help draw the raffle.

 Photos by Kat Gollock

Stanley Odd - Really Saying Something/Doin' The Do by The Velvettes/Betty Boo, Honey by TeenCanteen

Dave Hook (Solareye) had been bounding around the crowd with a huge grin on his face all night and it transferred to the crowd when he took to the stage. Veronika on vocals sang beautifully over a sample of The Velvettes with Hook adding some smart comeback lines before coming in with a brilliant rap about girl groups, the band then threw in a bit of Betty Boo for good measure, much to the delight of the crowd.

Hook was then extremely generous in his praise of the next song; introducing it as an incredible pop song by a girl group we might have heard of.

I was delighted when he announced it was Honey by TeenCanteen and it was brilliant to hear Stanley Odd remain pretty true to the original but just add their own twist on it, turning it into a duet and ad libbing at the end.

A superb performance.

Photo by Kat Gollock

No More Tiger - I Can Hear Music by The Ronettes, I Love How You Love Me by The Paris Sisters

Two gorgeous covers, the first song in particular was a favourite of mine from the night.

Photo by Kat Gollock

Jenny Lindsay - A girl group poem made up of girl group lyrics suggested by the audience

Co-compere Jenny invited the audience to write their favourite girl group lyrics down and then she somehow assembled them into a poem full of humour. Very clever.

The Spook School - Gimme Brains by Bratmobile, I Love It by Icona Pop

The Spook School look like they are still at school. Their delicious punk pop romp through the modern pop classic I Love It was brilliant, causing a spot of pogo-ing. The band looked like they were having loads of fun on stage.

Broken Records - Stop In The Name of Love by The Supremes, Modern Girl by Sleater Kinney

Carla and Sita from TeenCanteen joined Broken Records for a soaring version of The Supremes classic before the band enjoyed toying and playing with the beautiful riffs of Sleater Kinney. Both songs were exceptional from a band oozing with confidence.

Photo by Kat Gollock

Eugene Kelly with TeenCanteen - My Boyfriend's Back by The Angels, Never Ever by All Saints

TeenCanteen played backing band to Eugene Kelly who was allowed to show that his love of pop ranged from The Angels through to All Saints. The extended version of Never Ever was quite brilliant.

Photo by Kat Gollock

TeenCanteen with Eugene Kelly and Dave Hook from Stanley Odd - Say My Name by Destiny's Child, Waterfalls by TLC, Be My Baby by The Ronettes

A huge cheer greeted TeenCanteen and Carla as she told us the night will have raised well over £3,000 for Scottish Women's Aid with the final total to be announced on Monday.

I imagine it will be more like £4,000+ based on ticket sales, the raffle (they sold out of tickets) and the glitter table manned by Sita and Chloe from TeenCanteen who loved painting people's faces all night.

The closing two songs in particular were exceptional. Solareye from Stanley Odd joined the band for the rap in Waterfalls - a gloriously beautiful pop song.

Carla's voice (which she was really worried about due to doing so much work for the event) sounded absolutely incredible on Be My Baby with the crowd singing along in style. It was a brilliant version of a truly amazing song.

A happy Carla watching Stanley Odd cover her song Honey

Photos by Kat Gollock

Miaoux Miaoux interview

My aims ..... to try and write catchy songs that don't have traditional structures or do things that you're not expecting. How far can you push 'pop' song structure with it still working?

Julian Corrie (Miaoux Miaoux) 

Long term readers of this blog will know how fond I am of the artist Miaoux Miaoux, AKA Julian Corrie.

Julian produced a string of sublime self releases that led to a deal with Chemikal Underground and the 2012 release of the album Light of the North. Julian's ear for sound and melody is exceptional, his ability to create beats and layer sonic soundscapes is joyful. Oh and he has a beautiful voice as well!

This clearly evident talent has led to (increasingly) strong support of Miaoux Miaoux in Scotland from bloggers, publications like The List and The Skinny, bookers, Chemikal and fellow artists - ranging from the DIY scene up to Chvrches and Belle and Sebastian, as well as music fans of all ages and backgrounds.

A positive response to It's The Quick, the lead single from the forthcoming album School of Velocity, and also Unbeatable Slow Machine, by 6Music bodes well. This could be the album that pushes Miaoux Miaoux on to a new level and it would be richly deserved and celebrated by his loyal fanbase.

I caught up with Julian to see how he is getting on ahead of what could be an extremely busy second half of 2015.

1. Light of the North was your first album released via Chemikal Underground. What were the main differences you noticed from a self release?

Well, it was great to get a vinyl release haha! All of the physical product was much better obviously, I wasn't designing and sorting the printing out myself. They're also really supportive guys, great to phone up if you need help with something or just want to rant. As I'm basically a solo artist it helps to have that support there.

2. The album gathered some incredible reviews; 3-years since release, what are your favourite moments from the album?

I think 'Stop The Clocks' is probably my favourite moment, although I'm proud of the whole thing. But, you know, I probably haven't listened to it for three years. Once something's done, I tend to put it behind me and move on, although those tracks that I made really fast and seem to be accidentally great (my Chvrches remix for example) I can come back to. But it seems weird to listen to stuff once you've made it. Maybe I'll give it another 3 years.

Stop the Clocks

3. Since then you’ve commandeered a band for live shows- were they involved in the writing/recording? What do the band bring to the live shows?

The band make the live shows so much better. Everything is lifted, and it's great to have the dynamic between people - even though we're working with a lot of playback, there still feels like there's some flexibility. I'm not on my jimmy lonesome frantically pressing buttons. Drummer Liam recorded some drums for the album, which sound great. Writing-wise, they don't contribute, although there's always scope for that.

4. You recorded a lot of Light of the North in your own little studio that you owned at the time. Where did you write and record School of Velocity?

An even smaller studio, haha. Both were rented, actually, although the old one was in a trendy location and was getting expensive, so I moved to a rundown building north of the city centre, where my friend and collaborator James Houston was working at the time. It's great to have your own space but the move was definitely a little disruptive and contributed to the gap between records! I'll be staying there for at least another year I think.

5. Who/what influenced the sound of the album?

This is such a difficult question. I listen to a whole load of stuff, but I'd say my aims are pretty similar to Light of the North - to try and write catchy songs that don't have traditional structures or do things that you're not expecting. How far can you push 'pop' song structure with it still working? Actually I think other people do this a lot better than I do. Sound wise, I borrowed some great analogue synths from a friend at work, Michael Hines, who is forever in my debt, and that's something I ended up using a lot of.

6. Have you favoured any particular synths, effects or gadgets for School of Velocity?

I bought a Juno 106 after borrowing one for a while and that's all over the record. Also I've got a little battery powered synth that's great for spacey noises and sound effects, I have to stop myself using it too much.

7. The teaser that you have released is very impressive. Are there any songs you are particularly proud of?

I guess 'Luxury Discovery', the first song on the video, because it was written really really fast (the bassline is pretty much the first take and I could never play it better), the original demo sounded great, and then it became an absolute bitch to mix and master the final version. That's often the case if the demo is too good. Jamie Savage and I pushed through and I think it turned out really well.

School of Velocity teaser

8. You've remixed Chvrches and Belle and Sebastian (among others)- how do you tackle a remix?

Those were both very different processes - the Chvrches remix, I may have said this before, but I didn't actually listen to the original before I started. Which was a good thing, because I ended up writing very different chords to Lauren's vocal, then when I heard the original I was like 'ooh, this is weird'. And it let me put my own stamp on the song without being intimidated. The Belle and Sebastian one - they were very specifically looking for an update on an existing song. So it wasn't so much a 'remix' as a 'reproduction'. I beefed up the drums and added some arpeggiators but the song itself stayed the same.

Chvrches remix

9. The Cairn String Quartet feature on the new album - are there any other Scottish artists you would like to work with in the future?

We'll see! I enjoyed producing last years' Body Parts single, so I'm interested in doing some production work with other artists. I'm in the process of starting work with someone just now.

10. What music are you enjoying at present?

In preparation for the next album I'm listening to a lot of Afrobeat and related / influenced stuff. So Fela Kuti, Talking Heads' Remain In Light album, Floating Points - beats that trip over themselves a little, that sound like water, are fluid. I've got a strong idea about what I want the new stuff to sound like. Also revisiting Matthew Dear's output - he's an absolute genius, and one of those people who's doing what I want to do so much better!

Miaoux Miaoux play a number of shows and festivals over the summer to promote the album including Stereo on May 27th. Give him a like on Facebook to get details of all the shows planned.