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Although the gig was late last year my memory of it is still as vivid as ever, not because I was a huge fan prior to the event but instead how it made myself and the others in the audience feel towards the band. Manchester Orchestra as some may know are an alternative rock band hailing from Georgia in the United States and despite not achieving much commercial success on this side of the Atlantic the fans they do have appear to be infinitely more passionate than the majority of British artists. I stood with a few of my friends, who themselves were in tears with excitement, and watched how everyone else was acting in the same fashion, which astonished me. Granted the music was beautiful and delivered perfectly with the highlights being Simple Math and Virgin, both from the album they released in 2011 and also Shake it Out from their 2009 album Mean Everything to Nothing.
 
The night itself was so memorable I managed to get an interview with the lead singer, Andy Hull, and I have become a firm fan since, and I would implore others to check them out.
CitR: How would you describe your most recent album, Simple Math?
AH: Simple Math is the most rounded of all of our albums and it took the best of our ability to create it, meaning it is our favourite so far.
CitR: Is it true that a fan created a video for your song Virgin that you then adopted as the official video?
AH: Yes this is true, we were on our way back from a radio station in New York and a guy showed up a video and it was great so we used it.
CitR: Are there any bands or artists that you would recommend as deserving of more credit then they are currently getting?
AH: Oh Brother, a band from our home town of Atlanta are really good, we engineered their last record and its really cool stuff.
CitR: What are your favourite band or artist, past or present, from Manchester, England?
AH: It has to be The Smiths, I don’t have a favourite song by them, everything is great. But my favourite album has to be The Queen is Dead.
CitR: What is your favourite British festival?
AH: We played Reading and Leeds in 2007 and 2009 and they were both fantastic.
CitR: What is your favourite American sport?
AH: The band are involved in an NBA fantasy league so I would have to say Basketball.
CitR: Being American you must be a big fan of eating steak, how do you prefer yours?
AH: I am a big fan of steak but my favourite is filet mignon, cooked rare and has some key ingredients to make it perfect which include sweet baby ray BBQ sauce and soy sauce as well as two others, put in a plastic bag and shake.
Photo by: Ryan Russell
Official Site can be found<a href="https://www.themanchesterorchestra.com/us/home"> here</a>
Facebook page can be found <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ManchesterOrchestra">here</a>

Live Review and Interview: Manchester Orchestra.

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Okay, so this isn’t the sort of stuff we generally cover at Crack in the Road but if we like it, we write about it, and I like Bags of Rock. Chances are I may be the only writer for the site that would enjoy their style of music, but it’s well worth discussing. Yeah their sets may feature covers of classical rock songs such as Black Betty, alongside their own material but don’t let that put anyone off; they’re a talented bunch and certainly show that live. The set up is a typical two guitars, bass and drums but capped off with a separate snare drum player and two bagpipers (hence the ‘bag’ in the title), elevating the group above being a bog-standard indie outfit.
All clad in kilts they typify what it means to be Scottish, and they managed to get the crowd going quicker than most bands I’ve witnessed on the live stage. I’m not sure if they’d get the same sort of reception south of the border, yet during these revolutionary times when Scottish independence is a hot topic, there’s a feeling they could almost convert the most ardent unionist. They excel when performing their own tracks, with an obvious heavy rock core that permeates through, whilst still allowing the bagpipes to be a dominant, positive feature within it. All diverse elements combined, and the outcome is like a hazy amalgamation of Pantera and your stereo-typical typical pipe band. Overall, Bags of Rock are a good fun band that don’t take themselves too seriously and when watching them perform, one can’t help but smile.
Check them out on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bags-Of-Rock/208966499149332">here</a>
Photographer: TBC
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Live Review: Bags of Rock

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You should probably get familiar with Seams now, as if there’s any justice, these kids will be a household name in the indie scene within twelve months. The band are a 5-piece consisting of vocals, primarily from Katie Lynch, backing vocals and guitar from Michael Fitzpatrick, guitar from Mark Johnston, bass from Liam Thompson and finally drums from Davi De Paula. Most of the band are still in school which emphasises how talented these individuals are and humbles people like myself who had not tried anything long enough to become good at it. When I see this band perform I instantly regret not picking up a guitar, drumsticks or a keyboard during my younger years.
They hail from the same area in Scotland as I reside which means I get to see this band at every possible opportunity and their live performances are spectacular, and I’ve been lucky enough to watch this band grow and thrive for over a year now so it is shame their EP launch is on the 27th December when I am in Orkney. Luckily however, I have been given a copy of the EP early and couldn’t wait until its release to write an article about it.
The first song on the EP is called The Colour Purple and it opens quite mysteriously; a patter of guitar and not much else, providing an excellent platform for the vocals that kick in. Then more layers are added throughout the song, providing depth through both guitars, bass and drums which then take centre stage alongside the vocals until the end of the track.
 
The stand-out track on the EP however is the second, named Watch Me Out, and this is primarily because it uses all of the elements that make this band great: upbeat and jumpy guitar riffs, tight and subtle bass and using drums to complement everything that is going on around instead of overpowering it. However, the band know that perhaps one of their best selling points is the impeccable vocals of Katie, who sounds as though she has been singing for decades, whilst actually being only in her teens.
The third track is beautifully simple, showing a more sensitive and pure side to their music. An acoustic song named Fall Over which nestles very well in between the more deep and complicated second and final songs.
The final song on the EP, Maps, opens very simply and delicately, and follows the same pattern as the opening track by adding in more detail as the song progresses, but goes one further by including the vocals of Michael which I believe is a good touch. The track then descends into an instrumental which is crafted magnificently and taps into the talent of all the musicians to create something I would expect to see headlining shows around the UK.
Of course to really appreciate what I am trying to put across you should go to the band’s facebook page linked below, take a listen to the tracks they have up and judge for yourself.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/seamsdundee" target="_blank">Facebook.</a>Poster Artist: TBC.

EP Review: Seams – Colours and Maps

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As I began to write this I was informed that today is in fact the one year anniversary of Dundonian 5-piece We Were Poseidon, and during this period they have written and released their début EP Turn Back the Clocks and undergone a Scottish mini-tour to celebrate and promote this release. Although to look at them one could have them confused with the X-factor’s One Direction, but the problems begin with the lack of “there is an Irish one, there’s the one that’s shagging that old woman, shit what’s her name again?…” and so forth, so no such comparisons can be made. In addition to this, the music that these guys create stands out from a fairly lacklustre East of Scotland young band scene which, despite high numbers of participants, fail when it comes to talent, with a few exceptions that I try and promote via Crack in the Road as much as possible. Their first release Turn Back the Clocks proves the point I am trying to make and also justifies why they have been supporting the likes of The Dykeenies in recent months.
The opening track, Le Cirque, starts in typical Scottish alt-rock fashion with chirpy synths contrasting with heavy bass, then all quiet for the lyrics to slot in. All of this then amalgamates into a surreal and slightly distorted track that continues throughout this EP. Almost disjointed you could argue, but done professionally and intentionally to create the atmosphere that surrounds the music We Were Poseidon create.
The second track, Me, Myself and You, has much of the same characteristics, but has a more distinct Scottish feel to it, perhaps due to the two vocals that overlap in parts which heightens the accents of the lads. This song focuses more on vocals, coupled at the end with distortions that almost slow the song down, bizarre but executed really well.
Next comes Roots, a slow-burner to begin with, but it soon comes to life with jaunty guitar riffs and more of the eerie ambience which gradually gets introduced towards the end. However, the final song almost acts as a lament to the EP, saying goodbye to the work they have done but nevertheless it looks forward. It contrasts sombre elements and vocals with very subtle upbeat moments that suggest that this may be the end of the EP, but there is more to come in the future. Overall, this is a quality début release that leaves the listener intrigued and demanding more.
Check out their facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wewereposeidon">here</a>
Photographer: TBC

EP Review: We Were Poseidon – Turn Back the Clocks

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It is unusual for Crack in the Road to have seemingly ignored an album such as Hello Sadness for so long after its release, two weeks ago I believe. Being a band who have been integral to growth of this website, featuring in a handful of live reviews and interviews, any release from Los Campesinos! is always hotly anticipated. Yet I can’t help feeling that our lack of urgency in reviewing their third LP is down to the relatively mediocre quality of the record. If Hello Sadness was truly dreadful it would have been snapped up by us just as quick as had it been a revolutionary album, however it sidles along somewhere in the murky in-between. That said, one aspect that must be praised is the admirably innovative nature of  the concluding few songs.
Hello Sadness announces itself with a whimper as opposed to a bang, with the fairly lacklustre By Your Hand, which even after several listens appears to lack depth. It is by all accounts a drastic change from what we’re accustomed to from Los Campesinos!, and I for one assumed their recent success with the Budweiser TV commercial and increased radio exposure would have pointed their sonic masts in the direction of mainstream recognition. Other reviews I have read justify this change as the band ‘maturing’, but there’s a subtle difference in gaining a new-found level of understanding and perception, and simply providing a watered down version of previous outings. Songs such as their cover of C is the Heavenly Option and You, Me Dancing were personal favourites of mine and seem like a distant memory when compared to the majority of their new material. I for one would have understood them creating a ‘dark’ album, as it appears to be in vogue currently with artists of a similar ilk, if only it were executed better.
The first song that really strikes a chord with me isn’t found until seven tracks in, with The Black Bird, the Dark Slope, showcasing the first real introduction of female vocals on Hello Sadness coming to the fore, after 6 previous songs consisting primarily of Gareth experiment with lower vocals. This is a pleasant surprise, despite the morbidity of the lyrics themselves, an example being ‘The black bird feasts upon my guts and bears its beak to fight’. I suppose I look on this song favourably as it reminds me so much of their old stuff, with the same twee-pop vibe they had not only mastered but finely tuned in previous releases.
The only other song that protrudes it’s head above the battlements of mediocrity is the penultimate song on the album, Baby I Got the Death Rattle. Primarily due to the distortion of Gareth’s voice entwining mercilessly with the dark subject matter and confusing nature of the instruments and effects.
Overall, it’s a disappointing attempt at ‘maturing’, if that was indeed the path they had intended to traverse. As a full release, Hello Sadness appears hurried and disjointed; a shame for all of the fans who enjoyed hearing some light-hearted pop treats every now and again when listening to their mp3 players on shuffle. However, I will keep my ears open for future releases and keep hoping they return to the days of Hold on now Youngster… and We are Beautiful, We are Doomed. It is unusual for Crack in the Road to have ignored an album such as Hello Sadness for so long after its release, 2 weeks ago I believe. However there is a good reason for this, its pretty mediocre… It is unusual for Crack in the Road to have ignored an album such as Hello Sadness for so long after its release, 2 weeks ago I believe. However there is a good reason for this, its pretty mediocre… It is unusual for Crack in the Road to have ignored an album such as Hello Sadness for so long after its release, 2 weeks ago I believe. However there is a good reason for this, its pretty mediocre… It is unusual for Crack in the Road to have ignored an album such as Hello Sadness for so long after its release, 2 weeks ago I believe. However there is a good reason for this, its pretty mediocre… It is unusual for Crack in the Road to have ignored an album such as Hello Sadness for so long after its release, 2 weeks ago I believe. However there is a good reason for this, its pretty mediocre… It is unusual for Crack in the Road to have ignored an album such as Hello Sadness for so long after its release, 2 weeks ago I believe. However there is a good reason for this, its pretty mediocre…

Album Review: Los Campesinos! – Hello Sadness

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Although it was possibly the oddest line-up Dundee had ever seen; Sundays gig at Dexters has to have been the densest crowd I have ever been a part of, and perhaps one of the best. Once the first act had finished, who were so memorable I have already forgotten how many members were in it, let alone their name, the real music began.
The next two acts Math the Band and MC Frontalot define themselves as ‘electro-punk spazz’ and ‘nerdcore hip-hop’ respectively, and the confusing titles have nothing on the nature of the acts. Math the Band are a male-female duo who use several video games systems including a Commodore 64 and a Gameboy, as well as drums, keys, synths, guitar and both vocals during every song. The mind boggles when they’re on stage, the noise they can muster between the two of them surpasses that of most 5-piece bands and with great talent and passion too.
MC Frontalot, self proclaimed 579th best rapper in the world, really excited the crowd with songs such as Tongue-Clucking Grammarian and Goth Girl and again it is really hard to put into words what this man achieved, especially with the backing of disguised Wheatus members playing their regular instruments. Both these acts were truly phenomenal in their own right and set the scene perfectly for the band who has the 4th highest selling rock song of the 21st century, Wheatus.
I am very thankful I was not one of the people who came to see one song, i’ll let you guess which one, as I was reminded throughout the set that Wheatus are much more than a band with one song in its repertoire. Playing songs such as Hump’em N’ Dump’em, Leroy, and Truffles took me back to when I bought this album over a decade ago and I am so very thankful that a large chunk of the crowd remembered these songs too as it made for such a memorable evening. The band themselves appeared to really enjoy themselves too, playing along with the very Scottish chant of ‘Here we Fucking Go’ and constantly stating what I have already been told (see the previous interview) of how much they love Scotland and its people.
In a controversial move perhaps designed to frustrate the people who were only there for one song, Teenage Dirtbag was cut up into sections as MC Frontalot came back on stage and sang a small piece and the band stopped at various points to chat to the audience. I personally enjoyed the way they performed this song, they added suspense to the infamous “I’ve got two tickets to Iron Maiden baby…” section of the song and in my opinion it made the event of that song being played much more dramatic. Overall the entire gig was a rousing success and a night much surpassing my expectations. Before the gig I managed to have a chat with frontman Brendan Brown as a follow-up to the previous interview:
CitR: You mentioned you are playing a cover song in your set during this tour, could you now reveal what it is?
We don’t really have set-lists, we go on what the crowd asks for but the cover is My Name is Jonas by Weezer.
CitR: Your song Wannabe Gangster includes a cameo by Bruce Dickinson and in other songs you reference Iron Maiden a lot, are you a big fan of the band or is it all coincidence?
I listened to Maiden, Rush and Metallica growing up so I love the band. Working with Bruce was great He is a real renaissance man; a pilot a fencing expert and a real knowledgeable dude.
CitR: How has the tour started so far, have there been any stand out gigs as yet?
Well we have played Derby, Hatfield, Kingston and a few more, but Kingston has been the best so far, 1800 people and really high energy.
CitR: Have you got any famous fans that you know of?
Roger Daltrey asked us to go to a hospital for cancer sufferers that he is a part of which was a great honour. I think The Who are the best British band ever. James who sing (sings) ‘Oh sit down, Oh sit down, sit down next to me’ are also really good guys. Oh and Kylie came up to us and said hi at the Top of the Pops awards a while ago.
CitR: You seem to cover songs and get songs covered by Weezer, are you two bands close?
I have chatted to Rivers a bit on twitter but otherwise that is about it. I really like the B-side to the Red Album called Miss Sweeney.
CitR: You seem to have a lot of Scottish references to your songs such as in Sunshine there is a line ‘under my kilt’, and in the past interview you have said how much you love the country. Have you Scottish ancestry at all?
Actually I have Irish ancestry and an Irish citizen I just really like Scotland and it is the best place to do shows.
CitR: How do British festivals and shows compare to those in the USA?
Festivals are more standardised here, more steady. Different crowds too but I wouldn’t say either were better or worse than the other.
CitR: Story of the Eggs appears to be more laid back and less frantic than a lot of your old songs, what are the reasons behind this?
Well the types of stories are much darker now, check the comic books. The whole Jupiter EP is dark.
CitR: Obvious question, how did you come up with the name Wheatus?
My Dad called me and my siblings it as children, its a devolution of the word ‘little’.
CitR: What are the best support acts you’ve had, or any band you feel should get increased notoriety?
Math the Band and MC Frontalot who are on tour with us now are really great. Also Matt and Kim and Bomb the Music Industry! too are really good. Although it was possibly the oddest line-up Dundee had ever seen; Sundays gig at Dexters has to have been the densest crowd I have ever been a part of, and perhaps one of the best…

Live Review and Interview: Wheatus

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Life at the moment is hectic for Pearl and the Puppets frontwoman, Katie Sutherland, as her career has seemed to explode in recent months after a change of management. She is currently recording her debut album, and is gigging across the UK to promote it and we at Crack in the Road managed to catch her before her performance in Dundee headlining Abertay University’s freshers week. As usual, the Dundee crowd was sub-par (see my other reviews in Dundee, its all the same) which is miles away from the crowds she has performed in front of before which include gigs with Elton John, Sugababes and McFly as well as a tour with Alphabeat.
However, the performance was well receieved by the few that were there and rightly so, she sang beautifully and with true professionalism and was accompanied by an equally trendy backing band consisting of keys, guitar and a cajon. She performed some songs that are undoubtedly on her album including Make Me Smile and what I hope to be her first single Because I Do, which is an equisitly simple pop song that one can’t help but like. From what I have gathered, Katie’s current label is really pushing this girl’s music and providing her with sufficient resources to get her battling with the big players within the chart, and rightly so as chart music today is getting ludicrisly stale with the same half a dozen or so artists fighting out for top spot every week.
Pearl and the Puppets therefore, could be the saviour of popular music, and bring it back to the great, cheery pop songs of the late ninties and early noughties. Below is the chat I had with Katie about everything from singing lessons from James Blunt to her very precise way of eating steak:
CitR: I have read that you received singing tips from James Blunt, how did this come about?
At the time we had the same management but I was not signed at the time. I had the flu really badly and I dont often get ill. My manager phoned me when I left the studio who was with James at the time and he spoke to me and told me to eat a spoonful of marmite and my voice would get better. He swears by it, he even keeps a jar of it underneath his piano at every gig. But it didnt work for me.
CitR: Your old management company was headed by Elton John, what is he like?
He is a great guy who really nurtured me well, he owned the management company but he did a lot of the work himself which was really good.
CitR: You have supported a wide range of acts from Elton John to McFly, does this show that you appeal to a wide audience?
Most of those were one off shows, I have only been on a proper tour with Alphabeat. I suppose my music is acoustic and pop so it appeals to a lot of people. Supporting Sugababes in 2008 was weird as I met one of them recently and didn’t realise but I was introduced to them as one of their support acts from years ago and I was unsure of the lineup so It could have been one of the new ones and not one I supported.
CitR: I have read that you are more nervous before smaller shows, why is this the case?
Yeah thats true, I need a couple of glasses of wine before small shows! I suppose its because you can see peoples’ eyes which is nervewracking, and with a big crowd they are more likely to cheers together and small venues can be quite claustrophobic too.
CitR: Who is the best Katie in music?
This is a hard question….If we’re allowed Kate’s I would choose Kate Bush.
CitR: Did music happen by accident for you as you were a student prior to being a professional musician?
Yeah, it was something I fell in to, I suppose at the time I didnt realise I could do it as a job, but I am now and its great.
CitR: What is your favourite live song to play?
My new song called Sinner is my favourite with a full band, but I don’t have a full band with me tonight.
CitR: What song in history do you wish you’d written?
I have a few but the top two would be Linger by The Cranberries and the song that goes ‘…and its always you and me, always and forever’ (sings) that is in the soundtrack for Romeo and Juliet.
When you read this Katie the song is The Wannadies, You and Me Song.
CitR: You have an album coming out, when is it due and how do you feel about it?
There is no definate release date but it will be in early 2012, I am still recording it now but its a very exciting time and I cant wait for it. The new people I am working with are very nurturing and letting me be free to do what I wish.
CitR: And finally…how do you eat steak?
I have something called a flash steak….it is medium rare and wrapped in parma ham, and alongside it there must be chunky chips, rocket, and a red wine sauce. And a glass of wine too.
Check out the facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pearlandthepuppets">here</a>
Check out the myspace page <a href="https://www.myspace.com/pearlandthepuppets">here</a>
Check out the official site <a href="https://www.pearlandthepuppets.com/">here</a>
 Life at the moment is hectic for Pearl and the Puppets frontwoman, Katie Sutherland, as her career has seemed to explode in recent months after a change of management. She is currently recording her debut album, and is gigging across the UK to promote it and we at Crack in the Road managed to catch her before her performance in Dundee headlining Abertay University’s freshers week…

Interview: Pearl and the Puppets

Although I doubt this particular artist has featured within the realms of Crack in the Road before, he is reputed to have sold over 100 million records worldwide. Such a claim means that to some he is considered to be one of the most successful musicians of all time.
Whilst touring the west coast of America a few weeks back I saw Rod Stewart perform to a crowd of just a few thousand at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas.
Despite being 66, it seemed to be the majority of the crowd showing their age, not the singer; The audience prefered to sit back and listen rather than unite their voices together as a younger audience may have done. This, however, was the only negative of the evening and Rod Stewart’s performance was very sleek and classy, with his backing vocalists and band making the night something special.
Everyone on stage was dressed in  informal 1950’s style suits and dresses which matched the style and ambience of the evening. Rod himself talked to the audience intimately and showed them photos of his family, especially his newborn son. In addition to this, the show was broken down into several parts; a small acoustic set and some full electric covers performed by all the band. Rod’s backing vocalists also displayed enough talent to warrant their own show.
The way the gig was broken up allowed Rod Stewart to go backstage and change into increasingly outlandish coloured suits. Throughout the near two hour set all of his most popular songs were performed including his number one singles <a title="Rod Stewart Video" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9dlG-iq3F8">Maggie May</a> and <a title="Do you think i'm sexy video" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIlHt_syoSE">Do Ya Think I’m Sexy</a>, his distinctive voice as raspy as ever with none of the ostentation that epitomises many of other Las Vegas shows.
Overall, a great night performed very professionally, if not spectacularly, by one of the legends of music.

Live Review: Rod Stewart in Las Vegas

There are very few songs which peaked in the charts around a decade ago that are still a big favourite in nightclubs and on the karaoke stages across the UK. Do you think in 2021 people will be shouting ‘tuuuunnee’ when Tinchy Stryder’s ‘Number 1‘ gets played on a night out? No, because (hopefully) in that time he won’t be remembered and popular music will have moved on. Wheatus, on the other hand, are a band whose music skims above the peaks and troughs of music fads. Most notable was their noughties hit ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ but they are far from being a one hit wonder (remember Nizlopi or Eamon anyone?)
Since ’95 Wheatus have been writing, recording and performing music across the pond and are finally returning to the UK. The month long tour starts in Derby on September 14th. They will be playing tracks from their recent releases The Jupiter EP and The Lightening EP. Other great songs on these albums, if you’re lucky enough to get tickets to their gigs,  include If You Need a Friend and Freedom Song.
Crack in the Road will try to meet up with the band when they are in the UK and have a proper chat but to appease you for now, we managed to get a few questions answered by Brendan Brown himself.
CitR: I read some of the information on yourself on the site Brendan; you say that at the age of 12 you dressed up as Angus from AC/DC for Halloween; would you ever consider repeating this on stage at one of your gigs?
Only if it were a Halloween gig.
CitR: You are playing a lot of gigs in Scotland in this current tour, what has convinced you to go further afield than just Glasgow or Edinburgh as many other bands, especially from the states, tend to do?
I’m guessing you know there’s a Scottish flag on my guitar? It’s been there for 10 years now. I have always known that Scotland is the legendary epicenter of all that rocks furiously. I found that out on our 1st proper UK Tour. Every Scottish show beat the others by miles…back then I thought, “I wonder what happens when you plan a proper tour of Scotland?” At long last, we’ll find out.
CitR: Do you listen to music from the UK often and if so, who are your favourite bands/artists that are around at the moment?
Yes…I’ve been listening to a lot of Richard Ashcroft’s solo records, Stereophonics, Hundred Reasons & Elbow as well…I Love The Streets….And of course, AC/DC, while being an Australian band technically, in my mind Bon made them THEE Scottish Band of record
CitR: I have heard rumours that you refused to lip-sync for recording on Top of the Pops, can you confirm or deny this and what is your stance on bands or artists miming during their performances?
I don’t care how other bands do their thing…that’s none of my business…but I refused because I feel like if we do that then we’re cheating our audience. We’ve worked hard to be good at what we do & I think we have a right to showcase it if we’re lucky enough to be invited onto TV.
CitR: What is your favourite song to play live, and is it the same with the rest of the band or does it differ between you all?
We all have our favorites….Matthew likes Fair Weather Friend, Kevin Likes The Deck…Ken likes Randall & The girls like Whole Amoeba. I’m currently torn between 2 songs, The Story Of The Eggs & Freedom Song.
CitR: What is your favourite cover, if you have one, of any of your songs?
WE HAVE A NEW COVER IN THE SET!  But I’m not allowed to say what it is! 😉 It’s my new fav cover.
CitR: I can’t go through a whole list of questions without mentioning ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, especially as it reemerged in the UK chart earlier on this year; were you aware of this and if so, what was your reaction to it?
I was aware…absolutely astonished & chuffed. It’s sort of felt fake at first…but then the BBC was on the phone and it was all very real. So cool…I called everyone I know & told them… As well, I just found out it’s the #4 highest selling rock song of the 21st century. If you’d have told me that in the Autumn of 1986, whilst I was trick-or-treating in an Angus Young costume…I’d have been, well, I may have died right there.
CitR: Your highest chart position in the UK, #2, was only beaten by a band called Atomic Kitten, have you listened to the song (called Whole Again) that managed to out sell your record or have you avoided listening to it? (On a different note, I think this may have been the last time in the UK chart with the majority of the songs on it were worth listening to, it included Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach and Fun Lovin’ Criminals as well as yourself all in the top 5) 
I love that song, Whole Again….It’s a soulful track…really beautiful. I never avoided it…it’s a great song. Do you know if it’s ever re-entered the top 40 as well?
CitR: When you’re reading this Brendan, I don’t believe it has!
<a href="https://www.wheatus.com/">Wheatus’ official site</a>

Interview: Wheatus

Although still in its infancy as a quirky and unique venue, Benjamin Barker Barber Shop in Dundee pulled off a massive coup this month when it staged a secret, private gig with the headline act being Scottish band Frightened Rabbit. Playing in front of around 30 people as usual, it made for a wonderful evening with three members of the band playing a stripped down set in front of a captivated crowd. The band are increasingly becoming a household name cross Scotland after success in the past few years with songs such as Living in Colour and Swim Until You Can’t See Land, both of which they performed on the evening. It was a night that the people present will never forget, as many people did not know which band were performing on the night, after being invited because of their loyalty to the shop; so when the guys walked onto the makeshift stage the room began to have an air of disbelief. The band hung around afterwards to chat to the crowd and I managed to have a few quick words with them in the storage cupboard. Glamorous.
 
CitR: So what made you decide to perform a Benjamin Barker Session?
 
Well we get free haircuts for a start, and they’re really good too! Haha. We just really like the way the shop looks, its a really nice place to come and visit and play.
 
CitR: The majority of your songs seem to be very meaningful and deep; are they from personal experience or is it purely storytelling?
 
Its from personal experience mostly, it all started when I was going through a break up with an ex-girlfriend which really hammered me so I decided to write about it in songs.
 
CitR: The band started off with just yourself Scott, what made you decide to expand the group past just yourself?
 
Well it soon came to light that he was shit on his own (not Scott’s words), haha. Na actually, the expansion just came naturally as the songs gradually grew and became more layered.
 
CitR: What is the best band you have supported and been supported by during your time as a band?
 
I really enjoyed playing with Modest Mouse and Biffy Clyro but the best band we have been supported by I reckon is We Were Promised Jetpacks who we really enjoy. 
 
CitR: What is your favourite song to play live?
 
Scott: Keep Yourself Warm I think is my favourite live song to play?
 
CitR: One final lighthearted question….How do you order steak in a restaurant or cook at home?
 
Medium-Rare is how I usually order steak, but I would try and tend to go to more rare than medium if it came to it.

Interview: Frightened Rabbit

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After an opening night a couple of months ago with native Dundonians, The View, headlining there is one new music venue that has been hot on the lips of many people around the city, Benjamin Barker Barber & Shop. Unusual name for a venue, right? Well it is because it is a real barber shop by day who opens its doors at night roughly once a month for lucky clients to see some of the best live music bands and artists in Scotland. With a capacity of around 40 it epitomises the meaning of ‘intimate’, but that doesn’t stop some of the big names in music declaring their interest in performing there. Last week Perth based artist Stephen Flavahan performed with great support from his favourite bands, Happy Vandals and Poor Things and the night was a huge success. From what I can gather and predict it won’t be long until some of the biggest names in Scottish music will be knocking on the barber’s door to play. If you want to know any more about these exclusive events go to the shop on Perth Road in Dundee and get yourself a haircut, a chat about future gigs, and a free beer too if you’re lucky!
I got the chance to speak to both the artist Stephen Flavahan and his drummer before their performance on the night and also with the proprietors of the barbers, Keith and Jeff, about their aspirations of the building becoming a highly sought-after music venue in Dundee.
Stephen Flavahan Interview:
CitR: What do you think of the concept of the Benjamin Barker Sessions?
I helped come up with the concept behind it, as I knew of a similar thing that started up in Ayr. I think it is a really exciting thing to be doing, especially with The View playing the opening night, and I myself were in a band with a couple of the guys before The View began.
CitR: What are your influences in creating your music?
I bought most of my records in the post-Brit-Pop era which is fairly recent so some of that stuff has influenced my music. However, I listen to a lot of hip-hop, especially modern stuff such as Jay-Z but I don’ suppose much of that comes out in the music I write and perform.
CitR: What are the best band/artist you have supported or been supported by in the past?
Well we played with Bombay Bicycle Club a while ago which was good for us but there was little contact between us and them so I kind of prefer smaller gigs where the artists mingle and have a laugh together. The bands supporting us tonight, Happy Vandals and Poor Things are great and I would say they were the best support I could have got tonight as I am not even sure if I can improve on their performances!
CitR: You have a new EP out, What would you say your favourite song was from the collection you have in it?
My favourite used to be The Walls as it is frantic and it has a lot of pop influences then it ends with a lot of soul to it. Now I don’t really know what my favourite song is to be honest. 
CitR: What do you think the best song ever written is, personal opinions aside?
Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles I think, and most stuff from the Revolver album as a whole, as it has an entire string movement and is incorporated in one pop song and has really simple, beautiful harmonies. 
Doug (Drummer): I don’t really know to be honest, I like different takes on original songs to be honest, not covers however, like real different versions of songs. 
CitR: If you could have any superpower what would it be and why?
I am trying to work out what would be something that would never get old, perhaps teleportation, it would save on so much time. 
Doug: I don’t think I am responsible enough for a superpower to be honest!
 
Keith and Jeff Interview on the Benjamin Barker Sessions:
CitR: How did the Benjamin Barker Sessions come about?
Well the way the shop is set out, the wooden flooring looks like a venue and the raised platform at the end of the shop looks just like a stage. We thought it was a good way to get guys into the shop and to say thanks to regular customers who are into the same sort of music we are in to.
CitR: What do you hope to achieve from these Sessions?
Brand awareness to a certain extent I think, we want people to start talking about us as a barber as a place you can go for a quality cut and a free beer and a place to go at night sometimes for some great live music to promote bands from across Scotland. We feel at our age we have missed the vein of really good Scottish music and we believe bands enjoy playing small gigs like this with stripped back acoustic sets.
CitR: Are there any bands of artists coming up that you are excited about performing here?
Our next session is on July 2nd and overall we have some cracking artists we are hoping to get in but we can assure you the one on July 2nd is going to be a belter, and we hope people will talk about us more after it. 
CitR: If you could have any artist or band performing in here, who would you love to see?
The top of the food chain to be honest, the likes of Liam Gallagher and artists like that, but so far that is somewhat of a dream.
Remember, if you want to be part of this brilliant new concept and have the chance to coming to these invite-only gigs which include some of Scotland’s best live music then get down to the shop, get a top quality haircut, and get yourself known to the guys down there!

Review: Benjamin Barker Sessions- Stephen Flavahan

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Being released on July 4th, Cats and Cats and Cats new album, Motherwhale, follows on from last year’s debut album, If I’d Had an Atlas. I have been lucky enough to have a listen of this new album and it is more chaotic, more fractured and more mental than the majority of their older songs; and its great. The first full length song on the album, Return to Castle Danger, sets the scene of what is to follow on the album with chaotic, yet catchy lyrics and a mix of heavy brass influences which at times gets overthrown by shouting, all over a manic drumbeat. This idea is carried on in the next song, The Projectionist, as it opens with an accordion solo and gradually descends into madness once again by the end of the track.
A Song For My Brother, The Whale, sounds ideal for an opening song for a live set, consisting of a long, slow build-up which contrasts with the more lighthearted songs as it contains dark background notes throughout up until the last section where the track ends on laughter, odd. However, my favourite track comes around halfway through the album and is called O’Science where the song revolves around a great trumpeting performance and is overall much less chaotic than most of the album and is easily recognisable as its impossible not to tap your toes to it.
Celebration appears to be an unusual song for this album, it sounds like it would make an incredible live song to play but it doesn’t appear to record as well as some of the other songs. Olympus, although it contains no lyrics, emphasises the aspects of folk that this band possess and it acts as a nice introduction to the calm penultimate track Zoomercroom. The last song on the album, Come Home, is extremely long and is a fitting conclusion to the album as it tries to squeeze in all the different elements and styles used but does so without the chaos that is apparent in parts.
Overall, Motherwhale, is an album completely different to what the band have previously recorded; however i believe that this new music will allow them to retain the fans they have accumulated in the past whilst bringing in new fans who want a break from the standard pop-folk music that will undoubtedly be released throughout this summer. Well worth a listen.
Cats and Cats and Cats Myspace available <a href="https://www.myspace.com/catsandcatsandcats">here</a>
Cats and Cats and Cats Facebook page available <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/catsandcatsandcats">here</a>
Cats and Cats and Cats Official site available <a href="https://www.catsandcatsandcats.com/">here</a>

Review- Cats and Cats and Cats: Motherwhale

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After another year of fantastic artists, venue and weather Rockness shall not be quickly forgotten in the minds of the thousands of people who traveled miles to the banks of Loch Ness just outside Inverness. Here are the highlights of the weekend, as seen by Crack in the Road.
Friday: Although the Main Stage headliners Kasabian had by far the largest support, I feel that comparative new boys Two Door Cinema Club were the biggest surprise of the first day. Looking a bit daunted initially at the prospects of playing in front of the Rockness crowd they managed to pull it back and become one of the top performers across the entire weekend playing fan favourites Cigarettes in the Theatre and Something Good Can Work and it’s a real testament that since Friday night the album has shot up the ‘most played’ list on my iTunes. Another artist I was glad to see was Nero on the Golden Voice Stage; granted I only managed to catch the last few songs from his set. As the first big act of the weekend, he was on at 5pm, he appeared to have the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand and well prepared the large crowd for what turned out to be a great weekend.
Saturday: After a personal tip from Jim Gellatly the night before I managed to get up in time for Strawberry Ocean Sea who played in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus Stage at 12.30 and their brilliant set made it worth the hours of a horrific hangover that ensued. After that I managed to find a place to lie on the hill with Laidback Luke performing in the background after hearing from fellow campers it was worth catching some of, and it was; from what I remember of it anyway! I made a promise after that to remain sober for the rest of the weekend, and I was very glad for it as well as it made the rest of the weekend far more memorable. Bombay Bicycle Club, Frightened Rabbit and The Cribs were possibly the best collection of acts that followed one after another all weekend, Especially Frightened Rabbit, who I should add drew in astounding support considering Magnetic Man, Example and The Chemical Brothers were performing back-to-back on the Main Stage at the same time. I managed to catch a few of the latter three artists songs but felt the desire to keep heading back to the Golden Voice stage where the performers of the weekend were playing, with The Cribs opening with the line ‘We might not be the Chemical Brothers, but we are the Jarman Brothers’. Overall, the artists on the Golden Voice stage on Saturday evening were damn near perfect in my opinion. Scottish heroes Frightened Rabbit especially proved to the audience why their rise to fame in recent months has been deserved with a phenomenal on-stage performance unmatched throughout the entire weekend.
Sunday: The first artist I stumbled across on the Sunday was American act Afghan Raiders whose unusual combination of two iMacs and drums, transfixed what small crowd they managed to achieve. However, I felt as though those who didn’t watch them missed out and they are well worth a look. The same feelings apply for Glasgow based group Sparrow and the Workshop whose recent exposure in high profile magazines did not help draw in what turned out to be a lacklustre crowd, but nevertheless their set greatly impressed those who did venture to the Rock ‘n’ Roll tent to watch them. The Twilight Sad, a band that I tipped before the festival, overcame some lyrical problems to create something of an event as opposed to a set as the band made such an effort to bring the crowd together and used the large stage to their advantage, covering nearly all of it during the half hour time spent they were on stage. Other than those artists the only other time I left the Main Stage was to see a personal favourite of mine, Simian Mobile Disco who played on the Golden Voice stage and I have never seen a crowd as ‘in to’ an artist as this. It was also during this set that I experienced possibly the highlight, or for the individual probably lowlight, of the weekend when an punter next to me bit open a large glowstick and then proceeded to pour it on his face. Being sober at the time made the experience much more surreal than for the majority of people around me and I do believe the individual received medical treatment, but still it was a rather half-witted thing to do. To end the weekend off was the trio of The Wombats, Glasvegas and Paulo Nutini all of whom impressed on different levels. The Wombats were professional as ever and their particularly adoring fans loved every minute of their performance as they played their now classic songs from their first album including, Moving to New York and Kill the Director as well as Techno Fan, their newest single which has received some great reviews. Scottish artists Glasvegas and Paulo Nutini polished off the weekend on a high note with both performing exceptionally, drawing in easily the largest crowd of the weekend and leaving the crowd wanting more. Only around 360 days until they will feel the magic of Rockness again though, and I can’t wait.

Review: Rockness 2011

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 I recently saw The Twilight Sad a few months back when they did a co-headline tour with fellow Scots Errors and I was very impressed. To see that they are due to perform Rockness for the first time on the Main Stage on Sunday, albeit quite early in the day, on is a pleasant surprise and I believe seeing this performance will be an ideal way to get rid of the remnants of Saturday’s hangover. With two albums and and three EPs under their belts already, they have quite a collection songs to choose from for their set. My hope is they play singles And She Would Darken the Memory and The Room which are two great songs, ideal for hopefully a sunny Sunday on the picturesque banks of Loch Ness.
They have been in the studio earlier on this year and hope to have a third album out by the end of 2011 so if the fans are lucky they may be able to sample some of The Twilight Sad‘s new material, which has been promised as entirely different from their other releases which shows the passion and ambition this band possesses and from what I can gather, this band will be here for years to come and are well worth seeing at this years Rockness.

Rockness Tip: The Twilight Sad

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 Simian Mobile Disco have been a personal favourite of mine for the past few years, as it breaks up my musical repertoire consisting primarily of music from the complete opposite end of the music spectrum. Playing on Sunday on the Golden Voice Stage, SMD will provide the style of music that the large majority of the Rockness crowd listen to regularly with brilliant tunes from their 4 studio albums. Attack Decay Sustain Release, their debut album, is arguably their best work with songs such as I Believe and Hustler which are both hopefully on their set list this Sunday; and if so will provide delight to undoubtedly a large audience.
Already playing gigs elsewhere on both the Friday and Saturday preceding their performance at Rockness it is certain that the guys will have their set polished and perfected. James Ford himself has just finished producing Arctic Monkeys’ new album which was released yesterday so it has been a busy time for the guys, Ford especially. Crack in the Road intend to be there and we are most definitely looking forward to seeing this act in particular. With Boys Noize on, and headlining, the Golden Voice Stage it will be a tough choice for many festival-goers between them and the Main Stage with Paulo Nutini and Glasvegas due to perform simultaneously.

Rockness Tip: Simian Mobile Disco

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 Changing your style and approach to music for your second album is very risky business, especially with how new music is being spewed out by almost everyone nowadays. Despite this, The Wombats have proved to be much more tenacious than many had given them credit for after their first album, A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation. This Modern Glitch has somehow managed to keep The Wombats’ old fans as well as drawing in a substantially large new crowd keen on their unique take on electro-pop. They are playing the main stage on Sunday as Rockness and their presence at this great festival is both a tribute to their hard work and the people responsible for getting them on board as I know several people heading to this years Rockness primarily to see The Wombats perform.
They will no doubt play tracks from their highly energetic and bouncy first album as well as songs from their new album which has been held in high regard by many music buffs. I was lucky enough to meet them and watch them perform new songs just over a month ago and if that is anything to go by, The Wombats will be one of the outstanding performers at this years Rockness.
Stay tuned for more daily updates and tips for this weekends Rockness.

Rockness Tip: The Wombats

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Headlining the Golden Voice tent on the Saturday night at Rockness are The Cribs. Making their only Scottish festival appearanceof the year the show marks not only their first ever headlining gig but also their first major show since the departure of ex Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.
For most bands the departure of a legendary guitar hero from the group would be a devastating blow but for The Cribs the return to the visceral, thrilling and chaotic 3 piece line up that made their name seems to have re-invigorated the band, the back to basics approach suiting their straight ahead hook filled anthemic guitar rock. Arriving in Scotland with the promise of playing some new songs from their forthcoming fifth album the brothers Jarman promise to be one of Rockness’ must see attractions. Be sure to catch the start of the next phase in the career of one of the UK’s most exciting live acts.

Rockness Tip: The Cribs

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As the festival season of 2011 begins, the first of the big players, Rockness, has been regarded by many via social-networking sites to have a line-up superior to several of their competitors, and personally I’d be inclined to agree. I myself am somewhat of a Rockness veteran, traveling yearly from Orkney to the glorious banks of Loch Ness and being a proud owner of all the memorabilia available I cannot praise the atmosphere, the acts and the venue enough. Sticking in part to their dance roots which began in 2006 with mega-headliners The Chemical Brothers (who also played in 2007) as well as a host of other artists within that spectrum of music such as Simian Mobile Disco and Magnetic Man, both of whom are without a doubt going to be major crowd-pleasers.
Rockness also proudly supports the glowing music scene in Scotland with Sunday headliner and chart-mainstay Paulo Nutini taking to the stage straight after Scottish favourites Glasvegas, which will perfectly accompany one another, despite the differences in styles. However, possibly the biggest coup is the addition of Kasabian who are headlining the main stage on Friday; on after comparative new boys Two Door Cinema Club whose substantial rise to popularity in recent months has been due to cracking tunes and a lot of hard work.
Although the above all indicates the making of a festival with the potential to surpass many of its rivals, there are some hidden gems who have been added to the line-up, and the best shall be highlighted here in the coming days up to the event itself. Representing Crack in the Road I would like to emphasis my excitement at seeing the likes of Frightened Rabbit on the Goldenvoice Stage on Saturday, The Cribs who I saw there in 2008 and The Wombats who are promoting their massive new album, This Modern Glitch. Other artists who are due to play at this phenomenal event that we believe are great additions to the line-up include a Mark Ronson DJ set and Niki and the Dove.
I cannot put into words the palpable excitement I have felt whilst browsing the Facebook pages of my friends who are going; status updates have been counting down the days for weeks now and for good reason. Rockness may well be the festival this year that will be spoken about by as the stand-out event of the summer, with a perfect mix of old and new artists, from dance and trance DJs to aspiring indie-pop. Fingers crossed the weather will be kind for the entire 3 day weekend of it!
Remember to keep checking this site daily up until the event where we will be posting daily tips on which artists we believe will be the ones to look out for and we hopefully might be able to catch a few words with them at the event. One is also available now for The Cribs!
The official Rockness site is available <a href="https://www.rockness.co.uk/">here</a>, for more information and the sensational full line-up.

Festival Preview: Rockness

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Ideal venue, aspiring band, great performance, woeful turnout. Another Friday night questioning why bands even bother to come north of Edinburgh. Its getting tiring inviting a friend to a gig in order to almost double the turnout in Dundee especially after being confirmed to play on the prestigious T-Break stage at this year’s T in the Park festival. Cracking support at usual from the likes of Seams, Whigs and Rakes and We Follow Signs at Dexter’s in Dundee but its a damned shame that a band of Fatherson’s calibre did not get scores more people through to door. They played many of the songs that managed to convince the judges that they were in the top 16 best unsigned acts in Scotland such as Waves and their new single Hometown, the stand-out song from the set in my opinion. As the first stop on their tour of Scotland before the festival season rolls around proper I can only hope that their gigs since last Friday have been in front of a much more responsive audience than they had in Dundee. If you get a chance to catch these guys before T in the Park they are currently playing throughout Scotland and are well worth keeping an eye out for at the Festivals in Scotland this year, you will be in for a treat to see these guys live. Luckily for myself I managed to get a few words with all three guys, Ross Marc and Greig, before going on stage. I hope you all enjoy reading their answers:
CitR: Standard opening question for an interview here; what bands and artists would you say influenced you the most
We started singing with Scottish accents about the same time as the likes of Biffy Clyro when we started playing around Kilmarnock area so we could say that but it does not mean we copied them in any respects. We started playing at the Monkey Club and Grand Hall in Kilmarnock where we cut our teeth which was good.
CitR: How did you find out you were asked to play the T-Break stage this year and what were your emotions when you got told the news?
Ross: I was helping my flatmate with his dissertation, all three of us here at at Uni in Glasgow, and I got a phone call saying that we’d been picked for it and I just rand about the place I was so pleased with the news!
CitR: Why would you say you were picked by the judges to perform ahead of other acts at T in the Park this year?
Well we have done gigs with the likes of Idlewild which was great and I suppose that put us in good stead, but its mostly down to hard work, we have been gigging for ages now and we just got fortunate. I must add the judges have a shite time of it to be honest, they have a very difficult job and its shame so many bands cannot be chosen too.
CitR: Have you played any other festivals in the past and are there any more in the pipeline this year for you guys?
Last year we played a festival at King Tut’s which we are lucky enough to headline it this time around and this year we are doing a few small things and maybe Wickerman too, but nothing is certain.
CitR: What are the best band you have supported and are there any bands who have supported you that deserve a mention?
Well we have supported Idlewild who are amazing, I would have to say them overall and two bands come to mind that have supported us; Fires Attract and He Slept on 57 who are both great bands.
CitR: What is your favourite song of all time would you say?
Ross: Joni Mitchell, A Case of You
Greg: Nizlopi, Disarmed
Marc: Manchester Orchestra, all of the 2nd album to be honest!
CitR: If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Ross: The ability to lose weight
Greg: To be able to have any food on demand
Marc: Not ever have to go to the toilet, only go when I chose to
CitR: and finally…how do you eat your steak?
Ross: Medium
Greg: Rare/sometimes Blue
Marc: Medium Rare
Check out their facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/fathersonband">here</a>
Check out their official site <a href="https://fatherson.co.uk/">here</a>

Interview: Fatherson

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Going to as many gigs as I go to around the UK, in particular Scotland, memorable nights listening to live music seem to be sparse. I always feel obliged to dissect and judge each band or artist in my head even if I am not intending to do a review on it; thus taking from the experience and performance which I am sure is at least adequate. However, I always manage to take time off from almost feeling like I am at work when I go and see a particular band, Seams, who I first heard when judging a recent battle of the bands contest. At between 16-18 years old they have achieved almost a veteran status across the East of Scotland playing as many gigs and trawling through as many dingy bars as bands twice their age in an attempt to bring their music to the masses. Each member, whilst most still at school doing their Highers (or A levels to the English readers), is always willing to practise, write music and gel with each other whilst at the same age I was hanging around the streets kicking pebbles into manholes. Taking a step back from what has become an entirely saturated indie-pop market to produce the most gloriously intricate and mastered songs, Seams have the raw talent I have not ever seen before or since. Although the standard set up of two guitars, bass, drums and the occasional dink of a xylophone; the vocals eclipse that of other young women who are prompted and pushed to stage school in the hopes of an x-factor career. Also, the guitars compliment one another as if they were songbirds chirping to each other across the stage, the bassist (being the oldest and most experienced in the group) guides the songs with well executed chords and the drummer looks as though he was born sitting on a stool with a bass pedal at his feet. Every one a born musician and if I saw them performing at festivals across the UK in the next few years I would be the first queuing up to buy a ticket.
 Their details are in links below so see why this is going to be the start of something great for this highly deserving group of musicians.
Seams Facebook Available <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Seams/141176365923631">here</a>
Seams Myspace Available <a href="https://www.myspace.com/seamsuk">here</a>

Live Review: Seams

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Years after seeing them the first time around in Aberdeen in 2008 The Wombats came to Dundee in March of this year and I knew I had to meet the guys that inspired me to write about music such a long time ago. The gig itself was obviously not to everybody’s taste, but for the people who appreciate the band and the music they play it was a superb performance. They were as energetic as ever and managed to play new songs such as Anti-D and Jump into the Fog with as much precision as their, now, classic songs Moving to New York and Let’s Dance to Joy Division which for a fan was very pleasing. Any sign of their long break between albums was not on show as they played a large number of songs from their new album This Modern Glitch which is due for release later this month. These new songs, in my opinion, are a vast change from their early songs and even from the likes of My Circuitboard City which is most certainly a positive thing after considerable failures from other bands of a similar ilk releasing new albums that are repetitive and lacking in imagination. Anti-D was performed in such an emotive way, with the crowd being taken on a journey through the pitfalls of prescription drugs and it was this song that was the highlight of the night and a cracking single as well. CitR were lucky enough to chat at considerable length to the guys before their gig and this is a section of the interview that was conducted:
 CitR: Which bands or artists would you say influenced you the most when you were younger?
Tord: A lot of things really; bands like Kraftwerk to No FX and a lot of Skate punk and alternative bands like that.
Dan: I liked the same sort of stuff really, but also bands like System of a Down, Metallica and Blink 182.
CitR: If you were not involved in the music industry, what do you think you would be doing?
Dan: I would probably be teaching music in a French school
Tord: I really love working with people so I would probably be working in a home for disabled people like I used to do.
CitR: What is the best show or festival you have ever played at?
There is no particular show that I would say stands above the rest but festivals such as Glastonbury and other European Festivals are always fantastic to play at. We also played on a Berlin rooftop a few weeks ago, it was freezing cold but it was an amazing experience!
CitR: What would you say to any bands or artists that want to get the same success as you achieved?
You have to enjoy what you have and don’t plan ahead, focus on what is important and that is playing music. Do little gigs in front of a couple of people and enjoy it for what it is.
CitR: Can you go into detail about how you achieved the Bleeding Love cover you recorded a couple of years ago?
Dan: It was me and Murph who did the song together as Tord was back in Norway on holiday and we were in Paris seeing some friend and just drank 3 bottles of French wine between us and just went for it.
CitR: What was the best band you have supported and been supported by?
Well we played just before Radiohead came on at a festival so that could mean we supported them I suppose, and that was unbelievable! The best band who have supported us were probably goFASTER>> (a band we chatted to earlier in the day about) or Team Me who are on tour with us this time around.
CitR: What was your most embarrassing moment on stage?
We did a DJ set in Harrowgate a while ago in a school and we hadn’t slept in ages and when we turned up there were people at the front as if it was a gig or something which was really odd. The CDs didn’t work so I just got really embarrassed and hid underneath the DJ booth.
CitR: If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Dan: Invisibility
Tord: To Fly
CitR: What are your favourite drinks?
Tord: Fresh juice from a juice extractor or a Mojito if it was an alcoholic choice
Dan: Guava juice and alcoholic drink would be Guinness.
 The Wombats official site <a href="www.thewombats.co.uk">here</a>
The Wombats Myspace <a href="www.myspace.com/thewombatsuk">here</a>
The Wombats Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/thewombatsuk">here</a>

Interview and Review: The Wombats

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 I first saw Maps and Atlases in 2008, supporting Foals in Aberdeen Music Hall and after noticing they were playing in Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh I had to see them perform again. Hailing from across the water in Chicago, Illinois, they fit in perfectly over here with their typical pop-rock style with a delicate touch of folk; incorporating all these massively popular genres into one. The venue itself is infamous for being one of the smallest in Scotland, and yet it plays hosts some very impressive bands. This night was no exception with Solid Ground and You and Me and the Mountain were the particular highlights of the evening until they decided to leave the stage and play in a circle on the already congested dancefloor acoustically as an encore. To be honest this is when the gig came to life, with the band surrounded by the humming crowd in a summer camp fire type sing-a-long. I was almost tempted to ask them to play Kum Bay Ya it felt so much like being 11 again at a scout camp and an ideal way to end the evening. It appeared to mellow everyone out; instead of the typical crush by drunken fans to leave the venue, people became almost sedated and unwilling to move at all; even when the band had vanished through the exit doors. However, before the gig I managed to chat to Dave and Shiraz from Maps and Atlases who were more than happy to chat to CitR:
CitR: I saw you guys in 2008 with Foals and Wild Beasts, are you close to those bands or was it put together without much input from you?
We are great fans, of Foals and they are of us too, they are great guys and come to see us on tour a lot when we’re about the UK. Really good friends too and they invited us across initially.
CitR: You have played SXSW festival before, how does it compare with other festivals across the world you’ve performed at?
We have play it about 4 times I think, it is a great experience because so many of our friends play there too and with touring it is very hard to see them for much of the year so it is great to catch up and play music with people close to us.
CitR: Why did you think about playing in the UK as much as you do, and what are the differences in crowds and the reception to receive in each place?
Well initially it was because Foals asked us to play with them and our crowds are very similar here and across in the states. We are going on a European tour which we are looking forward to as well.
CitR: What are the best band you have supported and are there any bands that you know of that should get more recognition that have supported you in the past?
We have supported so many great bands that none really stands out but there are loads of band we are very good friends with that should be going places such as Gypsy Blood, Patterns Movement and Deer Hoof.
CitR: and finally, if you could have any superpower what would it be and why?
Shiraz: I would love to be able to stop time
Dave: The power to heal people I think would be really good.
Catch them on Myspace <a href="https://www.myspace.com/mapsandatlases">here </a>
On Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Maps-Atlases/103729676331967">here</a>
Official site <a href="https://mapsandatlases.org/">here</a>
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Review and Interview: Maps and Atlases

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After winning Dundee’s Battle of the Band competition in late 2010, The Bang are poised to attempt to replicate the success of past winners Make Sparks and are going the right way to achieve this; by willing to both support any touring band that become available and also begin to headline shows across Tayside with support from other local bands. After seeing them perform only a handful of times I found it intriguing that I managed to sing along to the lyrics of their older songs, with their song Qwerty standing out above the rest. Their set as a whole justified mine and the other judges decision when they were named winners several months ago, and now with an ever increasing fan base, they are hopefully set to record and release a debut sometime in the near future as well as go on to impress more people as they carry on playing in gigs throughout Scotland.
I generally see new bands performing covers as a weakness, primarily because it is nearly impossible to replicate the song to the standard of the original artist however half way through the set Dexter’s music venue erupted with the shouts of “I’m on Fireee……”. Now I am not the biggest Kasabian fan, on the contrary perhaps, but the overall experience of the song would make even Tom Meighan’s mother double check. It was played effortlessly and with confidence from all members of the group and made the night truly memorable for the people that may have see this band for the first time. Overall, a great gig and a band well worth listening to so please find below their myspace.
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/thebanguk">The Bang’s Myspace is available here</a>

Live Review: The Bang

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 For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Glasvegas are back. New songs, new drummer and what appears to be a new start. I stood in the typically quiet and somewhat distracted Orkney crowd and questioned to myself why they chose this place to start their tour. My initial thought was maybe to get ‘match fit’ again, until they appeared on stage and blew the real Glasvegas fans away; about a third of the crowd. Undeterred by the lack of crowd response they took the risky approach of playing new songs for the lions share of the set, and on the whole the songs were delivered exceptionally well. However, the most recognisable songs from their debut album, most notably Flowers and Football Tops and Daddy’s Gone, were delivered with the passion that only a band glad to be back in front of audiences could achieve. It was also the first gig with their new drummer, Jonna Löfgren, who impressed from the very beginning; not necessarily hard considering her predecessor. Standing throughout the set, she certainly added a new element to the band; both in her youthful, stylish looks and the obvious rapport she has built up with the rest of the band in such a short period of time.
Although there was no encore, which perhaps is to be expected after such a long time away from live performances as well as the somewhat lacklustre crowd, but what I saw was enough to move me more than I have done at any previous gig. Stories were told through the lyrics and clear emotion was seen beyond the now infamous sunglasses worn by frontman James Allan, who took every opportunity to chat to the audience, thanking them for their support. This was no typical thanks however, it was clear that he was being genuine; a complete contrast to nearly all gigs I have been to in the past. It was as if he knew that they had something to prove again after a comparatively long time away from the public eye.
Overall, an exceptional performance from a band who intend to recapture their former, albeit previously short-lived, glory and to make a real mark on the music scene of 2011 in much the same way as they had done in 2008-9.

Live Review: Glasvegas

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After standing outside Edinburgh’s HMV Picture House in the pouring rain I am beckoned by a man emerging from a nearby pub and I follow. It was Liam Bailey’s tour manager and as I enter the pub Liam’s striking hair and appearance is the first thing I notice, surrounded by family and friends. We sit down and chat about everything from music to steaks. The gig itself started off slowly by a substandard performance from the opening act, whose name was drowned out by rudimentary Dubstep during the first track. Once this expired however, on came Liam Bailey, guitar in hand, looking slightly out of place as he was surrounded by pilled up Dub and R’n’B fans. He soon silenced his potential critics. Blasting out really quality soul music alongside his talented band it really was a relief after half an hour questioning why I had travelled to Edinburgh. Liam bounded around on stage, appearing to sing to every individual in the venue. It was amazing to see passion as raw as this. Liam’s slot in this gig was due to his upcoming single release with headliners Chase and Status called Blind Faith and no doubt the contrast between his voice, charisma and style and Chase and Status’ ability to turn any song into a real event will please both soul fans and Dubstep fans alike. Although this is an article about Liam Bailey, the performance of Chase and Status was also mindblowing. Their use of lighting, videos and other effects made this gig truly memorable, inviting special guests out for nearly every song to perform with them, to the delight of the crowd.
This is what CitR and Liam Bailey managed to discuss before the gig:
CitR: We’ll start off with some of the usual questions, who would you say was a great influence on your style of music?
I like all sorts of old soul, reggae and blues stuff all the way through to modern rock and roll, just any fucking good music basically. Anything from Jeff Buckley to Rage Against the Machine but my main influences I would say were Bob Marley, Oasis and The Beatles.
CitR: What tours have you been on in the past, or is this your first major one?
Yeah, this is my first big tour, but its great to have it with Chase and Status, its bangin! I love it, love their stuff too; Dubstep and Drum and Bass is quality. I am enjoying the travelling and the lifestyle too.
CitR: Who is the best band/artist you have supported and been supported by?
I have supported the likes of Damian Marley which was a great experience, but also a great artist called Marques Toliver I supported before too. I have been supported by Nottingham based First Blood who is really worth listening too.
CitR: Where can you see yourself in 3 years time?
Too be honest with you I cant see past a month with the ways things are going at the minute but in three years I would like food in my fridge, lekkey on and to have some good people around me like my family and friends.
CitR: How did you come up with the idea of your Ezine (his online magazine about himself)?
Well it was something to give to fans, both online and paper copies at gigs as to begin with I didn’t have shit to give to anyone, even when they asked. So a few weeks ago after struggling for ideas I came up with this; I mean its not Morrissey-esque, its just what I like to listen to, and to be interesting to look at and some inspirational stuff.
CitR: What is the most embarrassing moment on stage?
Nothing I don’t think, I am fairly well composed on stage which is good I reckon!
CitR: IF you could have any superpower what would it be?
Invisibility without a doubt, but I would have to have all my clothes to be invisible too so I could slide in and out of places.
CitR: How do you order steak when in a restaurant?
If I were in a nice restaurant I would order a well done steak as the quality of the meat would still come through even if it was cooked for a long time, but *looks around* in a place like this I would order it medium as the quality of the meat would not necessarily be as good and might be tough if cooked too long.
<a href="https://www.liambaileymusic.co.uk/">Liam Bailey Official</a>
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/liambaileyuk">Liam Bailey Myspace</a>
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Interview: Liam Bailey

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Known for their unusual gig destinations and, for anyone who reads their blogs, their immense quick-wittedness almost as much as their music which has spanned nearly a decade, British Sea Power are back again after ‘renting a house in the middle of nowhere to make music’ with a new EP, Zeus. Do You Like Rock Music? Is over two years old now and despite it reaching no. 10 in the album chart and also being nominated for the Mercury Prize the band felt no need to rush any new releases, instead focussing on creating an album not designed for chart success but as a soundtrack to a documentary. So the highly anticipated new release, a ‘Maxi’ EP as opposed to a full album has now hit the shelves with the expectation of a new album very early in 2011. The music itself is typically BSP but perhaps more complex, with highs that peak majestically and lows that plumb the ocean all of which would make a fan restless for the album release.
British Sea Power played an outstanding gig at The Doghouse in Dundee on 28th September, including songs from their new release and although perhaps not as eccentric as they perhaps were in their youth, what they lacked in ridiculous actions they made up for entirely in a grown-up and established performance which put across their music much better than perhaps in previous years. Luckily for CitR we managed to have a lengthy chat with the lead singer, Jan Scott Wilkinson (aka Yan) about everything BSP.
Adam: From what I’ve seen of your past gigs, you usually do gigs in unusual destinations, well you’ve been on mull, is there any reason behind this or is it just coincidence? Do you like playing in smaller venues?
Yan: it’s the closest we can get to fitting in a holiday, mostly…
Josh: Which places do you find you get the best reactions?
Yan: Well I don’t know, it’s load of fun playing in Ireland, they go mental. It’s usually…Mondays not so good, Thursday, Friday, Saturdays are good, those kind of people go mad for it.
Adam: So it’s more days of the week than where you are?
Noble: Yeah, except China and Japan, they just go mad for it every night.
Yan: Yeah we’re supporting the Manics for the next few weeks, in England, start in Glasgow so just thought we’d put on a bit of a jaunt when we start really. Played Inverness the other night.
 
Adam: Ironworks was it?
Yan: Yeah, I think they liked it, they looked a bit confused, it was a Monday so…
 
Josh: How did you go about recording your new album? I saw that you’ve just finished mastering.
Yan: Yeah we’ve just completely finished it, just over a week ago now.
 
Noble: We didn’t really want to go to a studio, so we bought a load of gear and rented a farmhouse, and just recorded it ourselves.
Yan: We went for time over technology. It was a bit DIY really, we learnt a lot, did our own recording, kept the professionals away.
Adam: So you’ve learnt new skills I imagine?
Yan: Yeah I mean it wasn’t a brand new thing, we’ve done a lot of it before, started it with B-sides and stuff, then we did a few tracks on the last album, thought we might as well just do it all you know.
 
Adam: You did a B-side to your single Remember Me that was a cover of I Am A Cider Drinker by The Wurzels, why The Wurzels?
 
Yan: It was the first record I ever got.
 
Adam: Yeah I know you released 1966 of them as well to correspond with the date they founded.
Yan: Yeah he’s a good lad, we know them from doing that. We did a gig with them to tie up doing that, they came in, gave us all flagons of cider, and then challenged us to a tug of war in the car park! Which they won, which was a bit embarrassing.
Adam: They must be getting on a little bit as well…
Yan: Yeah but they had the weight advantage…
Josh: What were the reasons behind recording the soundtrack album? From an outsiders point of view it seems a bit strange, after having your biggest commercial success to then do an entirely instrumental album?
Yan: Well we got asked by the Edinburgh film festival to do something and that kind of just happened. Then we just thought that we’d put a lot of work in to it, and it would be a shame not to see it released. It was a one-off event that spiraled out of control, it was the first thing we ever did in the farmhouse as well.
Josh: Do you feel like you’ve learned much from that to take to the new album?
Yan: Yeah with both being recorded in the farmhouse we got to try out all the new gear, much of which we used for the new record, same with recording techniques. With the soundtrack, we recorded it and liked it, then kept being offered to play it at more and more places, playing gigs we wouldn’t normally expect to, like at film festivals in Europe. It’s got it’s own life I guess. It’s a lot more relaxing than playing a rock-type gig, you sit down for it and don’t even have to look at anyone, I just play the cello mostly.
Adam: So after ten years do you still enjoy touring?
Yan: Yeah personally I still do, it’s been a while since we last did, so I feel like I’ve forgotten a lot of elements. We took a bit longer than most people thought we were going to take.
Adam: Did you know you were going to take such a long period of time?
Yan: Nah I thought it would be easy! But you put a load of lads in a farmhouse and leave them to their own devices…
Josh: Any big parties?
Yan: It wasn’t really like that… it was only me that lived there, everyone else was back in Brighton. It was fucking quietest year and a half I’ve had in my life.
Josh: So I take it that the Zeus EP was recorded there as well?
Yan: Yeah, it was songs that we liked, but didn’t quite fit into what we wanted for the album, ended up being about forty five minutes of them! More a maxi-EP than a mini-album, there’s no real common feel through them, but they didn’t really fit on the album.
Josh: So none of them will feature on the album?
Yan: Just one, one of them that my brother sings, that everyone loved so much.
Josh: I gave the titled track of the EP as listen, in parts it’s slightly heavier than some of your previous work.
Yan: It’s a funny bunch of songs, none of them really sound alike. It wasn’t meant to be like a single, just a freebie.
Adam: What’s your link as a band with Canvey Island?
Yan: Similar to when we did the soundtrack, and ends up getting it’s own life. I wrote a song about a story I’d heard about Canvey Island and the floods, then we ended up getting the football shirts and doing a gig on the pitch! The football team ended up using it as their going on track. I like this band called Dr Feelgood, there’s been a good documentary about them recently, their guitarist came and joined us for the gig on Canvey Island, and had a game of football, they slaughter was, but we were a bit drunk… and they were professional athletes…
Adam: A number of bands have moved to Brighton recently, including yourselves, any reasons behind that?
Yan: I don’t think there’s many people from Brighton who live there! I’ve never really fancied London, it’s a bit big and a bit gritty and I don’t want to get stabbed. Brighton is like a small version, but you get all kinds of people there, every other person you meet is a musician, and they are all in about ten bands. I like the sea as well.
Josh: There’s some quite obscure references in some of your songs, where do they come from?
Yan: We just collect them, a bit like magpies I guess. I like songs that include the wider world in them, rather than just writing about how you are feeling, and how you are getting on with your girlfriend.
Josh: Is the new album in a similar sort of vein?
Yan: I can’t think of any history that is in there, it’s probably a bit more surrealist sci-fi. You know, your mind is your limit, in the cottage I had three weeks where I didn’t see a human being.
Josh: Were the songs all written out at the farmhouse, or just recorded there?
Yan: Nope, they were all written there, we just decided to experiment and see what happened really.
Josh: Are there any songs in particular that you really enjoy playing live?
Yan: Most of the unusual ones, there’s some we just don’t play ‘cus the sounds are too complex to do. The rock and roll ones, Spirit of St Louis, a few others like that. Atom is good as well, the higher energy tracks.
Josh: So what sort of music have you been listening to at the moment?
Yan: Lots of Serge Gainsbourg, got everything he ever did, takes about ten hours to listen to it. I’m not really that fussed with keeping up with new music, it’s too hard really, there’s always new stuff coming out.
Adam: Any new bands that you would recommend?
Yan: Umm… there’s a band called Esben & the Witch, from Brighton who are quite good, I’m friends with the singer. I’m always surprised when you have a friend and their band actually turns out to be good.
Josh: So can we expect a single from the album soon?
Yan: I think there’s going to be a single the same day the album comes out, around the start of January.
Crack in the Road: Thanks very much guys, we’ll look forward to the album!

Interview: British Sea Power

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One of the co-headline tours of the year saw fellow Scots Errors and The Twilight Sad take to the road together, in what would prove to be an energetic and epic partnership. Both bands having recently released their sophomore records, they were more than eager to showcase their new tracks. Putting in electrifying performances of the highest standards, they showed just why the Scottish scene is regarded by many as the strongest in the UK. Shortly before their set, Crack in the Road caught up with Simon from Errors to find out how the tour was going.
CitR: You make your own music and you also remix other peoples music, which is it you prefer to do?
Well they’re both pretty different from each other and I get pleasure out of doing both of them. Making our own music can be more emotional because there is a bunch of us working, Simon in particularly can get really passionate about something and he can come along and say it’s shit and then we’ll argue about that. With the remix thing there is less pressure because it’s not your music, obviously you want to put your own stamp on it but there is not as much pressure if you release that as your own music.
CitR: How do you go about remixing other music, do you hear a song that you would like to remix or do you get offered?
It’s a bit of both really, a lot of the remixes we have done have been friends bands of ours or bands we have met on tour, we kind of split it now as Simon or I do it but it depends on who has got in touch and he knows those guys (The Twilight Sad) more than I do but he had quite a tight schedule with it, I think he had like about a week and I think it sounded pretty good as well, we’re hoping to do that live actually on tour.
CitR: So which places have you found to be most enjoyable and where do you get a better reaction?
Glasgow and London are the two main ones, Edinburgh has never really happened for us before, it’s really close to Glasgow but people never really used to go out to see music
CitR: It not really got the same live music vibe as Glasgow anyway…
People generally come through from Glasgow to see us, they are more willing to travel…
CitR: What about the rest of Europe?
We seem to have more of a reaction in France, it think our style really works there, as they have quite a long history of electronic music definitely so I guess that’s makes it a wee bit more sympathetic to what we are doing, plus there is a huge Mogwai following there so we traveled around Europe with Mogwai and that really helped with people coming to our shows as 9 times out of 10 people had been to the Mogwai show and saw us. Germany is still to happen really, we did a tour there but there was a lot of problems with press and we didn’t really happen there which was a bit of a shiter but I think Germany should be alright as the German sounds is kinda like what we do. I think with the last album we branched out a wee bit more.
CitR: Do you think you learned a lot from them (Mogwai) from the beginning?
Yeah, I think they taught us a lot and they took us away on tour and stuff and we learned quite quickly how to act and when you’re being a nuisance and stuff like that, and they’re really friendly guys, they’re basically our mates so it was quite easy going.
CitR: You supported underworld a while back, what was that like?
Well it taught us a lot, it was our first proper tour with a band and they are a pretty fucking huge band, some of the venues we were playing at were just insane like academies and they all sold out so that was a bit of a shock, we were pretty young, like 4 or 5 years ago now. We learnt a lot about what you’re supposed to do as a support band but I don’t really know if it did anything for us because their fans are different from ours, we didn’t really get a very good reception most nights, we didn’t really sell very much merchandise.
CitR: Maybe it was a different frame of mind you have to be in…
Totally like, no offence to their audience but the people who really like them are sort of maybe now in their 30s and some of them aren’t really interested in getting into new music, they like the Trainspotting soundtrack and they maybe liked taking eccies or they used to…
CitR: I don’t think many of them would be in the right frame of mind at all…
Yeah but it was fun, it was good to be out and playing in different places.
CitR: Apart from the remix you might be playing on tour is there anything else you have got lined up for the rest of the dates?
There is a couple of songs we haven’t played that were doing on this tour but there is no brand new tracks, we’re kinda working on that. Our new album is out next year and we have got the remix album coming out this tour, it’s basically a remix of some of the tracks we have done and its available for the first time here.
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Interview: Errors

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After posting a comprehensive overview and asking all to pledge towards their new album, I decided the time was right to review this highly anticipated album by I Like Trains. The release date of the album, He Who Saw the Deep, was the 25th October, and it is quite clear that the band have taken a new approach to their sound. The vocals in this new are more prominent than ever before and the music is somewhat more subdued, rather than the epic instrumentals that appear in the likes of Terra Nova from previous releases. The album as a whole shows off a new dimension to the band which emphasises subtle but nevertheless complex sounds that penetrate deeper than their music had ever done before. Nevertheless there are instances in the new album which uses both styles to great effect, the most impressive being Sea of Regrets which introduces the song similar to the others before on the album, quiet and subdued but then delivers the epic instrumentals half way through that permeate to the end of the track.
I have always been a great fan of I Like Trains, both the music itself and how they as a band are influenced and this album certainly is a step in the right direction as far as I’m concerned, it is more accessible to a wider audience than their previous work but didn’t have to sacrifice any of the soul of the music to achieve this. The bands love for all things historic is showcased fantastically throughout He Who Saw the Deep and the entire album has surpassed my expectation completely, with stand out tracks being A Father’s Son and Sea of Regrets.
<a href="www.iliketrains.co.uk">I Like Trains Official Site</a>
<a href="www.myspace.com/iliketrains">I Like Trains Myspace</a>

Review: I Like Trains – He Who Saw The Deep

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Whiskas, co-founder of the highly influential record label Dance to the Radio, has embarked on a new solo project called Honour Before Glory after his previous band, ¡Forward, Russia!, was put on hiatus. Honour Before Glory from the outset is an entirely new album, and will no doubt draw in new fans for Whiskas and his music. Listening to songs such as Lions I can’t help but draw a comparison to the instrumentals involved in the new I Like Trains album which is, of course, a big positive and adds a great dimension to the music as a whole. It appears that Honour Before Glory will not be performing many gigs in the near future so if he comes to your area, it will no doubt be a must-see show and tickets will go quickly.
Whiskas himself was kind enough to answer a few questions for Crack in the Road about this new project:
CitR: Dance to the Radio is a highly influential record label, or at least has been for me who first experienced real independent music after buying What We All Want, and from then on i decided to get into music properly… how did this concept come about and who were the first artists you worked with and what or who is your greatest success story from the label?
That’s very nice to hear that it influenced you so much. I think we just did what we did, with an attitude that anyone could do it and get involved in making stuff happen. I don’t know how that concept happened – I mean it was influenced by so much stuff out of punk and post-punk – Mute, Beggars, Rough Trade and America with SST, Touch & Go and more. But more about how the bands and scenes inspired each other and made stuff happen as opposed to starting a label, it was the end result, the label was just a way to make it happen. I’ve talked a lot about the start of the label, but with the compilations it was just a desire to get out music by a wide range of different bands, and to get them heard the most, it wasn’t about restricting the music to people who paid – we were pretty liberal with getting the music to people and not waiting for people to stumble upon it. Anyway, I could write pages on this, and that’s a snap shot at least
When we first started the label, we did the first compilation (Dance To The Radio: Leeds) and alongside that worked with ¡Forward Russia! This Et Al, iLiKETRAiNS, The Lodger and Napoleon IIIrd. That was the plan. Then the label moved on and we mainly focused on 2/3 bands at a time. I guess the greatest success story has to be The Pigeon Detectives, doing what they’ve done, nearly all on their own terms. I hope they manage to take the next step as well
CitR: How did this new solo project, Honour Before Glory, come about and who was involved in creating it?
Honour Before Glory is really just me, and so has always existed, though I needed some songs. It came to life after too much talking, or rather thinking from me, inspired by the guys from Duels and a few other confidantes. I’d been messing about with songs and ideas since FR were in Seattle, but it took a long time to find the right direction and I guess build the confidence. Eventually I managed to get a whole chunk of studio time, and muddled my way into learning how to get the songs sounding how they did in my head.
CitR: How would you describe your music in three words to entice potential fans into listening?
dreamy, intriguing, broken
CitR: Are there any plans on expanding the amount of gigs you do or are there strict time restrictions?
Not really much plan on expanding the amount of gigs, not from what we’re doing this autumn really. It’s not just to do with time restrictions. I hope that from the new year we will be releasing music, unveiling new music, and so will play a handful of dates to coincide – so things will become a bit more focussed
CitR: Are there any plans for Forward Russia! In the future, or is Honour Before Glory seen as a long term prospect for you?
There are no plans for FR in the future, other than the door being open. I think it would be hard with Katie in Nottingham, and maybe by then we’ll all have moved on too much. I think everything has moved on, so I don’t know where FR would fit in to the world in general, let alone our 4 worlds. I’m sure it would be a different beast… re: Honour Before Glory, it’s not about it being a long term prospect, it’s me first and foremost, so I think it will always exist as a thing for me to do. I hope I can keep making different music through it…
CitR: Can you let out any details about your release in January, what are people to expect from it?
No details as yet, I’m just trying to work things out, and see if anyone else wants to get involved to be honest. The important thing for me has been to write and record the songs, which is a different way of doing things, as only know am I really trying to work out how to get it out in to the world. As much as I love to just put it out there, I think there’s a way of doing things to give yourself a grounding, which is what I’m going to try and do next year I guess. Plus it doesn’t all fit together just quite yet, there are a few missing pieces to the jigsaw
Anyway, the release will be a single, something that people have already heard I think, and I’m just trying to find a way to make it all inclusive, so people feel like they’re buying into the song and Honour Before Glory, instead of buying a digital imprint or a slab of vinyl. And then when I’ve worked that out, I need to find a way to communicate it properly. Nothing’s ever simple
CitR: What artists or bands would you say have influenced the music you make in Honour Before Glory the most?
As with when people asked us about Forward Russia, I’m more influenced by people’s attitudes towards making music more than the music themselves – I think it maybe manifests itself more clearly musically in some than in others. With Honour Before Glory, it’s all about seeing ideas through, outside of 4 guys with guitars, and so mainly what one guy can do. So to give you a list it’s things like: M83, TV On The Radio, Wilco, My Bloody Valentine, Beirut, LCD Soundsystem, Magnolia Electric Co, Portishead, Wolf Parade, Get Well Soon, Stars, The Wrens – as well as a lot of my friends and contemporaries (This Et Al, Duels, I LIke Trains)
CitR: What is the best band or artist you have supported and been supported by in the past?
Hmm, that’s tricky. It’s hard to look past Cursive in terms of bands we’ve been supported by as they’re one of the greatest bands in the world. Two tours I always remember fondly in terms of musical excellence and comradery is the tour just after our album came out with Youthmovies and The Scare – who’d never met before and ended the tour as firm friends – and also touring America with Snowden who are an amazing band – I await new material from them with baited breath.
In terms of bands we have supported, that’s a toughy. We had many enjoyable jaunt with Editors & Biffy Clyro – one in particular with the former with The National was quite special and the biggest venues we’d played.
CitR: If you could have any superpower what would it be and why?
Resilience so I could cope with life
CitR: What is your most embarrassing moment on stage?
I don’t know about embarrassing, but I always remember a gig in Madrid where our guitar tech trip over the power to my side of the stage, unplugging it all. When he plugged it back, it was unearthed so I spent a couple of songs getting electric shocks every 10 seconds for a couple of songs until the problem was sorted. More annoying than embarrassing I guess
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/honourbeforeglory">Check out Honour Before Glory’s Myspace</a>
<a href="https://www.honourbeforeglory.com/">Check out his Official Site</a>
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Interview: Honour Before Glory

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 After 4 heats of highly contested performances, 8 of the best were voted through to the final of Dundee’s Battle of the Band competition by both their peers and a panel of judges. The final takes place tomorrow, Sunday 10th October, and will showcase the wide variety and vast talent of Dundee’s aspiring bands. Kings and Cowards, Silent Nothing, Seams, Masonic Abyss, We Follow Signs, The Bang, Spectral Cat and Manifesto all made it through after some outstanding performances and they all are dying to prove to the audience why they deserve to come out as victorious tomorrow night. It is essential you all come down early, as Dexter’s will no doubt to full as the first band hits the stage. The links below are the Myspace or Facebook page of the bands that made it through so have a listen and show your support for your favourite tomorrow night! Yours truely is one of the people lucky enough to be chosen to judge who is the worthy winner of this competition.
Doors open at Dexter’s at 5.30 for a 6 o’clock start, so get down early!
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Seams/141176365923631">Seams</a>
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/thebanguk">The Bang</a>
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/kingsandcowards">Kings and Cowards</a>
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/silentnothing1">Silent Nothing</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/masonicabyss">Masonic Abyss</a>
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/wefollowsigns">We Follow Signs</a>
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/spectralcat1">Spectral Cat</a>
Manifesto… I am sorry to all the people involved with this band, i cannot for the life of me find any link, get in touch with Dexters who will contact me and i will edit the page if you have a link to your music!

Battle of the Bands, Dundee – Dexters

Interview: Ellen and the Escapades

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Searching ‘Eliza Doolittle’ into a search engine and you are overcome with articles on sites each mentioning a certain Lily Allen, comparing styles, album artwork and almost everything else music orientated. The difference between Eliza’s début self titled album, Eliza Doolittle, and anything Lily has created are even greater than the numbers of pages dedicated to their ‘similarities’. Eliza’s singing is quite possibly the most natural and pure vocalist of any current female singer-songwriter, lyrics flow out of this girl which almost resembles a stream of consciousness narrative, sung almost without the need of thought. The only comparison, if one could even be made, of someone with which singing sounds so instinctive and ‘right’ is that of Paolo Nutini, who can also achieve a vocal effect this memorable.
Eliza is the daughter of stage director John Caird and former Eurovision song contestant and actress Frances Ruffelle, so performing for her appears to be as natural as her vocals. However her career has taken its own path, focussing her music on personal experiences such as, as opposed to the more mainstream and agreeable feelings of love and commitment that are released to the world on a daily basis from other artists. Her album, Eliza Doolittle, is proof that personal feelings and events are the cornerstone of her music. Each song is entirely different from not only the other songs on the album, but also that of Eliza’s counterparts. She experiments with styles and instruments throughout the album, from the soul elements of Pack Up to the summery, acoustic Mr. Medicine which gives the album a very well-rounded feel which leaves the listeners guessing what is coming next. It is very apparent Eliza is very opinionated and is someone who advocates being an individual, with no better example than in Nobody, “The whole world is tryin’ to be somebody/ Kickin’ themselves ’bout what could’ve been”. The lyrics in this song are so soft and personal, it is almost like she is conversing with the listener with help from her colloquial language.
The album has hit number 3 in the UK chart at its peak, a great achievement in a chart already saturated with female artists and there is no reason why any future release can’t hit number one, as her commitment surpasses that of most and her talent is considerably greater than her counterparts, both male and female. A must buy for anyone who wants a quirky pop album infused with other genres and styles, creating an individuality that she yearns to teach others about.
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/elizadoolittle">Check Her Myspace Here</a>
<a href="https://www.elizadoolittle.com/">Official Site</a>
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Review: Eliza Doolittle

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 Weather Barn are a newly-formed Scottish four-piece indie band consisting of two ex-Cast of the Capital members, Steve and Matthew Morris with new guitarist Daryl Rankin and drummer Iain Dallas. The band have wasted no time in organising gigs throughout Scotland as well as the release of their first single, Park Hands, on the 18th September. This band reshuffling has, in the bands own words has allowed them to be ‘well on the way to fulfilling our potential’, this shows a more serious and ambitious side to the group which had already proven to be tenacious and hard-working. All of these attributes can only lead to success and after hearing the first single, they have the musical talent to back up their personal strengths.
The title song, Park Hands, juxtaposes aspects of rock and country to create a song that will one second cause you to tap your foot gently to the soft, comforting sounds then out of nowhere comes a heavier guitar melody and vocals which forces you to use your knees as a drum-kit and chant ‘there are monsters in this world, don’t be letting them scare you’. Park Hands is the most addictive and catchy song I have heard this year, with all aspects of the song coming together to create something that will appeal to all musical palettes.
The other two songs on this CD are equally as impressive, but nevertheless entirely different. Cinnamon Hill is substantially more rock orientated, with a chorus that will repeat in your head long after the song concludes. The last song, Each Side of Satan, emphasises the bands interest in American bands such as Band of Horses and Death Cab for Cutie with very relaxed and colloquial style which contrasts perfectly with the other two songs.
Overall, Park Hands is a début that deserves the recognition this band yearn to achieve, and with enough support and promotion Weather Barn have the ability, the drive and the passion that is required to permeate the UK market.
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/weatherbarn">Check out their Myspace!</a>
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Review: Weather Barn – Park Hands

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An interest in historical events and musical prowess are a combination rarely explored, with bands trying to ‘make it’ so much they are willing to stray from their desired path to make their music more accessible to a wider audience. I Like Trains on the other hand relish the prospect of reading about, and then writing songs on, well-known or obscure historical events; such as the life of Spencer Perceval, Britain’s only assassinated Prime Minister, with the A-side to the single being an account of the assassination by the murderer himself, John Bellingham, and the consequences he faced. Repetition of ‘You were the rope around my neck‘ in the background indicates his death by hanging but the fact that this is in the background suggests a negative attitude, and rightly so, of this man. The music in this song is typical ILT, with noise levels unmatched by most hitting peaks and troughs and concluding in an epic instrumental. The B-side to this incredible single is a plea from Perceval himself asking the murderer why he shot him, after he ‘kept the French at bay in Portugal and Spain/ As our king went insane/ and this, this is the thanks I receive‘. This single doesn’t even scratch the surface of ILT repertoire, with every song dedicated to something purposeful, full of unique and vastly interesting examples of history that tends to be forgotten, leaving the listener with no choice but to research events further. Many bands come from intellectual backgrounds but from what I have listened to, ILT are the only band that really attempt to teach people an academic subject through the art of music.
Their début album, Elegies to Lessons Learnt, was released in October 2007, and even came with a book of essays about the events wrote about in the songs, after their first EP Progress Reform in 2006 and a new album is due for release once enough pledges are made to complete the process from fans. What is incredible are the opportunities open to fans, depending on how much they pledge; from playing the bassist Alistair at Scrabble to getting guitar lessons from the band. This shows the commitment ILT put into their music, willing to do more than any other band I know just to release music that, as far as I am concerned, needs to be put to the wide world. Listen to I Like Trains, and get pledging!
I Like Trains were good enough to answer some of CitR’s questions and here is their response:
CitR: How did you come up with the idea of releasing a book of essays with your début album?
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We printed those up for the promo copies that were going out to press.  It was so that the people reviewing the record had some idea of what we were going on about.  Some of the historical stories were reasonably well known, but most are a little obscure.  Just a little helping hand to our friends in the press!
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CitR: What prerequisites would an historical figure or event have required to achieve in order for you to write a song about it?
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It is difficult to put your finger on.  When I heard or read about a story I would know whether or not I could relate to the main characters, and if there was a song in there.  I think that under extreme circumstances, normal people are capable of extraordinary things, both positive and negative.  It’s these stories that really appealed.
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CitR: What is the best venue or best gig you have ever played?
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<div>
So many gigs, that were great for different reasons.  The one that really sticks out, is when we headlined the second stage at Off Festival in Poland.  Everything came together.  Thousands of people in a little clearing in a forest, on a big stage.  The atmosphere was electric.
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CitR: How did you come up with the name and also the unusual case format (iLiKETRAiNS)?
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We got rid of the unusual case formatting because we got tired of people asking this question!
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CitR: I understand you are waiting to release a second album, what are we to expect from it and are there any outstanding individuals or events that you are focussing on?
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Well, we have stopped looking to the past for inspiration.  This is our future album.  I have been reading books about the science of climate change, and our slow self inflicted demise dominates the record. 
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CitR:Where did your love of history and music stem from and when did you think you could combine them together in such a way?
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I’m not entirely sure.  Music has been a constant.  My older brother had a big record collection that I would pour over, and he encouraged me to start playing guitar.  History wasn’t something I studied.  I’m interested in people and stories.  I realised that these people had a much more interesting life story than I would ever have, and yet most people had never heard of them.  That spurred me on to discover more and more ‘lost’ stories to re tell.  Bring these people back to life so to speak.
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How would you describe your genre as: ‘post-rock’, ‘library rock’ or something else?
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I wouldn’t.  Genres are for journalists!
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CitR: If you could describe your band in three words to entice new fans, what would they be?
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Intelligent.  Dark.  Dynamic.
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CitR: You have used unusual and clever ideas such as a single’s B-side being the same story from a contrasting viewpoint, how did you think of such a different way of creating music and have you any new ideas for upcoming releases?
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That particular idea was pretty obvious to us.  Every story has at least two sides, and conveniently so does a pop single.  Likewise with the new album.  It seemed pretty obvious that after looking to the past for inspiration for so long, it was a logical move to start looking forwards.  The difficulty will come with the 3rd album, but I’m sure that something obvious will reveal itself in good time!
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CitR: When I bought your album, Elegies to Lessons Learnt, I researched the people and events you described, is this your intention in creating this music, to make people take a greater interest in history?
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<div>
Absolutely.  I like to think that these songs reward the listener who digs a little deeper.  The new record is a little less obvious in its themes.  I made a conscious decision to be a little more cryptic in my lyric writing so that people can make their own decisions as to what the songs are about.  Maybe one day I will reveal more.
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CitR: If you could have any superpower what would it be?
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I would like for everything I touch to turn to gold.  I can’t see how that could possibly go wrong.
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CitR: What is your most embarrassing moment on stage?
</div>
<div>
Probably when we were playing in Sheffield and for some reason I said ‘hello Southampton’.  I think that the other boys in the band were more embarrassed than I was.  It led to some good banter.  We haven’t played a great deal in Sheffield since though…
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Pledge here @ <a href="https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/iliketrains">https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/iliketrains</a>
Go to their official site @ <a href="https://www.iliketrains.co.uk/">https://www.iliketrains.co.uk/</a>
Visit their Myspace @ <a href="https://www.myspace.com/iliketrains">https://www.myspace.com/iliketrains</a>

Interview: I Like Trains

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On hearing Kate Nash‘s new album, My Best Friend is You, or at least certain segments of it, you may question what has changed in the mind of this chirpy twenty-something Londoner. Mansion Song in particular shocks certain aspects of the audience used to Foundations and Mouthwash which uses her familiarly colloquial voice to spew out lines such as “I wanna be fucked and then rolled over/ ‘Cause I’m an independent woman of the 21st Century” and “Its a cold shower and a scramble/ for a dirty pair of knickers, don’t get yours mixed up with hers”. This language shuns the mentality of some women who follow bands and are willing to do anything to get close to them, with Kate pleading for women to have some dignity and not be used by ‘famous’ men. There are still the traditional chatty and accessible lyrics and piano playing that you would let your mother listen to and, to be honest, how she managed to get such a broad fan base to begin with and why not, she got a number 1 album out of it.
This album is a lot more passionate than her debut, more gritty and real and packed with demonstrations regarding the independence and strength of women. There is a somewhat weaker and more fragile side to the album however, with examples from the song Kiss that Grrrl, which is about the insecurity a girlfriend feels when her partner gets attention from other women, perhaps more personal than her other songs, with her being in a relationship with indie star Ryan Jarman of The Cribs fame.
Overall, an exceptional portrayal of real people, their feelings, thoughts and beliefs, encapsulated by an artist unafraid to be honest, coupled with the unique style of indie pop we are all used to and love about her.
<a href="https://www.katenash.co.uk/">Kate Nash official site</a>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://video.unrulymedia.com/wildfire_11244048.js"></script>

Review: Kate Nash – My Best Friend is You

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There isn’t a lot of ‘cute’ around these days, with bands previously regarded as being optimistic and cheery determined to make ‘darker’ albums and songs. Cue Muchuu, a band from the English countryside equally as dedicated to creating a distinct genre of music that they are desperate to disperse to the masses. ‘Synth-cuteness’ is the only word I could use, albeit made up, to describe the extraordinary music they create. This sibling duo have only been around a while, but they are performing at numerous festivals this year, including Bestival on the Isle of Wight. I have been listening to their début Album, Adventure We Go, non-stop for a week now and it is impossible to tire of. The vocalist, Milky, has such a charming voice, it sometimes becomes hard to listen to the lyrics independently as you become absorbed in the whole event the song produces. George is the musical genius in the band, who has been playing piano since the age of seven, who has the great ability to make music perfectly suited for Milky’s voice.
Most of the songs on the album are very personal to the band, where Milky’s dreams come alive in the form of their songs, from the high tempo, upbeat Songs in my Room to the slightly slower but still wonderful Dancing with a Ghost. There is no song in the album that anyone would choose to skip, each song is so different and special that it is impossible to pick out any song that stands out above the rest.
Overall, Adventure We Go is a magical album full of songs that will brighten anybody’s day and question why there are not more ‘cute’ bands about, its cheesy but we like it!
Muchuu were good enough to answer a few of our questions:
CitR: Being brought up in the English countryside, was creating music a way of relieving boredom to begin with or have you always had a passion for making music?
George: I’ve always had a passion for music. I started playing piano when I was 7, and never stopped playing. But the first Muchuu songs were birthed from times of boredom, this is very true. It’s boredom that was the spark to the Muchuu fire. Let boredom be your spark, as I always say. Actually i’ve never even said that before until right now.
Milky: Yeah, for me it was just something fun to do during boring times, just messing around to start with, then we took it a bit more seriously…but never too serious! We’ve only been writing songs on and off for a couple of years and I’ve only be singing properly for about a year. I was very self-conscious to start with, George had to leave the room whilst I was singing on the demos! I don’t play an instrument either, so it’s all a bit random really. I always secretly wanted to be in a band though, a band like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs or a singer like Siouxsie Sioux, but I’ll never be that cool!
CitR: To Milky: Where did your love of Japanese culture come from?
‘m not sure! I think it started when I was like 16 and I bought a book called ‘Fruits’ which is pictures of Tokyo street fashion and I just spent hours looking at the pictures and thinking everyone looked so awesome and different. Then I think I saw a few Studio Ghibli films and fell in love with the whole crazy animation thing and it went from there really! It seems they have a slight obsession with ‘cute’ like I do too. I haven’t actually been though! I’ll give my true opinion once I’ve visited!
CitR: It appears you are a very experimental band, does this come from being naturally curious or was it a way of establishing your knowledge on music?
George: I think we stick with a ‘why not’ mentality. Sometimes it works, sometimes it’s bad – but to conform would be boring!
Milky: Experimenting is just fun really!
CitR: You obviously write your songs on a very personal level with most of your songs being inspired by dreams, do you take your song writing seriously or is it still ‘fun’ or both perhaps?
George: If writing music ever becomes un-fun then I will most definitely stop doing it – but I doubt that will ever happen. Its always fun. We were created to create, and I can understand that when we start to write music.
CitR: Would you like to be considered as more than a ‘cute’ band, or are you happy with the label put on you?
Milky: It could be worse! This world needs a bit of cute right now I think. Although a lot of my actual lyrics aren’t that cute, I think that description comes more from the sounds we use and maybe my voice. I like to think our songs are magical!
George: I’d rather ‘cute’ than a lot of other labels! But the more songs we write, I think the less cute we become. We’re like cheese in terms of the more time goes by, the more mature we become. Beside Milky’s lyrics are actually quite dark when you actually stop and look at them.
CitR: I saw a comment about you being ‘Enya meets the Ting Tings’, would you take this comparison in a positive or a negative light?
George: Its the most confusing comparison ever. I would probably just ignore it.
Milky: Although I did used to listen to Enya when I was little, classic.
CitR: You are playing at the likes of Bestival this year, are you looking forward to the opportunity to broadcast your songs to a wide audience?
George: Definitely. Gigs, especially festivals, are always unpredictable so you never know what it will end up being like – but as long as we reach a few more people with our music and they enjoy it, its all good.
CitR: What is your favourite gig you have performed at?
George: My brain is like a sieve so I can’t remember a lot of them… My favourite gig would probably be a gig we played at in Southampton a few months ago, ‘cos when the last band played they had most of the audience on stage with them, including us. It was like some sort of West End musical finale, only with heavy electro dance music. Epic. We made some good friends at that gig.
Milky: My brain is sieving right now too…I like outdoor gigs when you’ve got a nice bit of breeze and you can see the sky! Haven’t done many of those, but I like them. And what George said – I agree. Fly Frankie Fly. Oh we got to go to Norway! Bit of travelling for a gig’s always nice!
CitR: Who are the best band you have either supported or been supported by?
Milky: We played a BBC Introducing gig with Florence and the Machine and Temper Trap. Didn’t actually meet them but it was pretty exciting and the gig was really intimate.
George: Arp Attack are awesome. And I still remember them, which, with my memory is a very good thing.
CitR: What is your most embarrassing moment on stage?
George: I don’t really get embarrassed. Milky does.
Milky: Yes, I get a little embarrassed at every gig because I’m still not that confident! But the only real cringey moment was at our first ever gig when I kicked a big fake squirrel head into the audience as a strange finale, but it smacked a girl in the face. Now I just throw glitter! It’s much safer.
CitR: If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Milky: I know it’s really obvious and a bit of a boring answer but every single day I think ‘I wish I could fly!!’ I really do think flying would be the most fun super power. I’d also like to speak Japanese, not really a super power, but would be cool if I could just learn in a split second!
George: I always loved ‘Bernard’s Watch’, that kids TV show where he could stop time. I would probably have the power to stop time. But time wouldn’t stop for me obviously, otherwise that would be pointless. The universe would just stop forever. Boring times.
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/muchuumusic">Check out Muchuu’s Myspace</a>
<a href="https://muchuumusic.com/">Muchuu’s official site</a>

Interview: Muchuu

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After their brilliant support set at The Doghouse in Dundee I had to meet the band that managed to get the venue so lively even before the headline act. tinylittlerobots have established themselves as a very promising young Scottish band, with a list of acts who they’ve supported equally as impressive as their on-stage performances. Their songs remain with the listener long after its over, with lyrics that you can’t help but repeat continuously. I arranged to meet this new band a few days after this memorable performance and asked them a few questions about how they began and what to expect of them in the future:
CitR: Which artists or bands would you describe as influencing your sound the most?
Initially we liked The View’s first album, Hats off to the Buskers, but also we were starting around the time Arctic Monkeys took off so they had a big effect on us too. As we got older though we have taken influences from heavier bands such as Twin Atlantic and The Xcerts. Craig also likes bands such as One Night Only and General Fiasco who are more cheesy than the rest of our tastes. Woods enjoys the drumming aspects in bands such as Paramore and Alexisonfire. Dan also likes Biffy Clyro’s older stuff. None of us were ever given any professional tuition so these bands are the people who taught us by us watching them. 
CitR: I saw you guys perform the other night supporting The Xcerts, how did you manage to support them and also the other large bands that you have supported in the past?
Well we have met Murray (Xcerts) dad which did help but on the whole we bug bands continuously until they eventually give us a slot, which is what a band like us ought to do at this stage in our career.
CitR: Where do you see yourself in the future? Do you expect to move to gain a higher reputation or are you happy living where you currently do?
We may perhaps move in time but for the time being we are happy, we have free practice sessions locally and a growing local fan base which we find exciting, plus nowadays the UK is so small that there may be no need to move any time soon.
CitR: How did you guys start the band?
At school everyone started learning the guitar at the same time, so we formed a band full of around 9 guitar players! James, Dan and Craig then left this and James, being the only one who worked and could afford it, bought a bass. Initially we did covers of The View and a B side of The Fratellis and then we managed to write our own songs. Our first ever gig was at the Arctic Bar in Dundee which was amazing!
CitR: Have you any releases coming out soon?
We hope to record an EP soon and maybe get it released before Christmas time, but we only want to make limited copies as we would rather sell a small number than not sell a larger quantity.
CitR: Which other bands have you supported other than The Xcerts?
We have supported a whole host of bands throughout the UK including: One Night Only, General Fiasco, Underground Heroes, The Holloways, The Law, Red Light Company and Sargeant, so quite a few good bands!
CitR: If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Woods: A mixture between Wolverine and Spiderman.
James: George Foreman grill hands with ability to cook perfectly.
Dan: Both to fly and have magical powers.
Criag: The ability to turn anything into food.
CitR: What is your most embarrassing moment on stage?
James: I was drunk once and after a poor set I slammed my bass down only to realise we hadn’t played our final song yet.
Craig: When I was much younger during our first song I snapped my guitar string, stormed off stage and cried!
 
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/tinylittlerobotsonline">Check out their Myspace here!</a>

Interview: tinylittlerobots.

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The Xcerts are certainly making a name for themselves both in Scotland and the rest of Britain. Managing to escape the jinx affecting many Scottish bands outside of Glasgow, they took a risky move to Brighton in 2006 which evidently paid off. Their first album, In The Cold Wind We Smile, was hailed by magazines such as Q! and Kerrang and is, overall, an exceptional début. On returning from America after recording their second album with Mike Sapone of Taking Back Sunday and Public Enemy fame. This new producer has appeared to spark new life into the band who claim that this new album is deeper, darker and almost even sounds like a new band due to his influence. This promise of a new sound has gathered massive intrigue form their fans, myself included, who are unsure what exactly to expect, but no doubt it will keep its current fanbase and hopefully expand further as news spreads. Their tours with the likes of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly and Fightstar have also helped build up a more than respectable following, but The Xcerts have ambition well beyond this and I am sure they will expect this new album to be a real launchpad to greater things both in this country and abroad.
Coming from Aberdeen, well two of them at least, they are one of only a few adventurous bands willing to travel above Glasgow to perform gigs, playing at The Doghouse in Dundee, last week where I managed to meet the band before they went on and saw them perform an exceptional set supported by two great acts, of which Tiny Little Robots stood out above the rest, a group of four local lads playing original tracks to a almost full crowd and were the perfect warm up for The Xcerts. Playing a lengthy and almost unstoppable set, The Xcerts played a large chunk of their first album which was sang back with equal vigour by the crowd as well as extracts from their new album, to make for a perfectly rounded and great set. This was my first encounter of The Xcerts live and I now know why they have constantly prided themselves on their live acts.
Before the gig, I met up with the band and had an hour long chat with them about everything and anything of which extracts are available below:
CitR: I have spoken to another band from Aberdeen who stated the difficulty of ‘making it’ if you’re from outside of Glasgow, did you have the same problem or was it an easier ride for you?
We understood that it would be difficult coming from Aberdeen and that is why we moved to Brighton because as far as the industry is concerned, Glasgow is the most north people generally look for musical talent. It isn’t Aberdeen’s fault as there is a thriving music scene up there, its just how the industry works.
CitR: You’re embarking on a tour with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly and from what I have read, Sam Duckworth has been a good help in your development as a band with regards to opportunities to perform. Would you agree with this?
Well firstly, he put out two of our 7” on his own label which was a great help and took us on tour which was very important for us as it got the likes of Zane Lowe excited about us. He is a great guy and helped us massively.
CitR: On your Myspace under influences and ‘sounds like’ sections your responses are Shutter Island and ‘a pissed off Scotland’, are these inside jokes or is there a deeper meaning behind it, such as taking influences from films?
Yeah we do take influences from movies but we watched Shutter Island when we were recording our new album in America and it was out before it was here so we were really just showing off that we’d seen it. Also it looked different, but we used to change it weekly but we just have not had time to change it lately.
CitR: I read on your site that you recorded your new album with Mike Sapone who has worked with some great bands. Do you see this as proof of your success as a band to be working with someone held in such high esteem?
It is incidental that we worked with him after he worked with these other bands, although we understand how it may look that way. But he was the guy we wanted to work with ourselves and it was incidental too that we are the first British band he has worked with.
CitR: What are we to expect from your second album, especially after such positive feedback I read about your first album and what I listened too myself?
The second album is more of a rock record, and is the typical darker second album. We were out of our comfort zone recording as it was all done abroad which means the album makes us sound like a different band almost.
CitR: Do you enjoy touring and living on the road or do you find it a necessary evil?
You have to enjoy it but sometimes you can feel homesick, but overall it is a way of life so you have to deal with it. Its almost like perpetual student-hood but its still just like any other job. 
CitR: Who is the best band/artist you have supported or been supported by?
Idlewild, there are only a few bands with their amount of success that remain as humble as them and are willing to help others and those guy have taught us a lot about how to act on and off stage. They are also from the same neck of the woods which is great too. Also there is a band called Straight Lines that supported us who are fantastic and good guys too, they’re well worth listening too.
CitR: How did you come up with the name The Xcerts?
The name itself is nothing really important, it just means an excerpt from a film or something, but the spelling is a mistake by the promoter of our first proper gig as it was The X-erts before, and we have also been called The X-certs too which is wrong as well.
CitR: What is your favourite gig of all time?
Hometown shows are always special especially if you have not been back in a while, also Christmas shows are always good. 
CitR: What is your most embarrassing moment on stage?
Falls are typical, but as exuberant teenagers we used to move around too much in excitement which led to a few incidents such as out bass being stuck in camouflage netting put above the stage and when the bass hit Murray (guitarist, lead singer) in the back of the neck and I (Jordan, Bassist) thought he was dead, but we carried on playing! Also my (Murray) trousers ripped at the crotch when I was on the barrier and it was kinda in the face of a girl.
CitR: If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Murray: Invisibility, I could get a flight anywhere and see new things, and also for obvious reasons like seeing girls…actually, I would have no time to travel the world with all of that sort of thing to do!
Jordan: I would like to control the weather, I know its not a grand superpower and there is limited scope but I would just like to stop the weather for a while at sundown when everything is so peaceful and you’re sitting outside and drinking a coffee or something.
Tom: I am stuck between a Bernard’s watch type thing of stopping time so I can learn so many new things or be like the comic hero The Preacher who has the power of ‘the word’ which means whatever he says you have to do, that means I could cancel out Jordan’s wishes of having a relaxing evening at sundown! 
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/thexcerts">Check out their Myspace here</a>
<a href="https://www.thexcertsband.com/">Their official website is here</a>

Interview: The Xcerts

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 After touring with Vampire Weekend, Cloud Control are embarking on their own tour in the UK, playing a few venues in London and Cambridge before heading back to their native Australia. On first listening Cloud Control sounds remarkably similar to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, which in itself is an achievement, but listening further their music stand completely alone. With upbeat melodies and lyrics their gigs in the UK are a rare treat and are definitely worth going to see for yourself why they are dubbed ‘Australia’s next big thing’.
 Tomorrow night they are playing The Luminaire in Kilburn, London, at 9.00pm with tickets cost £10 with support from King Charles who are due on at 8.15pm.
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/cloudcontrol">Check out their Myspace</a>

Gig Tip: Cloud Control

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After the success of their début album, Little Death, Pete and the Pirates are on the verge of releasing a highly anticipated second album and, thus, have spent a large portion of their year in a recording studio. There is no doubt all this time and effort will pay dividends in the end if it reaches the same standard as their first, which included singles Come on Feet and Mr. Understanding. In this new album all fans of theirs will hope for equally imaginative and emotive lyrics which suggested perhaps verging on semi-autobiographical with lines such as ‘I keep trying to forget she doesn’t belong to me’.
The band also have also headlined such venues as Club NME and supported acts including Maximo Park and Vampire Weekend in the past and they will hope this upcoming album will put themselves in the forefront of indie music in Britain once again after months in the recording studio. They are, however, still playing in several festivals throughout Europe this summer at Camp Bestival in East Lulworth and the Outside Inside Festival at their home town of Reading, which will prove to be a must-see for any Pirates fan. I have personally seen them live at Rockness in 2008 and they were certainly one of my highlights of the weekend and I could only wish to be able to see them play back in their home town. So if you’re going to any of the aforementioned festivals this year then I would implore you to try and see Pete and the Pirates, they will brighten your day, even if the weather doesn’t.
CitR were lucky enough to ask the singer, Tommy Sanders, a few questions despite their recent hectic schedule:
CitR: How did you come up with the name Pete and the Pirates, and do some band members not mind having their names in the bands title?
There wasn’t a great deal of thought that went into the name, i think the whole point is that a name is very unimportant. No, nobody minds not having their name in the title. It’s only a name. 
CitR: What is your favourite ever gig or festival you have performed at?
Reading festival was fun cos it’s our home town and the crowd were amazing. People talk about how good bands were that they saw, but bands also talk about how good the people watching them were too. 
CitR: You’ve even been across to America to perform, what was that like and would you like to do it again?
I hope we get to do it again, yes. People in America seem very respectful of and enthusiastic about the music we make, and very accommodating and genuine.  
CitR: Are you football fans? And if so I bet you bought Euro 2008 which includes Come on Feet?
Not really football fans, no. David likes football but no one else really understands it. The world cup is a lot of fun though.  
CitR: I believe all members of the band are currently working on solo projects, who is that going for each of you and what are we to expect from Pete and the Pirates in the future?
Yes we all have our own little things inasmuch as we all enjoy recording on our own as little creative oases. Pirates is always out main focus though. You can expect a new Pirates album which will be good. 
CitR:You have described your album, Little Death, as ‘innocent’, could you elaborate on that at all?
Um…. maybe a bit naive… a bit kind of spontaneous and unedited.
CitR: It appears you get to travel quite a bit, with upcoming gigs in Spain, Romania and Holland, what is life like on a tour bus and is there any aspects to the music lifestyle that you are less enthusiastic about now than when you started out as a band?
Life on a tour bus is suffocating. Sometimes in a claustrophobic sense, and sometimes because it really smells. 
CitR: What is your most embarrassing moment whilst performing on stage?
I often drop the microphone. 
CitR: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
I want to talk to the animals. 
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/peteandthepirates">Pete and the Pirates Myspace</a>
<a href="https://www.peteandthepirates.co.uk/index.html">Pete and the Pirates Official Site </a>

5 Minutes With: Pete and the Pirates

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Bombay Bicycle Club‘s second album is due for release on 12th July and if their first single, Ivy & Gold, is anything to go by it will sure to prove to any doubters why they won the Best New Band 2010 by NME over other nominees such as Mumford and Sons and La Roux. Ivy & Gold opens up with melodic and superbly summery guitar plucking that would leave anybody whistling along to it for hours, as I am doing whilst writing this. This song will no doubt be a massive hit at festivals this summer- they are playing on the Red Bull Stage- and will no doubt be one of the highlights of any festival-goers weekend.
The lyrics themselves are beautifully crafted to show further why this song will become one of this summer’s biggest successes, with such a upbeat chorus ‘you’re a layer of my clothes made of ivy and gold’. The delicate guitars and drums compliment the lyrics massively, allowing the melody to take hold of the listener. After listening to Ivy & Gold, I believe the album, Flaws, will become an equally massive success especially after their festival appearances at T in the Park, Oxygen and Glastonbury festivals.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK2fWmsBUzk">Watch an acoustic performance of Ivy & Gold here</a>
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/bombaybicycleclub">Check out their Myspace</a>

Single of the Week: Bombay Bicycle Club – Ivy & Gold

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I Am Kloot‘s fifth album, Sky at Night, was released on the 5th July and produced by Craig Potter and Guy Garvey of Elbow fame is, perhaps, their final throw of the dice to make their music a household name after a string of releases that somehow failed to reach the ears of the masses. In their apparent desperation to show the world that their music has the potential to be on par with Elbow they even allowed free streaming of the album on The Guardian’s website of all places from July 2nd and is well worth listening to and, in my opinion, buying. I Am Kloot have shown by releasing this album their tenacious nature in an attempt for John Bramwell to shake of the stigma of being touted as ‘Britain’s best songwriter you’ve never heard of’.
The music in this album is, as ever, very poetic and meaningful especially encapsulated in a remake of the song, Proof, which was previously released on their second album, I Am Kloot, with lyrics such as ‘Hey could you stand another drink, I’m better when I don’t think, seems to get me through’. Even in such a small snippet a story is told, and it carries on in the same vein throughout the album. I hope this will become the break I Am Kloot deserve after years of knock-backs and relative failure and after reading a selection of reviews it is looking promising as Sky at Night has received raving reviews from a large number of individuals held in high esteem in music circles.
I would implore any reader to go on The Guardian’s website and give them a listen at the very least, and then- like me- you can question why I Am Kloot have been overlooked by most households across the UK, when they have the tenacity and patience that many ignore and talent that most would dream of.
<a href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/jul/01/i-am-kloot-sky-night">Listen to the new album, Sky at Night, free here</a>.
<a href="https://www.iamkloot.com/">check out their official website here</a>

Review: I Am Kloot – Sky at Night

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Tokyo Police Club’s new album, Champ, appears on first listening to be a less passionate version of their second EP, A Lesson in Crime, compromising of less screaming the likes of ‘Operator, get me the President of the world. This is an emergency’ followed by sharp guitars and even sharper lyrics. But looking deeper into this new album reveals that the passion and love of music still resides in this band, even after the extensive touring and recording over the past 5 years. Also, despite the lack of youthful exclamations, there is no other proof this band has really grown up with lyrics such as ‘I wanna tell you there’s a really good reason why I came home wasted in the middle of the night’.
New styles have been adapted too which suggests the progression this band has made over the years, with Foals-eske guitar/keyboard combination in the song, Bambi, which bounce around the song like, well…a young deer. Furthermore, the songs in this album appear to be a deliberate attempt to shake of the shackles of being a band that ‘sounds a bit like The Strokes‘, giving Tokyo Police Club an overdue unique sound that would appeal to a wider audience than perhaps their past songs have failed to achieve. Personally, I love their old stuff despite what they were labelled, and Champ‘s maturity has allowed me to appreciate the band even more as it almost appears their musical style has grown up at the same rate as myself, despite how abstract that sounds. The likes of Hands Reversed is a song that proves my case, due to its slow pace and almost eerie vocals and instrumentals I probably wouldn’t have given it a second listen if it were on A Lesson in Crime or Elephant Shell in 2007 & 2008 respectively, but now in 2010 it is the ideal song, and indeed album as a whole, to show how opinions and taste can change over the years.
This album is due to be released on 19/7/2010, and has the makings and potential to be a great seller across their reasonably large UK fanbase and I would imagine that it will create many more fans as it will no doubt have extensive air play due to the anticipation of the release. Overall, I would recommend this album wholeheartedly to all Tokyo Police Club fans and even more so to anyone who has not heard their stuff before, it will be a great album to while away the summer with.
<a href="https://tokyopoliceclub.com/">Tokyo Police Club Official Site</a>
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/tokyopoliceclub">Tokyo Police Club on MySpace</a>

Review: Tokyo Police Club – Champ

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Outside of Glasgow and Edinburgh times are hard for new Scottish bands, with only a handful achieving the success that is deserved for so many and Cast of the Capital are no exception. Hailing from Aberdeen, Cast of the Capital are currently trying to break through this curse afflicting many Scottish bands using awe inspiring hard work and dedication which most bands wouldn’t consider doing. Driving their van all across Scotland to play gigs as well as holding down normal jobs are proof of their commitment to forging a career in music. The sound itself isn’t the generic pop-rock spewed out across the UK by people expecting the world to listen, but instead a combination of upbeat melodies and deep lyrics that exudes wit and charisma. With inspirations coming from American bands such as Death Cab for Cutie and Band of Horses suggests meaningful and thought-provoking lyrics but at certain times it becomes almost whimsical and light hearted, which leaves the listener guessing, emphasising the song writing talent this band has.
Cast of the Capital have already released an EP ‘Rotten Kids and Haverstacks’ which I believe to be a must-have for any indie music connoisseur which has been championed by the likes of Vic Galloway, as they have been named in his 50 bands to watch out for in 2010, and rightly so. As this year’s festival season is approaching one can only hope that Cast of the Capital will be appearing on stages throughout Britain, as their performances and musical style reflects the fun element that would make any festival goers weekend one to remember. They do have festival experience after performances at Rockness and Belladrum last year so they are yearning for more, and have  toured extensively throughout Scotland which is proof the band are doing everything possible to achieve the recognition they undoubtedly deserve.
Cast of the Capital were kind enough to answer a few questions in person to myself and Josh (Ganymede) before their great gig in Dundee:
CITR: Touted by Vic Galloway as being in the top 50 Scottish bands in 2010 so what do you think of that and what does the future hold for Cast of the Capital?
We were very happy with that, it rounded our year off nicely last year because he first played us on the radio in either June or July just before the festivals so that was really cool and we spoke to him up at Rockness so when he announced us as one of his top 50 that was really cool and it was good to know he thought we were up to his standard. There was a lot of cool bands in the list and we were proud to be part of that. 
CITR: Yeah I had a brief look through that list the other day and there are some really good bands in that list.
Yeah definitely, we were really happy and pretty proud of that.
CITR (Josh): Yeah in terms of places in the UK where the best music is coming from its definitely Scotland by such a long way. I know of so many good bands coming out of Scotland such as The Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit
Yeah definitely, it seems like the scene allows different bands to work together and I think all Scottish bands feel affiliated with one another which is quite nice.
CITR: You’ve played both at Belladrum festival and Rockness but have you played in any other festival and either way which was your favourite one to play at?
We played one called Wizard Festival which is like near our house, only about an hours drive or something which was ace, that was probably the best actual gig and there was a really good atmosphere. It was the smallest festival with regards to the actual tent we were in…Belladrum was ace as a festival to enjoy in a non-musical sense as I didn’t really like many of the bands but apart from that just where it was was so cool. The actual tent was on the left as you entered the camp site and didn’t really look like it was open and it kinda looked like it was where people went to get changed but they eventually put up a signpost! Ali was dying of an illness, we diagnosed him with swine flu so no-one was walking to him…(he adds, I was quarantined to the back of the van).
CITR: What did you think of Rockness as well, I go there most years and think highly of it as a festival…
I just cannot believe I wasn’t into Flaming Lips last year because now I’m kicking myself for not listening to more of them. To think that we played a festival with Flaming Lips and didn’t really know who they were last year. I think as a festival for me it was the most exciting one because it was the first one we played and it was obviously the biggest and there was quite a lot of hype about the announcements so on the day I was very excited. It was definitely the one that left me with the biggest buzz and we played a good show as well. 
CITR: What festivals, if any, are you playing this year?
Were still hoping to get confirmed for a couple but nothing has been confirmed as yet but the way it works sometimes is you get asked to do it last minute, not T in the Park this year but maybe next year. I think every Scottish band really strives to get to T break (stage), if you make the cut of the 16 your really going places. T in the Park is a land mark achievement and we would love to have the opportunity to play T in the Park at some point.
CITR (Josh): I have been there the last 6 or 7 years and Scottish bands get such an amazing reception
(they agree)
CITR: On Myspace you state your influences include things like ‘fun’ and not necessarily other bands, could you possibly elaborate on that at all?
Yeah that is pretty vague (laughs), but first of all we couldn’t really be bothered in writing a list of bands as whatever you write people always go like you sounds like them even if you don’t. My favorite bands are all like Band of Horses, I got their new album today which is ace, Death Cab for Cutie and stuff…
CITR: Yeah I read that you liked those bands, which are all generally American bands…
Yeah but then like Frightened Rabbit and stuff are all great, its kind of like a 50/50 between American bands and Scottish bands but all of the Scottish bands we like kinda have the American thing too so it all comes back around on itself, I think its definitely grounded in American music. But with writing I’d say I’m not influenced just from music but so much other stuff as well.
CITR: Yeah, all of your songs appear very upbeat but if something bad happened to any of you would you start writing negative songs or would you try and have ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ approach to things?
Its weird because most of our songs at the moment are upbeat, but Its not like we are a band that just writes upbeat songs because I’ve got a lot of songs which aren’t upbeat but I just choose the upbeat ones to play because no-one knows us at the moment so if were playing a gig we basically have to try and keep everyone happy. Once people know you and like you then you can come up with anything they’ll like it…not necessarily but you get what I’m saying. What I mean is then you can start all the kind of stuff you want to do but generally when your writing songs the most fun ones to play as a band are the upbeat and happy ones because they’ve always got the most sense of rhythm to it. The darker ones always need to come out slightly slower or even acoustic…but then again most of our songs are upbeat but I find it insanely impossible to write songs that are actually happy lyrics wise, though the melody is always happy. 
CITR (Josh): is it just you who writes the songs (Matt) or do you all contribute to writing the songs?
Matt is our dominant song writer in the band but then he takes the demo tracks to us and we fill them out pretty much. 
CITR: You’re band is based in Aberdeen do you find that if you were from Glasgow or Edinburgh you would have gone places quicker?
I think up until now we have made pretty good progress and have had a lot of fun touring, even outside of Aberdeen hasn’t been too much hard work but the more we start to want to venture down into England and play more shows in Glasgow it gets frustrating with the amount of driving involved. Despite this we are having great fun. I guess in the future we might consider relocating but for now we are happy in Aberdeen. Like anything else money is a bit of an issue (laughs).
CITR: You released an EP ‘Rotten Kids and Haverstacks’, is there any significance behind that title?
It is a funny name but Matt wrote a little acoustic track a long time ago and that was the title of it, we always thought was an ace track name and it created cool images in my head, I don’t really know what of but it was very cinematic. We liked the general theme of that, if there is even a theme to it. 
CITR: have you got anything new coming out soon at all?
We’re toying with the idea of releasing a single in September but nothing is set in stone. 
CITR (Josh): you’ve said films influence you, with bands like Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad have song titles and stuff that has come from films. It seems good when bands state that their influences include things such as film instead of merely just other bands.
Films make you feel stuff quite strongly, we always would love our music in a soundtrack. Its almost like the lyrics in Matt’s songs are like a little film in itself, he always has an interesting story to listen to.
Here is the Band’s Myspace page:
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/castofthecapital">https://www.myspace.com/castofthecapital</a>

5 Minutes With: Cast of the Capital

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Being brought up in Orkney, a community awash with endless fields and equally endless folk music erupted someone who has now become a dance sensation, leaving behind the older generations to restring their bows. Until Next Time is Will Atkinson’s latest release and promises to become the single that will achieve the success he has worked tireless for since his first production at the age of 12. Playing in such venues as Digital in Newcastle and live to millions on Radio 1 he has amassed accolades from fellow DJs as Anne Savage calling him a ‘future legend in the making’ and his popularity is showing no signs of deteriorating any time soon, especially after setting up his own label Wa-X records and topping download charts across the internet. Even his old productions continue to get massive airplay on Radio 1 and features in compilations such as Dave Pearce’s Trance Anthems and also Gatecrasher’s Classics.
His blend of trance and hard dance is coupled with influences from bands such as Biffy Clyro and Kraftwerk which produces his unique style that will leave trance-sceptics reeling. The time is now for people who generally avoid music created without guitars to have a listen to Will Atkinson, he will change many peoples’ opinions and prove that great dance music requires massive talent and dedication, both of which he has in abundance.
Will Atkinson also was kind enough to answer a few questions for CitR:
CitR: Being brought up in such a rural environment such as Orkney, have you found your surroundings a help or a hindrance in creating and developing your music career?
Orkney’s stunning environment definitely has a huge significance in most of my tracks/remixes. It adds an extra, symbolic vibe into each production – something I feel very lucky to have.
CitR: I understand you have a great respect for Radio 1 DJ Judge Jules who has even played some of your songs on air, however have you had other inspirations and if so who are they?
Jules is a fantastic guy. He’s like a musical connoisseur for me, and has sat down and listened to every track of mine from my first dabble in production! As I mentioned, Orkney is obviously a big inspiration for me. Other Dance artists like Simon Patterson, Eric Prydz and Activa are massive heroes of mine. I also draw a lot of inspiration from bands like Biffy Clyro, Sigor Ros and Kraftwerk! I’ve also started sampling loads of old hip-hop records: there’s a track I’ve just finished called “Lights Out” – I think there’s about 7-8 different samples in there I’ve ripped! Shhh!
CitR: What do you prefer doing musically, producing your own songs or remixing other people’s works?
It’s always fun to remix a track – the chance of moulding the original into a vibe you envision. But with remixes come deadlines, so it can sometimes turn into a ‘race to the finish’ scenario. There’s absolutely no boundaries when I’m producing a track of my own – I feel a lot of my tracks hold a more sentimental value and I know that it won’t be released until I’m 100% happy with it!
CitR: Which town or city in the UK have you found the people to be most enthusiastic about your specific brand of trance music?
Playing Newcastle in March was absolutely wicked. But I think Glasgow definitely brings in the most loud crowds – the atmosphere, the chants – totally electric!
CitR: To anyone not generally interested in trance and minimalistic music before now, myself included, what do you think makes you different from artists that these people may have listened to and disliked in the past?
Let me see… how can I sell it? Haha. Well, with my sound, you can expect euphoric, uplifting moments, surrounded by energetic percussion and ballsy basslines! It’s all from the heart, so you know and I know that 100% effort has gone in! The last couple of years have been really positive for Dance music – artists like Deadmau5, David Guetta and Eric Prydz have been responsible for some of the biggest commercial hits over the last couple of years, so it’s really exciting to see the genre receiving that sort of attention again!
CitR: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
The ability to divide by zero.
CitR: What is your most embarrassing moment either performing live or in the studio?
Hmm, thankfully I’ve managed to steer clear of those moments so far. Perhaps one of my first gigs when I was 15, where the club had belt-driven turntables (which were on their last legs) and I had to manually keep the record up to speed during my last few tracks with my hand! Hahaha!
<a href="https://www.myspace.com/willatkinson1">Will Atkinson’s Myspace</a>
<a href="https://www.new-wavemanagement.co.uk/">New-Wave Management</a>

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