Scottish Fiction Playlist - Monday 24th October

Sorry about the delay in posting this up, I know there will be scores of people eager to listen again! And after proudly boosting about my success in going a full two hour show without playing any songs with swear words, I have since realised that Mr November by The National contains the line, “I won’t fuck us over” repeatedly. I don’t know how I’ve missed this over the years or what I thought the line actually was, but it’s just another shining example of my lack of research! I think I got away with it though, so don’t tell anyone.

The theme for last Monday’s show on Pulse Community Radio was acronyms from N.W.A. to the Y.M.C.A and lots in between. Check out the full show’s playlist below and listen again to the show at the bottom. Enjoy.

Modest Mouse – Float On
Conquering Animal Sound – Giant
If You Lived Here, You’d Be Home By Now – Sleeping Beauty
Supermarionation – Those Home Girls
Frightened Rabbit – Fuck This Place
The National – Mr November
Coat Hooks – The Boat Outside
Donna Maciocia – Fists At The Sky
Aztec Camera – We Could Send Letters
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Butcher Boy – The Day Our Voices Broke

OutKast – B.O.B.
R.E.M. – Bad Day
Ian Brown – F.E.A.R.
System Of A Down – B.Y.O.B.
Foo Fighters – M.I.A.
Wu-Tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M.
The Flaming Lips – The W.A.N.D.
ABBA – S.O.S.
N.W.A. – Express Yourself
Korn – A.D.I.D.A.S.
Jay-Z – D.O.A.
The Beatles – Back In The U.S.S.R.
Kasabian – L.S.F.

Scottish Fiction - 24th October 2011 by scottishfiction

Mixing It Up - Monday 24th October

Returning for a second week is new feature ‘Mixing It Up’. The concept remains the same; Pulse is home to an array of talented presenters and different shows, and to celebrate this fact each presenter is playing a song chosen by another presenter elsewhere on the station.

This week’s track was suggested by Andy McCann of Andy McCann’s Midnight Midlife Crisis and was Aztec Camera’s ‘We Could Send Letters’. Certainly a welcome addition into my usual fare of Scottish alternative music.

Andy McCann’s Midnight Midlife Crisis airs every Friday between 10pm and midnight (as if the name didn’t give it away!), and if you listen in you can expect to hear a mix of good tunes from the 60′s onwards, guitar pop/northern soul and an artist of the evening every week with a slant on Scottish music. Well worth a listen!

Scotland's (Alternative) Greatest Album

If like me you watched STV's recent series of programmes 'Scotland's Greatest Album' and were left feeling slightly disappointed, then next Monday's theme should offer you a chance to redress the situation. (Sadly I can't offer the chance to repeatedly harm Clare Grogan who irritated the tits off me!) I don't want to slate the programme completely, afterall the task of deciding an album of twelve tracks which represent the best music Scotland has produced is an insanely ridiculous task. And to further cement my point, I challenge you to count the amount of times I use my own personal opinion in reference to music in this post.

My first gripe is the basis of selecting songs based on the decade they were released. Obviously this is a TV programme and as such, there is some sort of structure needed, however the very idea that a track should make it in to the final cut over a better track simply because it fills a quota for that decade is absurd. For instance the fact the The Bay City Rollers 'Shang A Lang' is in the final cut of 60 rather than Frightened Rabbit 'The Modern Leper' or Eddie Reader 'Ae Fond Kiss' is in over Arab Strab '(Afternoon) Soaps' is crazy. Great music knows no bondaries, certainly not ones which fall within the calender.

And that leads me to my second gripe; the basis for selection. I think we can all agree that commerical success does not guarantee quality. Afterall Celine Dion has carved out a sucessful career despite producing drivel for two decades. However I'm not naive enough to write off commerical success, afterall people don't buy things they don't not like, at least not at the time anyway. I'm sure there are hundreds, if not thousands of copies of 'Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep' which have been discarded, but at the time they people who bought them must have liked the song. But clearly the show was not based purely on commerical success. Afterall, artists like Camera Obscura, Mull Historical Society, Capercaillie are hardly troubling the charts. So what is the criteria?

My third gripe? Just what the hell constitutes Scottish? Rod Stewart? Born and raised in North London, despite his Scottish ancestry I would say is disqualified. AC/DC? The Young brothers emigrated to Oz before forming the band, the rest of the band made up of non-Scots, it's shaky grounds for inclusion. Lloyd Cole? Fair enought the Commotions are Scottish, but if the main singer/songwriter is not then can you include the act? Snow Patrol? A Scottish keyboard player and bassist does not in my book qualify a band as Scottish. And just because they had a huge hit, doesn't mean you can squeeze them in on a technicality.

Matthew at Song, By Toad, produced a brilliantly witty blog post about why personal opinion shouldn't deter people from making music (read it here). And this is my final gripe; the basis for selection is essentially five people's opinion (or if you want to be sceptical the producers opinion, afterall who can account for Amy McDonald making the cut). As far as I was aware there were no public vote for the 15 tracks that represent each decade. Therefore the 15 tracks that we have been presented with are the pure result of the opinions of five people (in some cases, Capercaillie, Eddi Reader, the very politicised opinions of one SNP MSP).

And there in lies the rub. I'm less of a music snob than I used to be, but I still can't have Paolo Nutini, Calvin Harris, Simple Minds, Nazareth or Gallagher & Lyle anywhere near this accolade. And I'm sure some less educated people don't see the unadulterated genius of Frightened Rabbit, Idlewild, or Mogwai.

So if they can do it, so can I. So my theme for next week's Scottish Fiction show on Pulse Community Radio is 'Scotland's (Alternative) Greatest Album'. And I want to hear from you. What tracks should I play to represent the best this country has to offer? Some tracks will be the same as the ones on STV's list, some artists might be the same but with a different track, and some might be making up for the great injustice of being overlooked in the first place. Here's a wee rundown of what I might play. Feel free to disagree.

Frightened Rabbit - The Modern Leper
Belle And Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab Strap
Idlewild - You Held The World In Your Arms Tonight
Mogwai - Batcat
Primal Scream - Loaded
Teenage Fanclub - Sparky's Dream
Biffy Clyro - Glitter And Trauma
Arab Strap - (Afternoon) Soaps
Orange Juice - Rip It Up
Boards Of Canada - An Eagle In Your Mind
Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
Aerogramme - Barriers
Franz Ferdinand - Matinee
Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas

And I haven't even mentioned Travis (say what you want, the early stuff is good!), Jesus And Mary Chain, Beta Band, The Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Delgados, Camera Obscura, Aztec Camera, Dogs Die In Hot Cars, Edwyn Collins (solo), KLF, Danny Wilson, Bronski Beat, King Creosote, Kid Canaveral, RM Hubbert, Meusault and so much more.

Scottish Fiction Teaser

I'm sure with my proven track record of lining up great songs, providing topical chat, and providing cutting insights you don't need much convincing to listen into my Scottish Fiction show, which is on tonight at 9pm on Pulse Community Radio.

What's that? You do?!?

Well wrap your sensory orafices round this then for a taster of what's coming on tonight's show.

Tune in on 98.4 FM in East Renfrewshire and www.pulseonair.co.uk to listen online.

EP Review - Mogwai - Earth Division

Okay so this is incredibly late, but I had a whole heap of half started reviews sitting about that I decided I should take the time to finish. And 'Earth Divisions' really does deserve that, because it is another excellent offering from Mogwai.

Released on Rock Action Records on the 12th September, 'Earth Divisions' is the 10th EP from the Glasgow band, and features four tracks taken from the same recordings that brought life to their latest LP 'Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will' which was released earlier this year.

Get To France

A soft, melodic piano number. Hauntingly quiet at first, causing one to check the sleeve to see if you've accidently picked up the wrong record. The strings, provided by serial collaborator Luke Sutherland, harmonise in the background. The song builds, with an eerie twinkling repitition following each piano sequence. Mogwai are known for their ability to craft and build, often culminating in a heart stopping crescendo. 'Get To France' sounds like it could go that way given another two/three minutes. Despite this, the track is a fine opener, different and ethereal.

Hounds Of Winter

'Hounds Of Winter' is the only track with vocals (one in four is not a bad ratio!). It's a softer, quieter number; think mellow piano, acoustic guitars and gentle vocals. About a minute in the strings pick up the volume a bit, but to be honest it's not Mogwai at their best. Having said that it's still a song that were I to hear without knowing who it was I would still like.

Drunk And Crazy

This is the real keeper. Out goes the introspective mellowness and in come fuzzy guitars, effects and raw bass. Starting off with pounding, staticy guitars which whirl and whoosh around, the track suddenly halts you in your tracks halfway through, the brief pause ushering in soaring strings, as if this is the eye of the hurricane. And duly on time, the track shifts back, throwing you right back into the storm which Mogwai are so adept at doing.

Does This Always Happen?

The last track harks back to the creepiness that was present in opener 'Get To France'. A single guitar riff is plucked on an acoustic guitar, strings float about in the background, and a gentle refrain chimes in on the piano. About a minute and a half in, the bass joins the ensemble with the same riff. Again it's simply done, and it brings the EP to solemn close.

Overall I really like this little collection of songs. I know it's not classic Mogwai, but it's still head and shoulders above a lot of what is out there at the moment. The real stand outs for me are 'Get To France' and 'Drunk And Crazy'. Check out the latter below.

You can buy Mogwai - 'Earth Division' on CD or 12" Vinyl here.

We're Only Here For The Banter - Supermarionation

Any band who name themselves after a form of puppetry made famous by Thunderbirds, Stingray and my own personal favourite Captain Scarlett, are already a step ahead in my book. Supermarionation are three guys from Edinburgh, Dave, Sam and Steve to be precise, who produce punk pop music with a punch. With their debut EP, 'On The Fly', release a little under a year ago to some rather nice reviews, the band have taken a little of their time to have a chat.

Hello, how are you?

Pretty good thanks.

Tell us a little bit about your music and influences.

I never know how to describe our music. “Dave (our drummer) riding a lion in space” is my favourite but it not a useful reference point sound-wise. Punk powerpop is the best description I’ve come up with although we could just be described as a boring old alternative rock band. As a song writer, I think I’m most influenced by people who write good simple songs. I don’t like things that are complicated for the sake of it. Neil Young is a very big inspiration on that front and also as a vocalist. I’m not the greatest singer and he convinced me it didn’t matter.

Scotland has a thriving music scene. How do you find being a part of that?

It’s a pretty exciting thing. I feel a bit like a fraud who’s infiltrated a really artistic scene and no one’s figured me out yet. Although I’m pretty old, this is my first attempt at a band and while I’m always questioning whether I'm good enough to be a part of it everyone else is really encouraging, even if they personally don’t like what you’re doing.

Which Scottish artists would you recommend to the Scottish Fiction readers?

I think PAWS are pretty up there at the moment although that seems like it’s becoming a cliché. I also like Plastic Animals and Miaoux Miaoux a lot too and I think Adam Stafford is doing some interesting stuff. You should also checkout Lee Patterson, we’ve played with him a few times and he’s just awesome.

What is your songwriting process like?

I just try to polish the turds that come out. I wasn’t a songwriter before Supermarionation and we started as a few mates playing covers. It was only after we did a few gigs that we started to feel it was rude not to have our own material and so I began to try and bash some stuff out.

What could we expect to see/hear from your live shows?

Three men who should be old enough to know better making a huge racket. Or a small racket if you happen upon one of our acoustic outings.

You've had two EP's out, 'On The Fly' and 'Amongst The Northern Lochs'. Plans for a third soon?

I hope so. We’re having some domestic changes in the New Year so things are going to slow down a little or maybe even stop. We’ve got the material and it would be nice to lay it down for posterity but we’re very much amateurs and sadly real life has to come first.

What does the rest of 2011 hold for you?

We’ve got an acoustic show at Edinburgh Unlimited on Wednesday 9th November in Medina (although its name may have changed) and we’ll hopefully get a few more gigs in before the end of the year. Given that 2012 will possibly herald the end and at the very least see activities substantially cut back, we’re keen to make the most of the time we’ve got left.

What's been your biggest achievement so far?

I think still being here. When we started out, all of us were just doing it for ourselves to see if we could and have some fun. At every stage it’s been a great surprise to find that other people are into it too and don’t mind if we continue. For both our EP launch nights, we’ve managed to get some mainstream press too. I’m not sure how exactly, but it definitely counts as an achievement in my book.

Thanks for speaking with us, would you care to share a joke with us?

I farmed this one out to our bassist Sam who likes a joke or two and he came back with this bad boy:

I phoned the local gym and I asked if they could teach me how to do the splits. He said, "How flexible are you?" I said, "I can't make Tuesdays or Thursdays."

Check out more of Supermarionation on their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Soundcloud.

Scottish Fiction Playlist - Monday 17th October

Monday's show heralded the end of the world! Our theme was music to soundtrack the apocalypse either by name or style. You'll be glad to know that clearly the rapture didn't happen, but if it does creep round the corner soon, we have our final hour of music sorted. But before we got to that there was plenty of great Scottish music to go round. Have a gander at the full playlist below and listen to the show again!

Kasabian - Velociraptor!
The Little Kicks - Call Of Youth
Mogwai - Drunk And Crazy
Miniature Dinosaurs - Alligator
Plastic Animals - It Fell Apart
Remember Remember - Scottish Widows
We're Only Afraid Of NYC - We Lived Here
Feed Me - Cott's Face
French Wives - Numbers
Trapped Mice - Waving And Pointing
The xx - Islands

Muse - Apocalypse Please
Placebo - The Bitter End
The Strokes - The End Has No End
Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around
Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Blondie - Rapture
R.E.M. - It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Metallica - The Four Horsemen
Pixies - Where Is My Mind?
Nena - 99 Red Balloons
The Doors - The End

Scottish Fiction - 17th October by scottishfiction

We're Only Here For The Banter - Donna Maciocia

I first heard the music of Donna Maciocia recently at The Captain's Rest supporting the wonderful Adam Holmes And The Embers (read the review here). I was so impressed by her music that I pursued her incessantly to answer some questions. (Just asked Donna, she has the e-mails to prove it!)

Donna Maciocia is a singer songwriter based in Edinburgh. She used to be the front woman of Amplifico and currently rocks it up on stage with her band, throwing in some solo numbers. Her style is hard to pin down, but involves FX pedals, looping, keys, with an underlying current of funky pop. She has a new EP out soon, and thankfully took some time to answer some questions below.

Hello, how are you?

Well, thank you. Enjoying a wee cup of tea and a bacon roll and a sit down!



Tell us a little bit about your music and influences.


I always find it pretty hard to coin! Ronan Breslin from LaChunky Towers said the other day ‘f***ing intelligent quirky pop that grabs you by the heart and soul’. My influences are really varied… from my earliest years until my teens, I knew little more than Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5. I had all their albums and knew all their songs word for word. And since my teens I have fallen in love with so many different artists including Bjork, Stevie Wonder, Queen, Jeff Buckley, Portishead, Radiohead, Blur, Ella Fitzgerald, The Cocteau Twins, Rachmaninov and Massive Attack. Very recently I have been listening obsessively to the likes of Feist, St Vincent, Tune-Yards, Anna Calvi, Kill It Kid, Janelle Monae, Beach House and The Kills.

Scotland has a thriving music scene. How do you find being a part of that?


When I was in my former band Amplifico (2004-2009), I felt the rest of scotland was thriving, but that Edinburgh was really far behind. I moved to London for 3 years and since my return last year I have been genuinely blown away by the quality and quantity of new talent up here. I love being a part of that! It means there’s constant inspiration on your doorstep, you’re always learning from your peers & it motivates you to up your game.

Which Scottish artists would you recommend to the Scottish Fiction readers?


Adam Holmes & The Embers, Amy Sawers, Austen George, Chris Bradley, Hoochie Fig, Paul Gilbody, Stanley Odd, Stu Goodall Band, Super Adventure Club, The Banana Sessions, The Horndogs & The Mike Kearney Ka-Tet, William Douglas & The Wheel

What is your songwriting process like?


It really varies… I play & own quite a few different instruments, have a home recording setup as well as a live looping set up. Sometimes I start with lyrics, sometimes the music. One thing that is consistent whenever I’m writing, is my Dictaphone. I take it everywhere with me. For me there is a power in being able to listen back. Sometimes I come up with something that I really don’t rate at the time, but can listen back an hour or a year later and it totally grabs me.

What could we expect to see/hear from your live shows?


With the band, it’s pretty piano driven, kick-ass and dynamic! I like louds and softs, ups and downs... There tends to be a couple of solo live looping songs dropped into the set also, which involve just my uke, an FX pedalboard. In these songs I beatbox and put my uke & vox through an array of FX pedals, layering and multi-tracking.

I heard rumours of some new material being released at your gig at The Captain's Rest. Care to shed any light on this?


Yes! My band and I recorded our debut 3-track EP titled ‘Fists At The Sky’ earlier this year at LaChunky Towers in Glasgow. It features amazing musicians I am so grateful to work with - Neil Warrack (drums) and Bruce Wallace (guitar) from the awesomely crazy glasgow/edinburgh 3-piece Super Adventure Club, and Lorna Thomas on bass who is also working with Jill Jackson at the moment. We will be launching the EP at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh on Saturday 19th November, with the inclusion of newest band member Lewis Rumney on fiddle, guitar & backing vox.

What does the rest of 2011 hold for you?


Getting the EP launched and demo-ing/arranging songs for the album which we intend to record with La Chunky Springtime next year.

What's been your biggest achievement so far?

Without a doubt the amazing people & friends I have met through making music. And the fact that my current band actually choose to work with me sometimes boggles me. I mean, me?? Cos I can tell you right now they ain't doing it for the money!! Ha!! Each member of the band is genuinely one of my musical heroes - that is amazing!

How does the 'solo' stuff feel different to being in Amplifico?

I have way more responsibility and control over everything with the solo stuff. I’m also older & wiser with a greater awareness of my own strengths/weaknesses, and a strong sense of clarity over what it is I want from life & music in general. Therefore I am probably an easier person to work with now! There was a period of time in Amplifico where I lost sight of why the hell I was in a band in the first place, I let the business & marketing side of running a self-releasing band kind of overwhelm me and I ended up pretty unhappy. In Amplifico, we were 3 friends who had known each other since high school too, so there was a lot of history & it felt like a family relationship. That’s a really wonderful thing to have as a band, but can be quite intense & tricky if people change, circumstances change, individual priorities change and you’ve all got to roll with those changes as a team. It makes or breaks bands.

Your ability to create multi-layered sounds is impressive. How did that style come about?


Thanks! I guess it came about through hours and hours of experimentation, and a lifelong obsession with music technology geekery. I have to thank the guy who I first saw live looping about a decade ago in Cab Vol in Edinburgh too - it was just him, his cello and a loop pedal. The potential of using live looping to perform & write had me hooked instantly.

Thanks for speaking with us, would you care to share a joke with us?

A guy goes into a bar with a slab of tarmac on his back. He sits the tarmac on one of the bar stools. The barman says, what can I get you? The man says a pint of lager, and one for the road…

Check out Donna's website, Facebook, Soundcloud and Twitter.

Super Vinyl Adventure Club

It should be no secret that I am a big lover of vinyl. So I read with great interest yesterday that sales of vinyl LP's have reached their highest level in six years, and that should current sales continue then vinyl LP sales will exceed 300,000 for the first time since 2005.

So what should we make of these figures? Well firstly it's clear that Radiohead have their part to play. Their latest LP 'The King Of Limbs' has sold in excess of 20,000 copies, meaning it roughly accounts for 6% of all vinyl LP's sold. That is an impressive figure, and clearly Radiohead won't be releasing a new LP every year (we could only wish!) so is this upwards buck in the trend down to them alone?

Probably to a certain extent. But each year seems to bring with it it's own 'must buy' record. So there is no reason to suspect that there won't be a 2012 'King Of The Limbs'-esqe LP.

Another thing to consider is the growing success of Record Store Day, which in April 2011 saw record sales. LP sales were up 20%, a record amount of store took part, and there were 250 exclusive releases. Each year RSD seems to go from strength to strength, partly down to the organisers and the participating stores enthusiasm but also because of the public appetite for vinyl as a physical format.

There is also the 'indie' nature of vinyl sales. Without getting into a huge debate about what 'indie' even means anymore, I'd say 8 out of the top 10 selling vinyl LP's this year are indie artists. Indie and alternative artists are probably the strongest force behind supporting the continuing vinyl sales, Arctic Monkeys for example routinely release things on vinyl only.

Record companies have also started routinely including mp3 codes and/or a CD version of the album with LP's, something which I have raved about in the past. In my eyes it's a thank you to the paying customer for buying a format which cannot be listened to in any way other than a record deck. It's also a recognition that the overwhelming majority of music fans do also use mp3 players.

But just how much of a success is the latest figures? Well I'm not privy to independent record shops accounts, but I imagine that their owners are hardly driving Bently's and sipping on champagne. A lot of the success of stores like Avalanche in Edinburgh and Monorail and LOVE Music in Glasgow are down to the dedication and sheer love of music their owners have. It feels like that the decline of record shops as prophecised by Graham Jones is slowing off.

Mixing It Up

Those of you who make a point of listening to my regular Scottish Fiction show on Pulse Community Radio will have heard me introduce a brand new feature called 'Mixing It Up'.

Pulse is home to an array of talented presenters and different shows, and to celebrate this fact each presenter is playing a song chosen by another presenter elsewhere on the station.

So on last Monday's show I had the pleasure of playing a song chosen by Rory Belshaw who presents a show called 'Music: Electronic' which airs every Thursday 9pm - 10pm and specialises in harder, electronically produced music including dubstep, techno and drum & bass.

The song chosen was by a DJ called Feed Me, and the track is called Cott's Face. Have a swatch at this rather scary video below. (Make sure there are no young children about who might be scarred for life because of the scary face!)

Single Review - French Wives - Numbers

French Wives are a five piece from Glasgow who have been notoriously good in the past. Of late they have been recording their long awaited debut LP, which will be called 'Dream Of The In Between' with producer Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Belle And Sebastian). The album is being released on the fantastic Electric Honey label, and is being preceeded by the release of a single, 'Numbers', on 24th October. The band are playing a small UK tour to promote the single, and play in Glasgow's Mono on Thursday 20th with support from Endor and Blochestra, so it's shaping up to be an awesome night.

Sounding like something which wouldn't be amiss on a Noah And The Whale album, the track kicks off with a chiming guitar riff which is quickly enhanced by swirling violin strings. Lead singer Stuart Dougan's vocals kick in sounding confident and assured. The strings are powerful, yet not overwhelming, indeed each instrument compliments and intertwines with each other, creating a sum of parts which is joyful to listen to. The track is peppered with little moments of uniqueness; a clap of drumsticks, soaring strings, and a chorus which is indefinitely catchy.

After an uplifting little violin solo, a volly of drums and bass create a finale which firmly whets the appetite for the rest of their forthcoming album.

You can listen to the full track below and will be available to purchase on 24th October. Also check out the band's website, Facebook, Bandcamp and Twitter.

Gig Review - Bill Wells And Aidan Moffat @ Paisley Arts Centre

Paisley Underground is a programme with is running over three nights. October 7th saw the elder spokesmen of the disgruntled generation Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat play Paisley Arts Centre. Their album 'Everything's Getting Older' is still my favourite offering of the year so far, and with Paisley Council intent on reminding us that Christmas is coming by putting their decorations up in October, it doesn't seem likely to be bettered.

Wells, Moffat and the band make their way onto the intimate stage. It's been a while since I last sat in the small theatre, and on that occasion Widow Twanky threw sweeties into the crowd. So no sweets this time, but lots of witty remarks, humour and plenty of musical genius.

Set opener 'Ballad Of The Bastard' allows Moffat to ease himself in with his sore throat. Straight from the start Moffat had the crowd in his hand, teasingly mocking the stream of latecomers into the theatre. The next track is the haunting 'Dinner Time' which gets more creepy everytime I hear it.

Moffat forgets to introduce the band's now infamous cover of Bananarama's 'Cruel Summer', however I'm sure we all recognised it! Feeling rather confessional (a theme which will crop up again) Moffat explains that his sheet music and lyrics on stage are the musicians version of a comfort blanket. 'The Copper Top' is a sublime piece of music, and the sound is perfect in the small theatre. That the venue used to be a church and still has graves in its grounds is all the more fitting considering the songs video.

'Keep Me In Your Heart' follows, with the rantings of 'Glasgow's Jubilee' up next. It's a more stripped back version than on the album, which as Moffat explains is due in part to the lack of a drum kit. However, there is the promise of a Christmas show in Glasgow, which is unannounced so far.

The penultimate track 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' is the heart warming yin to the cynical yang which peppers Moffat's writing. It's affirming and a timely reminder that despite the bad things which no one prepares you for, love really is "the greatest story ever told".

One of the highlights of the evening came in the encore when Moffat had a sudden onset of the giggles, performing 'Man Of The Cloth' the story of a sobering accidental confession which occurs after a halloween party. It's a great song, and the resulting hilarity is understandable given the lyrical content. That and set closer 'Box It Up' are available on forthcoming 'Cruel Summer' EP.

Great gig, great night, great laugh. Have a listen to 'If You Keep Me In Your Heart' below. And purchase Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat's album 'Everything's Getting Older' here. Thanks.

Scottish Fiction Teaser

I've not done a teaser for a few week's, so let's take advantage of a quiet Sunday afternoon!

I know I'm biased, but Monday's show is going to be phenomenal. I've got some great new Scottish music lined up, and the theme this week is 'The End Of The World', which has already thrown up some good suggestions!

The general feel of the show is quite electronic and ambient based, so to tickle your earbuds here is The xx 'Islands'.

We're Only Here For The Banter - Plastic Animals

I first came across Plastic Animals earlier this year with the track 'Maybe Tomorrow' (thankfully a scuzzy lo-fi sounding track, not a Stereophonics cover). The band consist of Mario, James and Dave, and hail from Peru, Northern Ireland and Scotland, and base their multinational collective selves in Edinburgh. And rather than being a new band, they have been plugging away for 5 years, celebrating this milestone by making their back catalouge available for free on their bandcamp page. They released a new EP, the above Dark Springs, earlier this year and things are generally quite exciting for the band at the moment. Here's what they had to say to some questions.

Hello, how are you?

Hello! We are well, full of the joys of Autumn!

Tell us a little bit about your music and influences.

We play loud, fuzzy pop songs, with loops and layers to add a touch of atmosphere and class. Influences include Deerhunter, Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Built To Spill, Elliott Smith and much, much more.

Scotland has a thriving music scene. How do you find being a part of that?

It’s great! We’ve played with some very talented bands, and worked with some really friendly promoters and bloggers. It’s been nice to find people who are on the same page, and really love the music they are making/promoting/listening to. Exciting!

Which Scottish artists would you recommend to the Scottish Fiction readers?

Some favourites include: The Scottish Enlightenment, PAWS, Molly Wagger (now London based, but still Scottish!), eagleowl and Withered Hand.

What is your songwriting process like?

Mario (who is both the Lennon and the McCartney of the band) usually brings a few ideas to practice and we play around with them until they sound like a song. We’ll keep the ones that work, and practice the shit out of them until they are tight enough to gig/record. Sounds so magical, doesn’t it!?

What could we expect to see/hear from your live shows?

We have grand plans for costume changes, pyrotechnics, wailing guitar solos and revolving drumkits, but for now it’s probably best to just hope for some decent songs and not too many fuckups.

What does the rest of 2011 hold for you?

We don’t have a massive amount planned right now – taking some time to work on new songs and starting to think about our next recording exploits. But we’re also hoping to play some more gigs, and especially keen for a few outside Edinburgh. We're also considering adding a 4th Animal - so if you're a guitarist who loves keyboards, get in touch!

What's been your biggest achievement so far?

We’re really happy with the way our most recent EP “A Dark Spring” turned out, and the launch gig for that was possibly the most fun we’ve had as a band – lots of people came and seemed to really enjoy it. And the fact that some people we don’t know have listened to and liked the songs feels like an achievement! Also we got played on BBC Radio Ulster’s “Across The Line” before our Belfast gig, which was pretty sweet.

Thanks for speaking with us, would you care to share a joke with us?

A horse walks into a bar and the bartender asks "why the long face?".
The horse replies "My wife is dying of terminal cancer."

Check out more of Plastic Animals with the links below
Website
Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter

We're Only Here For The Banter - Trapped Mice

It seems like recently all the bands I've interviewed for the blog have been from our fair countries capital. So rather than buck the trend, I've decided to continue it! Edinburgh 5 piece Trapped Mice
released an EP 'Waving And Pointing' earlier this year. Rocking a melodic folky beat throughout, it's a lovely little number. Ian from the band took some time to answer a few questions. Have a gander below.

Hello, how are you?

Fine thanks. Been better, been worse. Beat up, run down, high on life, buzzing my tits off. How are you?

Aye no bad thanks! Tell us a little bit about your music and influences.

It's a bit of a mixture really. Loud songs with lots of noise and guitars and shouting, and quieter acoustic tinkly ones, but mainly somewhere in between. We all come from fairly different backgrounds musically so I guess there'll be a few influences lurking about down there. The last few months I've been listening to lots of Red House Painters, Low, Grandaddy, and I think that might have had some impact on a couple of our more recent songs, with longer instrumental passages and slow builds etc.

Scotland has a thriving music scene. How do you find being a part of that?

Fab.

Which Scottish artists would you recommend to the Scottish Fiction readers?

Plastic Animals! The Scottish Enlightenment! They're two of my personal faves, just off the top of my head. Also I'm a huge fan of Wounded Knee and Withered Hand, and I know there's a lot of love for those two guys in the rest of the band.

What is your songwriting process like?

Normally I'll have a song pretty much finished before I take it to the others for them to work their magic, sometimes with just a vague structure and sometimes a bit more padded out with different parts and everything. It was only fairly recently I conceded that it was perhaps not enough to write a song and unleash it on the public for everyone to appreciate its innate worth, and that it was probably best to try and make it sound good first.

You had an EP 'Waving And Pointing' out earlier this year that got some rather nice reviews. How did that feel?

Did it?? That's nice. I'm not sure they listened to it properly. What about the shit sandwich review? (Or was that our first EP?) Available in all good retailers! (called Avalanche)

What could we expect to see/hear from your live shows?

See: flailing limbs, dropped picks, wincing band members

Hear: kicked-out leads, forgotten words, shredding, slap bass, Latino spirit, snore-core, tribal rhythms

What does the rest of 2011 hold for you?

Recording! We're busy recording our first proper full-length album, which is exciting. We're doing it all ourselves on my laptop , which should be interesting given our lack of technical knowhow or indeed talent. Luckily we plan on finding someone who knows what they're doing to sort out the mess afterwards; Alex at Swanfield studios has done an amazing job mastering the first couple of tracks so I'm sure we'll end up with something at least half listenable.

What's been your biggest achievement so far?

Achieving the unachievable. Obtaining the unobtainable. Bridging the gulf, filling the void, slaying the dragon and saving the princess. Eating the killer curry. Smelling what's selling.

Thanks for speaking with us, would you care to share a joke with us?

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Trapped.
Trapped who?
Trapped Mice.
Oh.

Check out Trapped Mice's Facebook page, Soundcloud page, Bandcamp page, and follow those lovely guys and gals on Twitter too. Have a wee listen to 'Beauty And The Beast' below as well. Go on, go on, go on.

...And Now For Something Completely Different - 10th October

It's been a while since I took the show down the dance music route, so this week's '...And Now For Something Completely Different' was the 2000 dance hit 'Toca's Miracle' by Fragma.

Enjoy!

Scottish Fiction Playlist - Monday 10th October

This Monday's show on Pulse Community Radio featured a sporty theme. But before the starting gun went for that, there was a full squad of Scottish artists passing the baton to victory.

That's probably the worst set of cliches ever to grace this blog.

In all seriousness Monday's show featured some great music. You can check out the full play list and listen to the show again below.

Fox Gut Daata - Part Of You That Meant To Go On Living
Aereogramme - Barriers
Fragma - Toca's Miracle
Beerjacket - Cave
Fair Ohs - Everything Is Dancing
John Wean - Desperate Dan (She Told Me She Was Single)
The Moth And The Mirror - Germany
Burns Unit - Since We've Fallen Out
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
IndianRedLopez - My Eyes
Wounded Knee - Tomlinson's Rant

Grandstand Theme Tune
Fleetwood Mac - The Chain
Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger
Kraftwerk - Tour De France
Champions League Theme Tune
Queen - We Are The Champions
Simon And Garfunkel - The Boxer
New Order - World In Motion
Bryan Bros Band - Autograph
Dario G - Carnaval De Paris
Belle And Sebastian - Stars Of Track And Field
Half Man Half Biscuit - All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
Andy Cameron - Ally's Tartan Army

Scottish Fiction 10th October 2011 by scottishfiction

Gigs, And The Appropriate Etiquette

I've been going to gigs for a long time. I've been in near enough every performance hall, pub, club, bar, venue in the west of Scotland. I've seen all sorts of musicians, and interacted with all sorts of crowds. I've endured pints raining down on me at The Barrowlands. I've endured elbows in the face during mosh pits. I've endured people standing at an all seating event. I've endured the inevitable "Can I squeeze past please my boyfriend is just up there?". And hand on heart I've also been responsible for the above scenarios on occasion. But one thing, ONE THING, above all that I cannot stand is talking during the performance.

It's a debate which has been around for longer than I have. Most recently The Pop Cop had an article featuring views from acoustic artists Beerjacket and Amber Wilson. I've been meaning to post this for a while so hear goes.

1st of September this year me and my wife went through to Edinburgh to see one of our mutually favourite bands, The Arcade Fire, play at Edinburgh Castle. We'd been excited about it for a while, and in the week before had all three Arcade Fire albums on play constantly. The day came, and off we headed on the train to make a day out of it and have some lunch and a few beers beforehand.

The band were on top form, and 'Wake Up', 'No Cars Go' and 'Ready To Start' were personal highlights. And the setting. Well you'd be hard pushed to see a better backdrop than Edinburgh Castle all lit up.

But the one thing which will sour the whole experience for me, was the group of four middle age (they always seem to be middle aged...) blokes behind us who consistently talked through the whole gig. I've also suffered the same fate at Damien Rice at Edinburgh Queens Hall, Guillemots at The Barrowlands, Bell X1 at King Tut's and many many more.

There's been so much said about it that I'm probably rehashing rather than adding anything new, but it really grinds my gears.

Firstly, why pay a large sum of money to not even listen to what it is you have paid for. Yes lots of stage shows are impressive, and all you need to appreciate them are working eyes, but it's the sound, the music that hooked you to a band in the first place. If you are just going to talk to your mate throughout, then you'd be better sitting in listening to the CD. Live performances give us subtle nuances, little twists and alterations that enhance the listening experience.

Secondly, it's completely and utterly disrespectful, not only to the performing act, but to the other people around you. Stop being so goddamn self centred to think that your conversation cannot wait until after the artist has finished.

Thirdly, it always seems to be during the new songs or less well known songs that talking becomes more prominent. This leads to me assume those who indulge in a gab don't really care about the music. They might have bought a ticket on the back of a strong single, or maybe one particular album they liked. The songs you don't know are the ones you should be paying extra special attention to, because that's where your musical tastes will grow and develop. Yeah it's great to sing along to the best known song, but weren't you expecting that anyway?

And lastly, sadly I think drink does have a part to play in it. Again, hands up, I've been drunk at gigs before. But I also realise that gigs are not just a convient place to go for a night out. It's not a bar or a club. It's an art performance. By all means, get sozzled afterwards, but you wouldn't go to an art gallery drunk, you wouldn't go to the theatre drunk, so why turn up at a gig drunk. Have some self restraint.

...And Now For Something Completely Different - 3rd October

Dolphins. Rather than being gay sharks, they are in fact the second most intelligent species on planet Earth.

"The second most intelligent creatures were of course dolphins who, curiously enough, had long known of the impending destruction of the planet earth. They had made many attempts to alert mankind to the danger, but most of their communications were misinterpreted as amusing attempts to punch footballs or whistle for titbits. So they eventually decided they would leave earth by their own means. The last ever dolphin message was misinterpreted as a surprisingly sophisticated attempt to do a double backward somersault through a hoop while whistling the star-spangled banner, but in fact the message was this: So long and thanks for all the fish."

Love it!

Save BBC Introducing in Scotland

As part of cost cutting measures at the BBC, the below statement represents what is being proposed for the highly successful and extremely popular BBC Introducing in Scotland with Ally McCrae.

"Replace the current late night Nations’ opt-out programmes on Radio 1 with a single programme that would offer a uk-wide platform for undiscovered, unsigned music and emerging talent from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland"

The BBC Introducing shows are a vital part of showcasing the best of new music from each individual area of the UK. In paying particular attention to my own area, Scotland, every band, singer, and artist to have had any degree of success, both artistic or commercial, over the last few years owe a degree of that success to BBC Introducing In Scotland. Championed passionately by Ally McCrae, and before him Vic Galloway, it provides a platform for Scottish artists to gain radio play on our national radio station, which in turn leads to distribution across the UK, other DJ's picking them up, live shows, and even record deals. But more importantly it's a show where the only thing that matters is the music. Do us a favour BBC manangement, don't deprive communities, big and small, of culture and entertainment. If the proposed merger goes ahead, then there is less of a chance of music north of the border being heard. And that is criminal, because there is already far too much great music being produced to be ignored.

There are a number of ways to make your voice heard in opposition to this move.

Firstly sign the online petition here.
Secondly join the Facebook page here.
And thirdly, and most importantly, tell the BBC directly what you think here.

It is HUGELY important that everyone who values music, creativity, originality, hell I'll say it even freedom, takes a few minutes to make their voice heard.

Scottish Fiction Playlist - Monday 3rd October

So it's was back to business on Monday night at Pulse Community Radio with a fresh pack of Scottish tune guaranteed to enhance your life. Or your mood. Or something. I stand by the enhancing.

The theme for this show was religion, and it threw up some rather fine slices of music.

As usual check out the full playlist below and listen to the full show again at the bottom.

Lady North - It's All About Gettin' That Claude Monet
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)
Esperi - My Tear Dissolved The View
Bon Iver - Skinny Love
Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat - The Greatest Story Ever Told
Adam Stafford - Fire & Theft
Joby Talbot - So Long And Thanks For All The Fish
Discopolis - Lofty Ambitions
Echo And The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
Dananananaykroyd - Pink Sabbath
Run Lucky Free - Unicorn

The Monkees - I'm A Believer
Withered Hand - Religious Songs
Biffy Clyro - God And Satan
Faithless - God Is A DJ
Franz Ferdinand - The Fallen
Manic Street Preachers - There By The Grace Of God
Joan Osbourne - What If God Was One Of Us
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Johnny Cash - Personal Jesus
Kanye West - Jesus Walks
R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
The Arcade Fire - (Antichrist Television Blues)

Scottish Fiction 3rd October 2011 by scottishfiction

iPhone Music Apps

Smart phones have taken such a grip over our lives in the last five years. And with the affordability of such devices coming right down an iPhone, Blackberry or such like is more like an accessory these days. Offering so much more than phone calls, it's testament to the power of these devices that even this post has been wrote and published using the 'blogger' app on my iPhone.

Which leads me to the point, what are the best apps available for music fans, and what benefits will try provide you. Here's my rundown on which apps you should have on your iPhone.

Soundcloud - Available to download for free and free to set up an account, it has an easy to use interface letting you search for artists pages and stream the content. As with the website you can follow people meaning they will be easy to find in future. And if you're partial to uploading your own material you can do so via this app as well. (Make sure you follow my account , wilsonnj, to hear all the past episodes of my Scottish Fiction radio show)

Bandcamper - Available to download for free and simple to use. Search for an artist using the search function, save favourites to allow you to easily return to the with the favourites function, and if your feeling lucky browse through using either top sellers, genre or location. You can then listen to tracks hosted on the artists page for free. Great stuff! (Feel free to add my page 'Scottish Fiction' to your favourites to get access to my monthly EP's)

TuneIn Radio - Perhaps you'd rather listen to the radio during your daily commute. Well the TuneIn Radio app is for you! Free to download it let's you sear h for stations easily giving you a choice of different genres and also using your location to offer local stations. Again favourites can be saved to the presets tab. (Make sure you save Pulse Community Radio to your favourites and tune in every Monday at 9pm for my show)

Scottish Fiction Teaser

Time for a teaser says I!

With only one hour left to convince y'all to listen to my show tonight it's gotta be big and it's gotta be good.

So tune in from 9pm tonight on Pulse Community Radio on 98.4 FM or online at www.pulseonair.co.uk for a track from the soon to be defunct Dananananaykroyd and lots more.

Scottish Fiction September EP

September has came and gone, but leaving behind in it's Autumny wake another Scottish Fiction EP.

This month's EP is an absolute belter, which some of my favourite Scottish artists about at the moment. All of them have been kind enough to feature on the blog's Q&A 'We're Only Here For The Banter' over the past four week's. As well as sharing their words, they are also sharing their music, and you can download the full EP for FREE below. Also check out the links to each artists Q&A.

Shambles Miller
Collar Up
Reverieme
Where We Lay Our Heads

You can download the full EP for free here, and also stream below. Enjoy!



Don't forget to check out past month's EP's here!

Gig Review - Lou Hicky @ Crofthead Bowling Club

"I never thought I'd be playing a gig in Neilston", muses Lou Hickey midway through her hometown gig. Neither did I expect to be attending a gig in Neilston, but such is life!

The night's show was part of a wider Neilston Live! initiative which runs each year in the village. Having toured as one half of the successful Codeine Velvet Club, and recently putting out her own EP, 'Minutes, Hours, Days', having Lou Hickey perform at a local bowling club is a pretty big coup.

The support was offered by another local artist Sean Gilles, a.k.a. The Lonely Boy. However due to my notorious tardiness, I missed most of his set. Rumour had it that it was a good performance, and I'm willing to go along with that on the basis of the last song 'End Of The Line' which culminated with frantic strumming his acoustic guitar.

Being a village bowling club, it would be wrong not to take advantage of the cheap drink on offer. 10 minutes and a fresh pint later Lou Hickey, backed by a full band, takes to the stage. The set kicks off with older track 'Realist Romeo' which has a soft pop backing track and showcases Hickey's vintage voice well. It's an intimate affair and Hickey shows her support to the local community, many of whom I'm sure would be unlikely to attend such a gig were it in Glasgow or Edinburgh. Hickey recognised this and is kind to the crowd to throw in some covers throughout the set, the first of which is a cover of John Lennon's '(Just Like) Starting Over'.

Hickey also pays tribute to the fact that many people know her from the Codiene Velvet Club, by treating us to a track that she penned for the band about the 'horrors' of the music industry with a funky bassline that James Brown would have been proud off. Having tipped her hat to the pub where she used to work, and recognising that an audience of Neilstoners is far more rowdy than an audience in Edinburgh, we all get coaxed into some hand claps for the next track. Taken from her latest EP of the same name, 'Minutes, Hours, Days' lifts the tempo and is one of the standout tracks of the evening.

The band were clearly comfortable as the banter onstage flowed towards the bar, with a request for a refill Morgan's & Coke coming from behind the piano. The next track, a smootchy number from the forthcoming album (hopefully 2012), hinted towards Hickey's love of blues, jazz and burleqsue. And whilst we are in this 'bluesy' mood, the band decide the time is right for some freestyle jazz indulgence. Their cover of 'Summertime' treats us to smokey vocals, sexy sax solo, and a kickass bass solo. 

It's time for an onstage switch, which see's Hickey take place behind the piano, and our first trumpet track of the night. A more songs, infused with what the band define as 'Gay Jazz', and it's time for another cover, this time from 50's rocker Jerry Lee Lewis. 'Great Balls Of Fire' get's the crowd fired up for the home stretch. 'Waiting For The Night' and 'Are We In Love?' take us through to the theatrical part, where we 'pretend' the band leave the stage and return for their well deserved encore.

Again, tipping her hat to the success of CVC, Hickey plays a solo version of the track which still earns her money, 'Vanity Kills', and it's a lovely stripped back piano driven version, showcasing Hickey's undoubtedly strong vocals. It's now time for everyone in Neilston under the age of 40 who has had guitar lessons to show some appreciation for the legend that is Mr Hickey, a.k.a. Lou's dad, as he takes the stage for what I'm sure must be a lovely moment. The track is dedicated to her fiancee, and it ends with a suitably classic 60's outro. Next track is another EP track, and also one which Hickey performed live on my show 'Scottish Fiction' on Pulse Community Radio, *shameless plug alert* which you can download for FREE here. 'You!' is another of the set's highlights, and leads us to the last song of the evening which is a cover of a Zombies' song.

Or is it? Somewhat taken back, Hickey returns to the stage for a real encore, and squeezes in one last track, a number she wrote with Jonathan Carr called 'Perfect In Me'. A great end to a great night.

Check out more of Lou Hickey on her website, on Facebook, on Myspace and lastly on Twitter.

Also follow the hyperlinks to check out the Q&A she did for the blog a few weeks back, plus listen to the live session she did for the show on Pulse 98.4 FM, AND download the free 'Scottish Fiction' August EP which features a track from Lou Hickey. Phew!

You can also check out more about The Lonely Boy here. Enjoy!

We're Only Here For The Banter - Where We Lay Our Heads

Where We Lay Our Heads are a 6 piece band from Glasgow who make what their Facebook page describes as haunting folk rock. All labels aside it should simply be enough that they make good music, which fans of Beerjacket and Loch Awe would enjoy. Their songs are written with heart and delicacy, and they have been making quite a name for themselves gigging over the last 12 months. Lead singer Wull Swales was kind enough to put some words into coherent sentences, which neatly answers questions. Have a read...

Hello, how are you?

Great thanks, and yourself?

None too shabby thank you! Tell us a little bit about your music and influences.

Hmm I guess it's always tough describing your own stuff. @canigetap on Twitter called us “Classic soaring, Scottish folk pop” which could be right, let's go for that. I like to think the music as kinda dark uplifting pop, we've also been described as “haunting” but it depends how you look at the lyrics, the EP we're working on right now “Remember You Are Mortal” is an example of that, it's not necessarily a reminder of death, but of life I guess. Influence wise recently a lot of it is pretty close to home, I like finding little things you can connect to and the idea that amazing things can be made next door so people like Peter Howson & Iain Banks and music-wise we'd all agree on stuff like Malcolm Middleton, Withered Hand, Beerjacket, Frightened Rabbit, Broken Records, Mogwai and a lot of Fence stuff too, i.e.King Creosote. And Chemical Underground stuff, i.e. The Phantom Band, and Song By Toad as well, which looks like I'm basically covering the entire Scottish folk bases. Let's throw Dougie MacLean in there as well!

Scotland has a thriving music scene. How do you find being a part of that?

I love that we're considered a part of it! Glasgow and Scotland in general is a great place to be right now musically, not just the diversity but the amount of good quality bands that are coming through. I really like the community aspect of the Scottish scene as well.

Which Scottish artists would you recommend to the Scottish Fiction readers?

Is there a word limit on this? I believe you have Shambles and Reverieme covered but they'd probably be in our list. John Knox Sex Club, Over The Wall, Conquering Animal Sound, Shooting Stansfield, White Heath, Esperi, Letters, Loch Awe, Cancel The Astronauts, So Many Animal Calls, Blue Sky Archives, Trapped In Kansas, Cafe Disco, Kate Dunn & The Redundants The Last Battle, How To Swim... there are too many good bands kicking around.

What is your songwriting process like?

Songwriting-wise it's kinda split but generally it'll start with me at home and I'll figure out a little vocal hook, or I'll have some lyrics written on the back of my hand or in my phone or it'll be just a little riff on guitar and just let it build up to a point where I'm confident enough to record a demo or bring the song to band practice and we'll just build up the track in our practice room.

What could we expect to see/hear from your live shows?

You can expect 6+ people all playing classic soaring Scottish folk pop and awkward banter and a lot of fun.

What does the rest of 2011 hold for you?

We've got an awesome secret house show this week, then October 15th we head down to Manchester to play Carefully Planned festival with bands like Shoes and Socks Off, Juffage, Loose Talk Costs Lives, Just Handshakes (We're British) and fellow Glasweigans Silver Caves, then we support David Dondero at Nice 'N' Sleazy on the 21st with our buddies Lovers Turn To Monsters. And on November 7th we get to support The Shivers at Mono with again our friends Randolph's Leap. We'll also be starting work on the new EP too of course.

What's been your biggest achievement so far?

I dunno, it's hard to say. I think getting to support bands like I'm From Barcelona, The Black Atlantic, Withered Hand, Grandfather Birds and Jeniferever were great. Summer Nights festival was great too. As well as the support press-wise we've had some nice coverage from the podcasts and a few BBC plays north and south of the border. We only played our first full band show in February and we keep on getting better and better offers and opportunities, can't wait to see what our answer would be to this question in 6 months time.

Thanks for speaking to us!

You can check out more from Where We Lay Our Heads on their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter, and get access to their music on Bandcamp. I leave you with this video of Wull performing the track 'Little Death'. Enjoy!