Tonight sees the opening night of King Tut's New Year's Revolution featuring a set by Apache Darling, one of this blog's favourite Glasgow bands. There's around three weeks worth of gigs to come showcasing the best local talent such as Stillhound and The Van T's, but as a preview of every show would make this as long as one of our usual Depeche Mode pieces, we've picked two gigs to focus on. If you're going to go to any of the 14 King Tut's New Year's Revolution shows, make them these two.
January 15 - The Insomniac Project
This year is going to be The Insomniac Project's year. Their superb disco infused electronic pop has come on in leaps and bounds and their live shows are unmissable. It is only going to be a matter of time until your friends start talking about them, so get in there first and head to King Tut's on Sunday January 15. The band are supported by Elle Exxe, North Atlas and Stray Saints with a DJ set from Vinyl Noise Blog there too.
There's not much to say about Mt Doubt that I have already said in previous blogs. There is no other band that sounds like Mt Doubt on the local scene just now and, like The Insomniac Project, this year surely has big things in store for them. Powerful, dark yet uplifting melodic post rock tunes enhanced by a stirring live band are what to expect and, if you haven't heard Mt Doubt, then this gig would be the best place to start. The band are supported by Crow's Feet, Sea Captain and Skjor with a DJ set from Podcart.
2015 has been a year when my ears have been stuffed with outstanding new tunes both from seasoned artists and from new ones. One of the many wonderful things about writing this blog is the number of tunes that artists send me to listen to, so Best Single focuses on songs that have been sent to me or that I've stumbled upon online. That means Everything Everything miss out for No Reptiles and Hot Chip miss out for Hurrache Lights but they'll cope. This isn't going to be a top twenty however as I don't want to miss anything out from what has been a great year for music - instead, it'll be a review of sorts followed by the virtual handing over of the virtual award.
Electronic music is this blog's main thing and a number of acts I've got to know and whose music I love have released a number of singles this year and they are all worth listening to if you haven't already. Leading the way are Tongues who's three singles (Anymore, Religion and You Never Knew Me) have all been on heavy rotation round here this year. Check out Tongues Soundcloud page other them all. What makes Tongues stand out is the sheer digital perfection of their take on electronic pop. At the other end of that spectrum, you'll find the "melancholitronica" of Shards three singles ( Just To Get Something Started, Afterwards and Sad Sayonara, Goodbye) fit the band's self anointed description perfectly. Clever, thoughtful electronic music that, like Tongues, won't fail to move you. Again, check out Shards Soundcloud page to enjoy the music yourself.
Apache Darling are another band who've rightly grabbed a lot of attention this year. Firebird was an example of powerful synthpop that really caught my ear this year. Their powerful love performances are always worth catching too. Also on the pop front, Kloe's Grip and Touch were highlights this year. You suspect that big things await Kloe. One of my real favourites this year were Twi§ted, the Glasgow based duo who are going to be huge next year. Everything they've released this year has been superb and Scunnered was a close runner up to the event winner of this award. Here's the video for the track that the band released last week
Continuing the electronic theme, Shona Brown had a superb year with her 10 in 10 project which saw her release a single a month from November 2014 onwards. This year's Your Silence Is So Loud was my favourite of the bunch. Fiona Soe Paing's Heartbeat and Analog Angel's Your Breath showed new exciting sides to acts, both of which promise much for the future. Let's not forget HQFU too whose Dust & Dirt and Ca$hle$$ Lip$ have already seen an Almost Predictable head her way. YuTaNi gave us one of this year's great tracks with Mt. Minakami. Away from Scotland, synthpop singles by Rodney Cromwell, High Jinx and the superb Priest were also highlights. Death Of Hi Fi's superb Swim Away is also a track you really have to catch from 2015.
It wasn't all synthpop though. Edinburgh's Gus Harrower produced confident, insanely catchy pop with Girl I Didn't Know and the marvellous Mt Doubt's Soak was a towering beast of a song. Wozniak and Kill The Waves also produced some superb material and Woodenbox gave us one of the songs of the year with More Girl Than Friend.
There's only one Almost Predictable however and this year, the Almost Predictable for Best Single goes to The Insomniac Project for their frankly perfect debut single In And Out (Of My Head) which this blog was proud to exclusively preview in August. This band is surely bound to get bigger and bigger. Their music is infectious and their live performances already have something of a celebratory air to them that should only see them play to bigger and bigger audiences as they develop. One to keep and eye on for certain. I caught up with Debz and Andy from the band for a chat. Before we get to that though, have a listen to the track
APA: Congratulations on winning the Almost Predictable for Best Single for In And Out (Of My Head). How's 20125 been for you?
Andy: It's been a great year, put simply. Even though we launched as a band in late 2014, we feel that this has been the first year that we can look back on and appreciate what we've done. We've hit a few milestones that we wanted to hit and, most importantly, we are on the up and pushing forward with more exciting things. We're played some great shows and still have a couple more to play, so for me, personally, having the connection and energy on stage and seeing it rub off on the crowd has been a highlight.
APA: What have been your highlights of this year?
Debz: There are two highlights for me. Our single launch at Sleazy's was mega. The venue was packed and the atmosphere was amazing. (APA: I was there and it was). I have to say though, our recent gig at King Tut's with Crash Club and Our Future Glory was something else! I've seen so many of my favourite bands play there, so I felt a bit giddy. It was a wicked night, although I think I'm still feeling the effects of the overzealous lighting man and his extreme strobe action!
APA: How did you find the reaction to the single? It seemed to go down extremely well.
Debz: We were a bit overwhelmed with the reaction to the single, so many kind words from bloggers and journalists. It was definitely what we wanted for the first single, but it's certainly not what we expected. In fact, we got quite a few emails that we were looking at thinking "Is this spam? Because if not it's AMAZING!"
APA: Your live shows are fast developing a reputation for being something special - how have you found the reaction to your gigs this year?
Debz: We've only played a small number of gigs, so to see people dancing and singing along to stuff is brilliant. I'd like to think we always bring loads of energy to the live shows, so it's amazing to see the audience getting into it too. We're definitely going to try and play a lot more next year.
APA: What are your plans for 2016?
Debz: As well as getting a few more gigs under our belt, we're working on a new single. I get the feeling 2016 will come with as many surprises as 2015. We've got a bit of a plan in mind, but the exciting thing is seeing what unexpected things happen along the way.
Andy: Yeah, as Debz say, we do have a plan in mind, however, ultimately we just want to keep growing as a band and keep having fun. We feel we've only just scratched the surface as far as exploring sounds and writing material is concerned so there will be plenty of time spent creating new songs and, critically, letting our fans hear them live and on record.
APA: Finally, given how this blog began there's an obligatory Depeche Mode question. What's your favourite Depeche Mode track?
Andy: Got to be honest, I'm not the biggest DM fan (sorry) (APA - that's ok...) however they do have a couple of cracking songs. Personal Jesus is really tribal and has a great drive to it - out of their big hits that's definitely my favourite. As a more left field option. The Things You Said from Music For The Masses is a really nice song. It screams 80's New Romantic, however it does have a sense of timelessness about it and some of the synth lines and lead parts are beautiful. It's a sort of lullaby almost, similar to Asleep by The Smiths which is another song I love
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Basically, picking The Things You Said forgives any suggestion of not being a big DM fan - easily one of the band's most wonderful tracks. Anyway....thanks very much to The Insomniac Project for taking part and I look forward to hearing what the band has to come for 2016. As for all the other bands who've sent me songs this year, thank you too and please feel free to keep sending as much music as you want next year and beyond.
Congratulations to The Insomniac Project - well deserved!
Over two weeks in July, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut is hosting a series of gigs under the heading Summer Nights. Throughout the month, over 50 Scottish bands and DJ's are playing at the venue, showcasing the best new music Scotland has to offer. The full list of gigs is pretty impressive and can be viewed here - click
Last night, I went along to a show to see three of my favourite new bands. Unfortunately, I had to leave before AmatrArt came on which was a pity as I'd have love to have seen them too. Before I go on to the bands, I've got to say how much I enjoyed the Podcart DJ set betI cween bands too. Superb tracks including Bjork's Violently Happy which never fails to make me make me at least consider dancing. Nice work Halina
Miracle Strip (dodgy pics above and below my own) kicked off the night and started us off well. Their Miracle Milk is something I've been playing a lot recently and it was really pleasing to see how well the songs came across live. Took A Running Jump was a highlight for me, mainly because it's one of the best tracks I've heard in a while but the whole set worked. The band's combination of New Order and early Cure like atmospherics with vocals that marvellously bring to mind The Magnetic Fields is a winner and tracks like Lemon Sorbet and Girl Gang were just fantastic.
Le Thug followed Miracle Strip and their set was just as good as I hoped it would be. Their Place Is ep is a stunner and it's one that I've played over and over on my clear vinyl 12" copy. I have to mention that as clear vinyl is surely the coolest of the coloured vinyls. Anyway, their set featured most of the e.p.with Pals and Basketball Land sounding just as menacing yet noisily beautiful as the do on record. Live, the band generate a quite mesmerising sound and it was a really powerful show that I couldn't take my eyes off. There's a shoegaze influence at play no doubt but more towards the louder end of Ride or My Bloody Valentine where noise meets melody and works incredibly well. Le Thug are a special band no doubt.
Next up were blog favourites and recent interviewees Apache Darling who, despite writing about a lot, I'd never managed to see live. Like Le Thug, Apache Darling's live show more than matched up to their releases and they gave the crowd half an hour of quite marvellous synthpop. Opening with the superb More Than Me the band grabbed the crowd's attention from the off and the whole set was excellent. More Than Me aside, one song that really stood out for me was Go which was almost Yazoo like and that can only ever be a good thing. The band have recently spent a good bit of time honing their live sound and that work has paid off. The combination of their crisp electropop with Stefanie's frankly brilliant voice is a winner and you really want to catch them live if you can. The fact Andrew manages to play three live synths with no backing tracks is no mean feat either. It was a great set and it really got the whole room going,
As I said at the start, apologies to AmatrArt who I really wanted to see but couldn't stick around for. I gather their set was unsurprisingly great and I'll make sure I catch them next time. In the meantime, if you can, try and get along to one or two of the remaining King Tut's Summer Nights and enjoy what is clearly something of a golden age for Scottish music. Keep an eye on all the bands above too as you will want to see them live as soon as you can
As regular readers will know, I'm something of a fan of Glasgow's synthpop duo Apache Darling, having first fallen under their spell last year when I heard their superb debut single More Than Me. I'm not alone in this as the band's fanbase has steadily grown since that song's release through a series of much talked about live shows, radio appearances (including an appearance on Radio Scotland's Janice Forsyth show this week) and their second single Firebird. Big things are surely about to happen for Apache Darling and this Saturday they take their first steps towards whatever those big things may be with an appearance on the T Break Stage at T In The Park. That will swiftly be followed by an appearance at Glasgow's King Tut's on 21 July as part of that venue's Summer Nights 2015 month of gigs. I caught up with Apache Darling, who are Stefanie Lawrence (vocals) and Andrew Black (synthesizers), to have a chat about T in The Park, King Tut's and more.
APA: You've got some fairly high profile gigs coming up, starting with your appearance on the T Break Stage at T In The Park. Daft question I suppose, but are you looking forward to it?
Stefanie: YES! We honestly can't wait. Although Apache Darling is just over a year old, I've been wanting to play T In The Park for years. For this to be our first U.K. festival show, and with it being the 20th anniversary of T In The Park, it feels like a perfect start.
APA: What can we expect from your T In The Park show?
Andrew: People who have seen us playing live before can expect a totally new experience with this show. We've ditched all trace of backing tracks, which was something we felt strongly about doing, and the band has a much greater energy as a result. Expect huge electronics and pop writing, but with the feel of a pretty heavy rock band. Mixed with the atmosphere of T, it should be an epic sound!
APA: Hot on the heels of that you have King Tut's on 21 July with AmatrAnt, Miracle Strip and Le Thug. That's a rather cool line up - you must be excited?
Stefanie: Yes again! We're really just excited to unleash this new live sound and I think that the line up for Tut's will make for a really exciting night. We still have some tickets available for this one which you can buy via our Big Cartel store for only £5 (http://apachedarling.bigcartel.com)
APA: King Tut's obviously has quite a status as a live venue. What are your thoughts about playing there?
Andrew: We love it. It's of course a very famous venue, but it really does live up to the hype. It's kind of the perfect size and when it's full of people, the energy is amazing on stage. We've played there once before. We've played there once before, but it was a last minute thing and our band weren't involved, so it'll be fun to play there with live bass and drums, and in front of a crowd who know our sound.
APA: You recently played in Toronto at NXNE - how was that?
Stefanie: Toronto was a really special one. We're unsigned and don't even have a manager, so the trip was fan-funded, something we're immensely grateful for. We played two packed out shows in one night and gained a lot of new fans. Canadian audiences are great fun and take live music very seriously: they really have a sincere respect for musicians and Toronto especially is a great artsy town.
APA: What are you plans for the next few months? Can we expect an album?
Andrew: We've just spent a week working on our live show with a musical director from England. He's worked on stadium shows for guys like Robbie Williams and currently tours with Bryan Ferry, so he really knows what he's doing and has really helped us enhance our sound. We're aiming to record some new material in Autumn and start putting out new tracks by the end of the year. We also have some more shows coming up that we'll be announcing soon, so follow our socials for updates on those shows (links below).
Thanks very much to Stefanie and Andrew for sparing the time to chat. As you've read above, keep an eye on the band's Facebook page (Apache Darling Facebook) and follow them on Twitter at @APACHEDARLING for all upcoming gig info.
My ability to miss Glasgow based electronic bands never fails to amaze me. Rather than speaking to my failings however, I think it speaks more to the city's current remarkable stream of electronic or electronic influenced bands the most recent of which to grab my attention are Miracle Strip. I was delighted to be a guest on proper Scottish music blog Scottish Fiction's radio show on Pulse 98.4 on Thursday this week and, as I sat in silence watching Neil Wilson run around doing several hundred things at once including hosting a radio show, I heard Took A Running Jump by Miracle Strip which blew me away. Listen to it right now...
Combining hook laden music with deep, almost soulful vocals, Took A Running Jump is an instant hit and the whole Magic Milk ep is filled with similarly wonderful tunes. The duo, comprising Fergus Christie on vocals and synths and Malcolm Bruce Jack on synths, guitars and programming, have something quite special about them and, as belated as my discovery of them might be, they are yet another hugely welcome addition to this blog's New Bands 2015 section. They'll be appearing with blog faves Apache Darling, Le Thug and AmatrAnt at King Tut's on 21 July as part of that venue's Summer Nights programme and that is surely bound to be a marvellous evening, especially when topped off with a DJ stint from Podcart. Go and check out Miracle Strip immediately.
Following the success of Almost Scottish Fiction Volume 1, we and Scottish Fiction are delighted to announce the release of Almost Scottish Fiction Volume 2. For this release, we've increased the number of tracks from 4 to 6, giving you 50% more new Scottish music that is entirely free to download, listen to and fall in love with. Once you've grabbed this, go and check out the bands' websites, Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, see them live and buy their music. This month's tracks are:
APACHE DARLING - MORE THAN ME
Apache Darling are a synthpop duo from Glagsow who produce some of the finest pop music the city has produced in ages. More Than Me was the first track they released and it rightly gained a lot of attention. Apache Darling are a genuinely thrilling prospect and More Than Me captures all that is great about this band
very very small inclusions - RAIN RAIN
With a band name taken from the grading scale used to judge the clarity of diamonds, you'd expect crystalline clear music from very very small inclusions. What you get is a dispersion of influences and ideas, with themes of introspection. This track, Rain Rain features heavy tom-toms, with pure and acoustic sounds, and airy vocals. This track is taken from the band's album Dispersions.
TONGUES - ANYMORE
Tongues is Tim Kwant from Kill The Waves solo project and Anymore was his first release. The song was a smash on Soundcloud and the buzz it created spread far and wide. A slice of laid back electro pop with a huge chorus, Anymore will grab you straight away and never let you go.
BEAM - HEX
BEAM is the glorious sounds of singer and songwriter Amy MacDougall, who has been in the past better known for contributing to other people's music; for example King Creosote. However, Hex is the sound of her own music, mysterious vocal loops, cello, piano and an overall dreamy feel.
THE INSOMNIAC PROJECT - BREAKAWAY
The Insomniac Project have kindly allowed us to use a brand new track, Breakaway and it is a cracker. Disco fused with LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip, Breakaway is destined to get anyone grooving. The band play a headline show at Stereo in Glasgow on May 30 - go along and watch Breakaway work its disco magic
SEAS, STARRY - NEWARK
Coming from the Aberdeen four piece's album Tyto Alba, Newark is a perfect illustration of the effects laden ambient music that Seas, Starry produce so well. Taking influence from the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Errors, the band drag the listener's ear to the furthest edges of electronic instrumental music
In July 2013 ( http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/glasgow-endless-glasgows-electronic.html ) I took a look at four local bands who I'd just discovered were playing electronic music in Glasgow. This was a fairly new concept to me as, to my knowledge at the time, the Glasgow music scene didn't feature much, if any electronic music. Since I wrote that piece however, things have changed significantly, driven by a combination of the global success of Chvrches and the city's continually innovative and inspiring music scene. I felt that it was something well worth revisiting and so caught up with five bands to find out what they think of the current scene.
I spoke to a mix of bands, some established (Machines In Heaven, Atom Tree), some making their mark (Apache Darling) and some new and hotly tipped (The Insomniac Project, Happy Meals) and the general feeling was the same throughout - the electronic music scene in Glasgow is as buoyant as it ever has been, and that is an exceptionally good thing. Once you've read this piece, do check out the bands it contains, but don't stop there; seek out as many others as you can from the industrial turned sleek electro pop sounds of Analog Angel to the perfect machine pop of Twissted to the cinematic electronics of Malmo. Glasgow is currently covering all bases. Even as I wrote that sentence, the likes of Errors and Turtle sprang to mind for example. There is so much going on that it's almost impossible to fully cover and that's a rather beautiful thing. Even this week, I've profiled two new bands in Tongues and Kloe and it's only a matter of time until I find more. Anyway, enough rambling - let's chat to the bands.
1. MACHINES IN HEAVEN
Machines In Heaven
As regular readers will know, one band I have been particularly taken with is Machines In Heaven. They debut release, the superb Glasgow Jihad e.p. was followed by 2014's debut album bordersbreakdown displayed a mix of electronica that sounded like it came from a seasoned band, not a debutant. The band's Hindu Milk e.p, which like bordersbreakdown was released on Glasgow's superb Hotgem label, rounded off 2014 in superb style with the band coming moving more towards electronics in a sublime way. I asked them how things had progressed for them since Glasgow Jihad: MiH: "A marked change is that we're playing less gigs but bigger ones, for example, The Art School Mental Health Scotland show and The Pleasance in Edinburgh. We've done sessions for Radio Scotland and pulse FM and even popped our London cherry."
APA: Do you see Hindu Milk as a progression from bordersbreakdown? MiH: "Very much. It's the first time the three of us have written songs together so that explains the different sound. There are three distinctive styles on there too but having said that we are maintaining the loose set of 'rules' we developed for borders - epic but melodic sound, huge outdo, a subtle blend of all our tastes. There are also more vocals and synths though we're not ditching the guitars in any way."
APA: What do you think of the current Glasgow electronic scene? Has it changed much since we last spoke?
MiH: "If anything it's got even stronger. We've been commenting recently that it's hard to find new guitar bands because everyone is doing an electro 2 or 3 piece. We don't try to sound like a particular scene though. We just do the thing we're doing, and people say we sound different so we're happy with that. Glasgow's a victim of its own success- there's so much happening every weekend it's hard to get people to come to your gigs!"
Machines In Heaven really are one to watch and 2015 is going to be a huge year for them. As well as their Glasgow gigs (next up March 13th at The Old Hairdressers) they are going to play a small English tour, will hopefully pop up at festivals on both sides of the border and will start to narrow down their 50 or so demos for their second album which will hopefully arrive towards the middle of the year. Keep an eye on the Machines.
2. ATOM TREE
Machines' labelmates, Atom Tree, are a band I mentioned towards the tail end of my July 2013 article. Like Machines, their profile has risen hugely since then and their Clouds e.p. at the end of 2014 was a superb release. I asked Shaun, the band's founding member how the last 18 months had gone for the band:
Atom Tree
AT: "The last 18 months have been fantastic. I finally found a singer and got play some of the best festivals in Scotland, as well as having two e.p's out. It feels liked we've played a lot of gigs in the last 18 months and I'm looking forward to writing new music"
APA: What about the current electronic scene in Glasgow? How do you see that?
AT: "From the bands we've played with, there is a lot of talent out there. Sad City is one that sticks out. I've played with him twice and his live shows are spectacular. The Simple Things festival in 2014 really highlighted the quality of Glaswegian electronic music as well as the quality of electronic music that Glasgow attracts."
APA: What are your plans for 2015?
AT: "The plan is to get an album and tour ready. The album will probably feature 8 of the best songs I've written in the last year plus any new songs that spring up during the album writing sessions. I'm still working on the balance of instrumental to vocal tracks at the moment, so it will be a challenge but I'm looking forward to it."
There's no doubt that 2015 can be a huge year for Atom Tree. Check out Hold On below to hear how good they are
3. APACHE DARLING
One band who have really caught my attention this year are Apache Darling. The band comprise Stefanie Lawrence and Andrew Black and they play some of the most perfect synthpop you'll hear. They first came to the world's attention last year with the release of the magnificent More Than Me and quickly followed that with a residency at Glasgow's best electronic venue Broadcast. As well as all this they've managed to gather a lot of radio play from Radio 1 to 6 Music to XFM and success surely awaits them. Prior to their second release, the superb Firebird they found time to speak to me.
APA: An easy one to start - tell us about you influences.
Andrew: "I learned piano listening to the likes of Elton John and then became quite obsessed with David Bowie and Jean Michel Jarre which led me onto synthesizers. Hearing bands like OMD, ELO and Gary Numan blend electronics with classic pop set off something in my imagination"
Stefanie: "I grew up with 50's rock 'n' roll courtesy of my Dad and my singing teachers were the Beatles and Brenda Lee. My mum introduced me to the other musical decades and mu higher education came from Prince and Bowie."
APA: How do you see your music? You've used the hashtag #thenewpop on social media - what's that all about?
Stefanie: "I'm really driven by melody and hooks. #thenewpop represents the new era of the classic pop song. It's almost nostalgia - what we think a pop song should be"
Andrew: "There are two sides to it: mainstream bands will try and crowbar in synth sounds because it's popular whereas new bands can try and be too cool and dark and don't write songs you want to hear again and again. I think we have a good balance of ballsy analog synths and good catchy pop songs."
APA: What are the band's plans for 2015?
Andrew: "We've been blown away by the support we've had, particularly online. At this point we're concentrating on building our catalogue and fanbase."
Stefanie: "We've had a brilliant six months and it's only the beginning. We'll be putting our second single online soon (Firebird - released after this interview). It's so reassuring to see the support we've had considering we're unsigned and unknown."
APA: And finally, what do you think of Glasgow's electronic scene at the moment?
Andrew: "The trend right now is definitely leaning towards electronic. There's a flurry of great new bands who alcove under that umbrella and they're all doing pretty well. Where I think we stand out is that we're not afraid to call our music pop and I think people always relate to that"
I certainly do. If Apache Darling's two releases thus far are a guide, the pop world could well have some new synthpop heroes on the way.
4. THE INSOMNIAC PROJECT
Another band who have grabbed me recently are new kids on the scene The Insomniac Project. They are a 6 piece who play a lovely brand of hugely catchy electro pop. They have only released two tracks so far, Parallels and Shake Those Demon both of which bring to mind all sorts from disco to the popper end of the DFA spectrum to Hot Chip and beyond. I had a chat to Andy from the band
APA: It's the influences question again - tell us about the band's inspirations:
TIP: "Myself and Gaz are pretty much influenced by anything DFA related from LCD to Holy Ghost! and beyond. We also take the indie side of our influences from the like of Bloc Party and mix that with the likes of The 2 Bears."
APA: And how would you describe your music? What's the #nosleepforthedreamers hashtag all about?
TIP: "We want to have a crisp, polished sound that lends it to a commercial feel, embracing our pop side. On stage though, we want it to be more dynamic. As there's six of us we're on top of each other and we feed off each other's energy. The hashtag was a tagline I first came up with when I came up with the idea for the group. It ties in with the band's name and with the idea of escapism, about using music as an escape from the mundanity of everyday life."
APA: What about Glasgow's current electronic scene - how do you see that?
TIP: "It's on the up. Obviously, Chvrches have done amazingly. Bands like Atom Tree and Apache Darling are barking up the same tree as us so hopefully we can all flourish this year."
APA; Talking of this year, what does 2015 have in store for you?
TIP: "Short term, hopefully a few more demos before our show at The Old Hairdressers on February 27th. We then plan on writing and releasing an e.p and we'd love to play shows with some more established acts.
As Andy mentioned there, the band play The Old Hairdressers in Glasgow on February 27th and it will no doubt be quite a show.
5. HAPPY MEALS
The final band I caught up with are Happy Meals who released their debut album Apero on Glasgow's Night School Records last year. A mix of cosmic synth genius and analog disco joy, the album was one of my favourites of last year. Suzi from the band granted me an audience.
APA: Tell us about the history of Happy Meals?
HM: "Saturn's moons aligned with Neptune and the cosmic vibrations turned us to each other. We have grown up together and, in the last year, decided to start making music together. Apero is the culmination.
APA: How pleased were you with the album?
HM: "So pleased. We've made many new friends and have explored bright horizons thanks to the kindness of people who have liked the album. It's a real pleasure to know that people all around the world are listening to and enjoying our music. It's beyond our expectations."
APA: And what are your 2015 plans?
HM: "We're touring for two weeks at the start of April with our good friend Michael from Apostle. We'll also be putting our minds and hearts together for the next album starting in the summer."
CONCLUSION TIME AGAIN
At the moment, Glasgow has as vibrant an electronic scene as anywhere else I can think of. The five bands who I've interviewed all come from different ends of the electronic spectrum, but they all have in common their fantastic music. It's a real joy to have discovered these and bands and to keep discovering more every week. If you are from Glasgow, celebrate this scene and dive in. See the bands live, but their releases and be proud that the city is producing such a diverse range of outstanding music. If you'r not from here, come and see us and join in. You'll find all the electronic music you need.
Thanks very much to everyone for giving up their time to speak to me. All the links to the bands' Facebook and Twitter pages are found in the articles above
(c) Almost Predictable. Almost 2015. No part of this article is to be reproduced without the prior consent of the author.
Glasgow's newest synth stars Apache Darling have released a new track Firebird, one which I can't stop playing at the moment. The track follows last year's More Than Me and offers a different sound to that song. Firebird is a slower, less obviously pop track but still manages to provide a chorus that is impossible to forget once heard and manages to embrace all that is good about synth pop. It's a great song and one that again confirms how much promise this band has. Trust me, one listen and you'll be hooked - click play below....
For more information on Apache Darling, check out their website here or their Facebook page here and look out for the forthcoming Glasgow Electronic Too blog on here which features an exclusive interview with them.
I don't know what it is about Glasgow and synthesizers at the moment, but the city simply cannot stop producing outstanding electronic music. I must admit that today is the first time that I have heard Apache Darling but after a couple of listens to More Than Me, the lead track from the forthcoming e.p. of the same name, I'm hooked.
More Than Me is a near perfect slice of synthpop with its' classic electronic pop melodies, a killer chorus and fantastic vocals. Any fan of electronic music should get straight onto this. Apache Darling are definitely a band to watch. If More Than Me is a taste of what's to come, then we are in for a real treat.
The band have announced a residency at Broadcast in Glasgow with gigs on 30th July and 6th, 13th and 23rd August. Tickets available here . It goes without saying that you should should get tickets for one if not all of these shows.
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