Into The Music

INTO THE

MUSIC FREE

THE MILL: THE STORY SO FAR

The Mill has become a firm favourite among Scottish gig-goers in the relatively short time of its operation.

For those unfamiliar with the project, it’s a night that showcases the best of emerging local music, with tickets obtained free of charge from the supporting website (www.themill-live.com - where fans can also get free downloads and live show videos).

The first gigs kicked off in August 2008. With a selection panel featuring some of the main players in the Scottish music industry, The Mill has so far shown impeccable taste in bringing us some of the brightest and best in local music, from the established favourites of Frightened Rabbit and ballboy to newcomers in the form of lions.chase.tigers and Dorian.

To celebrate, The Skinny magazine has put together this booklet, providing you with all you need to know about how the event works, who’s behind it and what they’re planning to do. We’ve also questioned a few of the regular attendees and bands who’ve performed to find out what the highlights have been so far, and compiled a series of band profiles as a guide to who’s been who at The Mill. With features on Broken Records and We Were Promised Jetpacks, exclusive interviews and a specially commissioned column from Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison, Into The Music is crammed full of information on emerging local talent.

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Contents Broken Records » 30 Newly signed with their debut album in the pipeline, Broken Records could have the world dancing to their beat very soon indeed

We were promised Jetpacks » 32

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» Highlights

10 » Manager’s Diary “We were joking about having to win The Skinny’s Album of the Year now...”

scott hutchison »5 Frontman of Frightened Rabbit enjoys a good pastie, among other things

FOUND » 42

“We’re constructing an emotional rock band as backup”

12 » Running the Mill 14 » Venue Profiles 16 » First Nights 20 » The Panel 22 » Artwork Showcase 28 » Band Profiles 48 » About Miller Genuine Draft 50 » Credits

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Kazoo Funk Orchestra

lou hickey

St. Jude’s Infirmary

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Woodenbox

SCOTT hutchison Frightened Rabbit’s singer works those brain cells to share his experience of The Mill My girlfriend reckons I’m losing my memory. She recently reminded me of what I received for Christmas last year, the details of which initially drew a blank. I’m blaming touring for this lapse. It is a lifestyle designed to destroy brain cells and wear down every creative bone in your body.

Not going into details which would doubtless worry my mum, lets just say the past 10 months haven’t been the most wholesome in terms of dietary intake and may have left me with permanently impaired recall faculties, among other physical ‘quirks’ (recent ailments include: extreme random back pain, weird heart palpitations and a tendency to nap like a pensioner... I’m ignoring them all until they go away or I die from them.). So it was nice to be asked to remember the night we played at The Mill in Edinburgh last year, though please be aware that most of the details herein will be very very wrong.

I remember that I rather liked the venue the show was happening in.

The journey to the backstage was creepy in the way only Edinburgh can be, and some of the caverns in there still smelled like The Annie MacLeod Experience ride at New Lanark. Having played in too many character-avoiding shitholes, it’s nice to perform in a place with a unique atmosphere. I re-

member we drank Miller beer (OK I’m cheating like a beastie now!), and that the ever-awesome We

Were Promised Jetpacks played. It again seems too easy to say I remember them being splendid that night, as I don’t remember them ever being rubbish. Wee b*****ds.

Ruining my memory game.

I was so glad that the show was free. I never stop worrying whether people will actually turn up to watch us play, and the free aspect kind of took that anxiety away. It seems to make sense now more than ever for people to be able to have a bit of free rock music on a Thursday night (I checked our MySpace gig history for the date... ha!). The result was a nice packed room and a lovely night for Frightened Rabbit. Thank you to The Mill for helping me get my memory back!

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Fiona mckinley,

megan, singer From thomas tantrum

photographer

hoW’d you enJoy the mill?

What’s the Best part oF your JoB?

I had a great time, it was the opening night so we were very pleased to be asked to play.

What did the mill do For you?

Introduced me to some cool people from Glasgow and some new music. It’s a cool venue and the decor is great, it’s really exciting playing in as atmospheric a place as an old church. any Bands you’d like to see play there?

I think a band like Spiritualized would sound amazing in that room.

What’re you most looking ForWard to in 2009?

Morrissey in London!! And festivals!

We caught up with some of the folk who’ve been working hard to make the Mill the unique operation that it is. Behind the scenes is a whole host of creative types working on photography, film and sound to ensure that the bands have some high quality promotional material to take away and keep, while the audience is treated to a topquality gig every week.

The bands themselves had a lot to say about the experience, so we’ve put together a small sampling of the 80+ bands who’ve performed so far.

Getting to see great new bands. At first I would listen to them on MySpace beforehand to see what to expect, but now I quite like the surprise.

What’s so great aBout the mill?

I think it’s important to support unsigned bands. Or just bands in general really. I think being signed is overrated now. It’s just good to give them another outlet to get somewhere.

What’re you looking ForWard to in 2009?

It would’ve been T in the Park, but I ended up booking a holiday over that weekend so I’m going to California instead. That’ll be alright as well.

tammy, “i do the guest list” do you get to see the gigs?

Yeah, we watch them all. It’s really good.

They’re really nice bands. Every band’s been lovely. Really down to earth, nice guys with good followings.

What’s your Favourite part?

Meeting people. Different bands every week.

Why’s the mill important?

It’s important because there’s not very many places you can go and see up and coming bands in Edinburgh. It’s nice to be able to see these bands before they get big.

contriButors’

highlights

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James, lead singer With Juno !

What did the mill do For you?

Well aside from the lovely full page article The Skinny did about us it also gave us the opportunity to play to a select party of industry folk. The video collage heavily featured our band and we opened the compilation CD too. Seeing the video screens of yourself in underground stations and outside Hampden was quite unnerving though!

What’re you most looking ForWard to in 2009?

Joe rodger, Frontman oF the velcro Quartet What did the mill do For you?

The Mill helped us to accumulate a few more fans. We keep them locked in a basement in Maryhill. Thanks, The Mill.

It also got us noticed by some publications, bloggers and DJs. We don’t keep them in the basement. That would be wrong.

What’s your Favourite Band?

(head explodes) What’re you most looking ForWard to in 2009?

Filling our Maryhill basement.

Next single coming out, festivals and drinking champagne from a bass drum.

Provided the first two come to fruition!

graham, pr person What’s good aBout the mill?

Bands get the opportunity to put themselves out there, and play to a good crowd in an established venue.

Free entry means they’re guaranteed to get a decent sized audience.

What Was your Favourite night?

The first band I saw here: dBass. They’re hip hoppy with bit of a jazz twist on it.

What Would your dream Booking Be?

Kings of Leon at the minute. There are many others, but them at the minute.

What’re you most looking ForWard to in 2009?

Good times in Edinburgh I guess. Oh no, that sounds lame.

murray donaldson, cameraman hoW did you get involved?

I studied film at uni and I enjoyed filming bands, going to gigs. I knew one of the bands that was playing, Kazoo Funk Orchestra, so I went on the website and there was this whole section about getting involved, so I clicked on that and sent them an email. This is my dream job. I nearly offered to work for free.

Favourite Bands here?

The Fire & I and Any Colour Black.

I bought their EP.

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gordon love From the Fire and i

derick, edinBurgh venue manager What’s Been the Best night?

It’s between Frightened Rabbit, We Were Promised Jetpacks and maybe Velcro Quartet at the launch. Not just because it was the launch but because that’s what a performance should be about. They all had uniforms and got dressed up and got into it.

It’s quite tongue in cheek lyrics.

What’s your Favourite Band?

I don’t really have one right now. It changes from week to week. That’s a hard question!

Bart oWl From eagleoWl What’s your Favourite Band?

Withered Hand saved my life.

What’re you most looking ForWard to in 2009?

Albums from Broken Records, Come In Tokyo, State Broadcasters, Zoey Van Goey, The Kays Lavelle, Wounded Knee and Withered Hand.

hoW’d you enJoy the mill?

It was great! any Bands you’d like to see play there?

Yes there is an up and coming classic rock band called The Black Lights I think would be great to see at The Mill. I would recommend you checking out Coholic too!

What’re you most looking ForWard to in 2009?

The Fire and I have our debut single Revenge to the Bloody Angel coming out on 23 March.

We’re doing a wee tour to promote it.

paul, glasgoW venue manager Favourite night?

A few… lions.chase.tigers and Dorian. LCT are really new, but really tight. Dorian have gone on to support the Futureheads. Both bands are only just emerging, and have developed since then. And it looks like something might happen for them. Twin Atlantic were nuts too. dream Booking?

Guns n’ Roses. Before and after. Guns n’ Roses followed by Axl and pals. Maybe the Hold Steady for now, actually. The Hold Steady supported by Gn’R, just to see Axl start a fight.

You’re not headlining tonight Axl!

contriButors’

highlights

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malky B, mill dJ kenny From tie For Jack Been to the mill much?

I went to the launch which was awesome, a couple of other gigs and then the Tie For Jack night. There’s always an awesome atmosphere and a good crowd and it’s a cheap way to see the best in new Scottish talent. I think the bands that they’re getting in at the moment are of a great quality so you don’t really need to know them, you just turn up and know you’ll get a good night and hear some great new music.

What’s Been the Best night?

Moth and the Mirror when they first played.

It was before I managed them! Frightened Rabbit and We Were Promised Jetpacks in Edinburgh. If you ask me, WWPJ blew the Rabbit off the stage that night. The energy both put out was unbelievable. It was crazy, I was outside and there were folk walking up with looks of desperation on their faces saying “we need to get in!” It’s rare with any gig to get that level of desperation.

What song Would you like played For the First dance at your Wedding?

Babyshambles, F**k Forever, lol.

keren mckean, mill manager

Jamie WeBster, pr For Òran mÓr come here oFten?

I come to most of the nights. like it?

Yes, it’s nice to see a different slant on the room, especially when they board it in and get lights on the audience. The bands get to see the audience for a change!

Favourite night?

Ross Clark and the Scarfs Go Missing with Gdansk. Ross Clark’s one of the best songwriters in Glasgow at the minute.

do you have a Favourite night?

The Ads last night in Glasgow was amazing. And Frightened Rabbit, of course, because it was just packed. The launch night at the Caves, because it was a really nice surprise. I booked the Velcro Quartet, but I was actually looking for a band called the Joe Acheson Quartet. And I got the names mixed up. So when Velcro Quartet played it was really exciting.

There’s loads though… lions.chase.tigers, Mitchell Museum and ID Parade last week in Glasgow, We Were Promised Jetpacks did a great job supporting Frightened Rabbit… Twin Atlantic. FOUND, I loved their set here. Really, loads. Too many.

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From finding the talent to getting the tracks online, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. We caught up with Keren McKean, manager and A&R panel member, to get a bit of an insight into the inner workings of The Mill.

Manager’s

Diary

So what is it that you do here?

I’m the manager, I oversee both the gigs. Derick runs the Edinburgh gig and Paul runs the one in Glasgow, and I oversee and make sure everything runs smoothly. I also book all the bands, and make sure that everyone’s done everything that they’re supposed to, and make sure that all the bands have all the information that they need when they turn up and make sure we have all the assets and get them down to the main

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company and make sure they get on the website [breathes]. I run the A&R team and approve the PR. I’m kind of the middle person between everyone else!

How does the commissioning process work?

Bands email asking to be put on.

I go through them, and listen to their MySpaces, then send it on to the A&R team. We meet up to discuss them all, and present other bands we’ve found ourselves. We

pick bands, negotiate dates with them. We try to put people of similar styles together.

We issue them with a contract and a welcome pack, which is huge. I feel quite sorry for them having to trawl through it! But that’s because we’re offering them so much, with the photos and the videos and the downloads.

We need to know if they’re all MCPS members; we need to know how old they all are, and we need to find out who’s the composer, who’s the publisher. We need their logos, their set lists, a channel list, a photo and a biog.

A lot of them just don’t understand how it works. So it’s good to be able to spend the time explaining it to them, so they know what it’s about, and why they should be playing here. It’s worth it in the end, even though it’s quite a lot of work!

Anything else you do on a weekly basis?

Do you have a day off?

The marketing company behind The Mill are always coming up with new ideas, so it really varies! I love it, they just phone me up some days and say “We’re going to do this” and I’m thinking “What have they come up with now…” You know it’s going to be something mental. Last time it was “Yeah, we’re going to take over a Subway station.” And they did it! In Glasgow. They took over a couple, set up a wee stage with a 50 inch plasma screen in the middle of it playing footage from The Mill. So if you walked into that station that day you couldn’t help but notice it, and if you had your Bluetooth on you could download some of the tracks.

There’s an ad van that drives round Glasgow and Edinburgh broadcasting tracks via Bluetooth.

I’m always checking the numbers, because we get about 3,000 or 4,000 downloads a week. I think it’s such a good opportunity for the bands, that there are that many people who’re just walking about the street in Glasgow or Edinburgh with their Bluetooth on and are suddenly exposed to their music. I think that’s what the whole music industry needs right now, innovation and creativity.

No. [laughs] I’m trying to negotiate that one. I don’t know if it’s going to happen! I mean, there’s loads of people that work on it, but there’s a lot of work involved.

How does the post-production work?

On the Wednesday I take the recordings straight back to Tony [Doogan, legendary Scottish producer whose discography includes Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai and Teenage Fanclub], and he does the first lot of bands the next morning. Then I get the drive back from him so we can record the Edinburgh gig. Then we take that back to him again so he can do the next lot the next morning.

As soon as he’s done them he emails them to Craig so he knows which songs to make the video from. Craig spends the weekend doing the videos, synching all the songs. And we have everything uploaded on the Monday morning and onsite on the Tuesday. It’s pretty heavy going.

Do the bands know all the goings on?

I don’t think they have a clue.

Are there restrictions on what goes up?

We are very careful about what goes up on the site. It’s a

website for adults and there is an age verification check before you can access it. Nothing childish, immature or offensive is ever uploaded...The way I put it is, if Radio One will play it, it’s OK. It’s all about responsibility.

What’re you looking forward to in 2009?

Finding new bands, putting them on at The Mill, of course!

Also, I just got long listed for the UK Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year, which I’m quite excited about. There’s a long list of twelve, and they’ll choose six of us to go to Poland and work in the Polish music industry. It sounds absolutely brilliant! You get two weeks, they introduce you to all the right people and then see what you can do with it. Fingers crossed.

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tony doogan

music producer

My job comprises of mixing and mastering the music every week. When I first heard about The Mill I was immediately interested by the concept and impressed by how ambitious it was. I saw it as a great opportunity for allowing me to keep a close ear on the new music scene in Scotland.

The range of musical styles is so broad it’s constantly surprising me. I’m sometimes mixing music I wouldn’t have had the chance to work on before so from that perspective it’s great.

I think it’s been a fantastic showcase for the bands at a time when the traditional means of artist development and promotion have almost disappeared from the mid market. Miller have taken a great step towards the way in which many people feel the music industry will work in the future. You have to applaud their forward thinking for that.

I’d like it to continue to support the bands in the way it has done. The goal should be to uncover and nurture new Scottish talent and give it a voice on the world stage.

chris hunt

genuine pr I work really closely with the artists and bands who play The Mill, pulling photos and biographies together for them. Then I contact the music press for them, getting previews and listings, encouraging journalists from all manner of media channels to come along and film, blog and/or review.

There’s something amazing about being part of it, listening to excellent music, watching and helping bands to develop and grow, being involved in that crucial stage. I also enjoy the fact that my family are thrilled for me to have got this job. They all work in classical music, so having discovered that that sector was not entirely for me, it’s great to have found work in the music industry which I love.

At The Mill bands are offered a package they would otherwise never get unless they were signed.

It provides emerging artists with fantastic equipment at phenomenal venues to communicate their music to the crowd, and to reach new audiences.

derick mackinnon

edinburgh venue manager I oversee everything, make sure things run on time. The soundcheck etc.

There’s two things I’m aware of that Miller have going on with the live tracks we’ve recorded that are unique. Firstly, most of the bars in Edinburgh and Glasgow that are selling Miller have Bluetooth enabled pods, so when people go in the venue it’ll ask them if they want to download a track from the Mill. On top of that

they have a van, this massive plasma screened van, that drives around Glasgow and Edinburgh that does the same thing, asks people if they want to download a track. It’s only been out a couple of days and so far it’s totalled up 30,000 downloads. And one band, The Velcro Quartet, got 13,000 just themselves. That kind of promotion is unheard of for a band that doesn’t have the financial backing of a label.

Some of the many, many folk who work together to bring you The Mill every week tell us what they do and what makes them passionate about it.

running

the mill

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richard myers

assistant brand manager I’m the assistant brand manager for Miller Genuine Draft and am responsible for the brand in Scotland, ensuring that the activity of The Mill is different from anything else out there. I’d like to say I come up with all the ideas, but that’s not true! We have a great team working behind the scenes on the project that has made it the success it has become.

It’s great that The Mill gives the opportunity to go down and enjoy regular live music and the fact it’s free is pretty special in itself. I’ve been impressed by all the bands at The Mill, they’re all working hard to improve and make it in a very difficult industry and they’re already great performers.

The great thing about The Mill is that the audience can take a chance to come down and see a band they may not have seen before, with no risk of an entry fee attached.

The venues are second to none - the guys behind the scenes pull out all the stops to make sure the gigs are great. And it doesn’t stop there. You can go online, download the tracks and watch the videos.

Without there being a cost anywhere.

That’s what sets it aside from anything else that’s around.

malky B

a&r panel and mill dJ

I get people to come down, act as a point of contact.

The Mill’s different. It’s a free show, it takes the pressure off the bands to sell tickets or fill the place.

It gives them exposure to people who wouldn’t necessarily come see them, and will maybe come back and pay to see them elsewhere. It’s something we all talk about a lot, in the Scottish music industry. If we don’t give bands a platform to be heard then there won’t be an industry anymore, and we’ll all be out of jobs, and we won’t have anything to talk about, and we’ll all be very bored and very sad.

No-one’s doing this for a love of money, it’s for a love of music.

The industry’s changing. The involvement of brands is a big big thing. It’s not something I saw coming. It’s everywhere. For example, bands that have tracks featured on iPod adverts. Low level bands, they’re featured and suddenly they’re exposed to millions of people on a daily basis. And they can go on to sell records, and go on tour, if they’re good enough, and if they’re willing to work for it.

paul scoular

glasgow venue manager My job entails running the night here. So I’m here from about 4 o’clock onwards on a Wednesday essentially setting up all the branding, making sure all the bands are here. My background’s in running gigs and working for labels. I’m the point of contact between the bands, the engineers, the brand.

You get promoters who’re clearly just in it to make some money, so it’s good to set up a different initiative for music. Music’s something the Mill’s

very passionate about, very involved with in their own unique way. They’re not looking to make loads of money out the bands, they seem to be doing it because they want to take a band and help make something happen for them. And it’s not just bands that can bring in a crowd so they can get loads of money on the door. It’s bands that’re getting loads of interest from labels and press and all of that.

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the mill

glasgoW

The Mill Glasgow resides in the depths of an old church, within the crypt of the venue otherwise known as Òran Mór. Located on the corner of Byres Road and Great Western Road in the heart of the West End, The Mill has set up camp slap-bang in the middle of the city’s musical community.

With enviable acoustics and a top sound system, Òran Mór offers high quality entertainment in a first class gig venue in which the gothic past and the raucous future collide.

The Mill Glasgow opens its doors at 7.30pm with gigs starting shortly after. Shows wrap up by 10.30pm with doors closing at 11.00pm. Òran mÓr, 731 - 735 great Western rd, g12 8Qx THE MILL IS AN 18+ VENUE BROUGHT TO YOU BY MILLER GENUINE DRAFT. ENJOY THE MUSIC, DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

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the mill

edinBurgh

Edinburgh’s Mill experience initially took place in the eerie surrounds of The Caves, deep in the vaults of South Bridge in the underbelly of the Old Town. It’s a unique venue, perfect for launching a unique night in the form of The Mill.

While The Caves has been a great first home, in April The Mill is moving around the corner to Cabaret Voltaire. Also located in the Cowgate vaults, the venue is one of Edinburgh’s foremost music venues, hosting around thirty gigs each month with talent ranging from up-and-coming local acts to internationally renowned artists. Open seven nights a week, Cabaret Voltaire is home to some of Edinburgh’s best-loved club nights, catering to all genres of dance music after the bands have packed up and gone home. A thriving, ever popular environment, it will serve as a fitting home for The Mill.

The Mill opens its doors at 7.30pm with gigs starting shortly after. The show wraps up by 10.30pm with doors closing at 11.00pm the caves, 8 - 12 niddry street south, eh1 1ns caBaret voltaire, 36 Blair street, eh1 1Qr THE MILL IS AN 18+ VENUE BROUGHT TO YOU BY MILLER GENUINE DRAFT. ENJOY THE MUSIC, DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

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Juno !

The Mill launch on the West coast was a bustling night packed with familiar faces from the Glasgow music scene. Juno ! and Thomas Tantrum provided the live performance, followed by a triumphant Futureheads DJ set. Juno !’s energised set proved to be the perfect party starter, with their bustling stage presence creating an interesting dynamic. Thomas Tantrum had made the journey from the South of England,

demonstrating a high level of commitment from a new band for a new night. Their set went down a storm, and is still being talked about by organizers and punters six months on. With the venue itself completely physically transformed for the event, the night was one of celebration and fine performance, with space and sounds colliding to give a strong sense of great things to come.

First night

Glasgow

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Juno !

thomas

m tantru

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The Velcro Quartet The Mill Edinburgh kicked off in grand style with live sets from ActionGroup and The Velcro Quartet, followed by a DJ set from electro popsters Ladytron.

XFM’s Jim Gellatly opened proceedings with a speech enthusing about The Mill’s deceptively simple premise: emerging talent, great venue, and free tickets.

The crowd was eager as Edinburgh’s ActionGroup took to the stage, playing a mixed set of tunes in their trademark eclectic style. Glasgow’s

Velcro Quartet followed up with a fervent set, their confidence and discipline carrying the crowd upwards after the relative meandering of ActionGroup’s complex sound. Finally, Ladytron brought the electro and the dancing, providing a fitting end to a night that showcased the vast range of local talent, breaking through the traditional boundaries of the Glasgow and Edinburgh scenes to create a bi-coastal event presenting the best of both and beyond to a keen audience.

First night

Edinburgh

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the velcro Quartet

ladytro

n

oup actiongr

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rupert thomson

editor of the skinny, scotland’s cutting-edge culture magazine.

I was approached by one of the companies behind the project at an early stage, which was encouraging: The Skinny is very much integrated with the Scottish music scene, and too often big companies and arts organisations fail to listen to the people who are on the ground, and get it wrong as a result. I think the standard of the bands that have played The Mill has been excellent. YiFi, Super Adventure Club, Broken Records - that’s just a selection. The support structure and effort they put into that side of it is also really impressive. I think the only thing I’d change is that they should pay bands, at least a bit. Then it really would be a complete package.

What’s the Best gig you’ve ever Been to?

Primal Scream on the XTRMNTR tour at the Corn Exchange in 2000 was pretty special.

I’d wanted to see them for years, me and my mate were right in front.

In the run-up to launching, The Mill brought together an advisory panel featuring some of the key players in the Scottish music scene. We’ve asked them for a bit of an insight into their involvement, and found out what they really think about the operation.

the

murray Buchanan

scotland’s leading music industry lawyer and former in-house lawyer at Warner Bros and virgin records in london.

I was approached by MGD’s marketing people who were aware of my involvement in the music industry over a long period. I think it’s a brilliant idea. Bands get the opportunity to play a well-publicised high profile gig and afterwards they get professional quality recordings and video of their performance which they can use to promote themselves.

The economics of the record industry have changed in the fifteen years that I’ve been involved. People’s love of recorded music is undiminished but we’re spending less on it. This is down to a number of factors: the growth of illegal downloading and piracy, the increased choice of things to spend our money on and prices being driven down by supermarkets and iTunes. Having said that, people’s enthusiasm for music is as strong as ever - the strength of the live sector is evidence of that - and music today is as varied and exciting as it has ever been.

The internet and digital media present huge opportunities and I’m sure the next few years will see some positive developments.

What’s the Best gig you’ve ever Been to?

I’ve been fortunate enough to see many of my musical heroes: Brian Wilson, Clyde Auditoriuim, 2004 ; Bruce Springsteen, Albert Hall, 1996; Prince, Meadowbank Stadium, 1993; New Order, SECC, 1989; David Bowie playing Low in its entirety at the Royal Festival Hall in 2002. They were all special. My favourite was probably Jimmy Webb, Oran Mor, 2005.

panel

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Jim gellatly

one of scotland’s foremost dJs, Jim has a history of discovering and promoting new local music. he currently hosts the music Bed on BBc radio scotland.

To be honest I was a bit sceptical about The Mill at first... another brand jumping on the new music bandwagon. Meeting the people involved though, I got a really good vibe about it. The other panellists are people I respect within the industry as well, so that certainly shifts the whole concept up a level. I think the strength is certainly in the booking policy, and the final product on the night tends to be exceptional. I think if you’re an A&R scout in Scotland, you’d be a fool not to make The Mill your first appointment. hoW has the music industry changed since you First started out?

I think the power is shifting back to the artists, which will hopefully be a good thing. To use a football analogy, it’s like the industry going through a bit of a Bosman... In this case though the people who deserve to get their cut will hopefully benefit.

What song did / Would you choose For the First dance at your Wedding?

It was going to be Lou Reed’s Perfect Day, but the DJ didn’t have it (just an empty sleeve!) so we settled for Elvis, Love Me Tender. Aah. What’s the Best gig you’ve ever Been to?

The Airborne Toxic Event at King Tut’s. I doubt it was the best ever, but it’s fresh in my head.

Too many others to mention really.

derick mackinnon

venue manager of the mill edinburgh,and founder of new Found sound.

The music is the most important thing, of course. I’ve always loved live music. I’ve played in bands myself in the past. The Mill offers me an opportunity to put on lots of different styles of bands, without having to budget for it in the way I would if I was doing it on my own.

I’d say The Mill’s vitally important to Scottish music. There are no promoters out there who’re offering unsigned bands what we’re offering them. We’re giving them a live music video, profes-

sionally produced. Live tracks done in the studio. Photoshoots, downloads, video interviews. You know, nobody’s doing that for live bands at the moment. And the promotional package on top of that. It’s just unrivalled.

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The Mill commissioned bespoke posters for many of the acts featured. The bands were given their very own artwork and a souvenir of their time here, while the citizens of Edinburgh and Glasgow were treated to the sight of some rather stunning design.

Artwork

showcase 22

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lions.chase.tigers.

What’s your name and What do you do?

We are lions.chase.tigers, and we play rock music!

hoW’d you enJoy the mill?

We all think it’s great! It was a pleasure to play there and it’s always great to go back and check out some other cool bands.

What did the mill do For you?

We managed to play a gig at a great venue and we now have a high quality live video and live recordings to use for promotion.

As the organisers will tell you, we kept asking “What’s the catch?” We couldn’t believe we were getting all this for free!

What do you think aBout it?

It’s a fantastic idea, and it’s proven to be a great success. For the public it’s the chance to see some fantastic up and coming bands for free. For the band’s it’s a chance to get their hands on a video and some professionally recorded live tracks for free.

We’d usually have to pay through the nose for that kind of thing.

anyone you’d like to see play there?

We’ve managed to play with some terrific bands over the past two years, none of whom have played The Mill yet. Check out I See Shapes, Cryoverbillionaires, There Will Be Fireworks and We Hung Your Leader, all deadly live bands!

What’s your Favourite Band?

We can all safely say we have a big, big love for Aereogramme. It’s tragic that such a talented band who made the most amazing music are no longer together.

If you can convince them to reform for a show at The Mill...

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ten storeys high What’s your name and What do you do?

I’m Callum Maguire, and I’m the singer in Ten Storeys High.

hoW’d you enJoy the mill?

I thought it was great – really nice venue, great sound and knowledgeable audiences – perfect!

What did the mill do For you?

It helped to raise our live profile and gave us a couple of cracking MP3s and live footage to bolster our websites/press pack.

What do you think aBout it?

I really like that the promoters are putting on an eclectic range of styles/ genres whilst ensuring the quality of act remains high. It’s also clear that the audiences know their music and are genuinely there to listen.

What Would you like to change aBout it?

It would maybe be nice to extend it to other cities in order to generate a wider scene.

anyone you’d like to see play there?

I’d really like to see Ten Storeys High at The Mill, Glasgow…

What’s your Favourite Band?

Hoochie Fig.

What’re you most looking ForWard to in 2009?

Releasing the second Ten Storeys High album – Silent Sighs and Trembles (and hopefully playing The Mill in Glasgow!)

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the 10:04s What’s your name and What do you do?

As luck would have it there’s three of us here, so: Steven – vocals and guitar; Danny – vocals and guitar; Paul – drummer. We all play in the 10:04’s. Other member Johnny is off auditioning for the remake of 80s sitcom Bread. hoW’d you enJoy the mill?

The Mill was a great experience for us.

What did the mill do For you?

Kicked off the year for us really well and made our tinnitus a lot worse. any Bands you’d like to see play there?

The Macdonald Brothers or alternatively a good Edinburgh band like The Electric Ghosts or The Nature Boys.

What’s your Favourite Band?

Steven: The OK Social Club, keeping it in the family cos my Cousin Raff’s the singer!

We also love The Cribs, The Strokes, The Buzzcocks and The Libertines.

What’re you most looking ForWard to in 2009?

Gigging across the UK with the 10:04’s.

What gig (anyWhere/any time) do you Wish you’d Been at?

Paul: The Beatles’ rooftop gig.

Danny: Stone Roses Spike Island.

Steven: Nirvana’s Edinburgh Show at Studio 24 or wherever it was.

What song Would you like played For the First dance at your Wedding?

Paul: MC Hammer U Can’t Touch This!

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tie For Jack What’s your name and What do you do?

I’m Kenny, I work as a planner for an ad agency and I also do music stuff on the side, managing Tie For Jack who played at The Mill a few weeks back. hoW’d you enJoy the mill?

The Mill is awesome. It’s great to see a brand like Miller genuinely supporting new Scottish talent and giving them some decent exposure and the fact the tickets are free and the beers are cheap means there is always a good crowd.

What did the mill do For you?

They gave Tie For Jack a gig in Edinburgh, took pictures and featured the band on their website. The recording equipment wasn’t working but we’re going to be playing Glasgow with them soon when we’ll get a video, sound recordings and reviews as well as some other stuff, much more than you get for most gigs you play. They genuinely want to nurture and support new bands, it’s a really fresh approach. have you Been there much?

I’ve been to the launch which was awesome, a couple of other gigs and then the Tie For Jack night. There’s always an amazing atmosphere and a good crowd and it’s a cheap way to see the best in new Scottish talent. I’ll defintely be back, me and my mates love it. any Bands you’d like to see play there?

I was meant to see Broken Records last week, but couldn’t make it which was a shame, as they’re doing some great stuff these days.

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Juno !

Thomas Tantrum How to Swim The Moth & The Mirror Tokyoblu Kazoo Funk Orchestra ActionGroup The Velcro Quartet Twin Atlantic Kobai Injuns Punch & The Apostles Be a Familiar Endor Frightened Rabbit

We Were Promised Jetpacks We See Lights Pearl & The Puppets The Ads FOUND dBass Underling Dorian lions.chase.tigers Ten Storeys High KiDDO Alto Elite Callel Ross Clark & the Scarfs Go Missing

The first few months of the Mill seen gigs from over 80 bands, the huge variety and number reflecting the high level of emerging talent that the night aims to promote.

Unfortunately, it means that we don’t have the space to write about all the folk who’ve amazed and excited us as the programme has unfolded. Here are their names, so they know we’re thinking about them.

The

Bands

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Gdansk Smoked Glass Underbelly Das Contras Lou Hickey Muddy Face ballboy Pooch Swimmer One The Fire & I Brother Louis Collective Six People Away Little Doses Any Color Black Chutes Y’all Is Fantasy Island St Jude’s Infirmary Woodenbox Foxface Black Alley Screens Jocasta Sleeps Tie For Jack Little Kicks ID Parade Mitchell Museum Come In Tokyo

eagleowl Le Reno Amps Solareye RBRBR Broken Records Endrick Brothers Intervals First We Take Manhattan The 10:04s Sonny Marvello Pixie Cato Epic 26 Sugar Crisis Manda Rin Profisee Big Toe’s Hi Fi Futuristic Retro Champions Tamikas Treehouse Oscar Charlie Boycotts Indafusion Super Adventure Club Emma Curran Eoghan Colgan Phoenix Q Dead Good Villains Into the music

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Broken Records

www.myspace.com/brokenrecordsedinburgh

In the fast-paced music business, it feels like an ice age since Broken Records started steadfastly garnering major press hype. Many assumed, and hoped, that 2008 would be their year, and whilst it was far from a bad time for the burgeoning Edinburgh septet, talk of record deals and a debut album came and went. Instead they ploughed on touring the length and breadth of the country, playing everything from showcases in London to impromptu busking on the banks of the Isle of Skye.

Then in January this year news came through that 4AD, home to The Pixies and TV on the Radio, had snapped them up. Singer Jamie Sutherland is unequivocal in his praise of the legendary label and in his pleasure at landing the deal. “I think everybody knew when they came in that it was the place we wanted to be,” he begins. “You just feel a lot more confident with where you want to go with them onboard.

There’s a more accommodating atmosphere. Everybody’s absolutely delighted.”

The decision to hold off on a deal until now has been the band’s own, borne from Jamie’s stated aim that they are in this game for the long haul. “There’s a lot we want to do, and to think that we could become a hyped, one-record kind of band…” he trails off, clearly anguished by the possibility. “The idea of being someone like The Black Kids just terrifies me. We were talking way back in December 2007 with their management. To think that we might have gone in that direction...”

Rather than carpet-bombing you into submission, Broken Records are treading the more tested path to longevity: building a formidable live reputation, letting fans discover and

cherish them and working diligently on an album that will document where they are now. As we speak, they’ve just finished initial recording sessions at Monnow Valley in Wales and will be returning next week to begin the mixing process. “It was really just a case of getting up and working our arses off every day,” says Jamie. “We were sitting around wondering when the ‘art’ was going to come into it rather than just the graft. But because we’d done all that before, it was really just a case of putting it to tape.”

The track selection has yet to be finalised, but fans are unlikely to be thrown any curve balls. “Obviously there’ll be a lot of people who’ve never heard us before, so for certain songs not to be available would be a bit daft,” Jamie reasons. But for such an expansive-sounding band, it seems the direction these songs may take is less certain. “You could mix the record in so many different ways,” muses Jamie. “There’s string and brass on everything and so you could make a really big, lush orchestral record. Or you could turn the drums up and get the guitars right up,” he enthuses, admitting he favours the latter option.

However, with all seven members having a say in such matters, couldn’t it all get a little heated? “Yeah, we’ll have a big fight and at the end of it, whoever’s biggest wins,” laughs Jamie. “So that’ll be Andy the drummer.

It’ll be a drummer’s record.” Whoever wins this hypothetical punch-up, the finished product will be a relief for Jamie. “From a personal point of view, the weight off my shoulders from finally recording our old songs, so people can hear them how they’re supposed to be heard, will be immense.”

In the meantime, the band are

gearing up to do what they love most – touring and playing live. A slot at The Mill a few days after we spoke precedes a UK tour in March and April. “[We feel] a little less like we have to go out and impress a new audience and more like we’re working a crowd that knows who we are and knows the songs and actually want to enjoy themselves,” says Jamie.

At this point we discuss audience participation at Broken Record’s gigs, from stoic, chin-stroking admiration in the early days, to, thankfully, some Celtic hoedown shape-pulling at more recent shows. “I think it was Bruce Springsteen who said you’ve got to put the ridiculous next to the sublime and that’s what makes a really great rock ‘n’ roll show,” Jamie proposes.

“Half of your job is to entertain people as well as hope that they feel something out of it. As long as people have a good time, then they can feel free to throw themselves about a bit.”

You can dance if you want to then?

“Yeah, we’re getting Scotland fit, one gig at a time.”

Never mind Scotland. The way they’re going, Broken Records could have the world dancing to their beat very soon indeed. [DC]

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We Were Promised Jetpacks

www.myspace.com/wewerepromisedjetpacks

High-fives all round for the FatCat scouts who brought us The Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit, two brilliant Scottish bands who’ve flourished with a little help from the Brighton-based independent label. Now they tell us they’ve found another great band from roundsabout here, and we’re predictably salivating: FatCat’s latest Scottish project is fourpiece We Were Promised Jetpacks, discovered by none other than the aforementioned fearty bunny.

Singer Adam Thompson explains: “After a gig at Barfly in March last year I think the Rabbits phoned FatCat and said they should think about signing us.”

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The groups had met previously while sharing a bill for an Is This Music? night and quickly became pals. “I’ve always imagined it to be like the bit in Back To The Future when Marty is beasting out the solo and the guy with the cut hand is on the phone telling his cousin to sign him. I hope it was like that.”

Of course, record deals don’t usually come with ‘recommend a friend’ promotions on the side, but FatCat obviously saw enough in the young quartet from Edinburgh’s outskirts to keep listening, and eventually to sign. If there’s something special about the Jetpacks, it’s probably

in the way they use rhythm: not as an unimportant wallpaper to the tune, nor as a herky-jerky fast-track to punk-funk cliché; but as a catalyst to every song, providing a restless urgency for Adam’s vocals that add to their sincerity. Ian Curtis used to spasmodically dance when Joy Division’s Stephen Morris locked into his groove: with the Jetpacks it’s almost as if Adam is persuaded by the rhythms to gush out his innermost thoughts, his tongue flailing around like Curtis’s arms.

“We do spend a long time getting the drums done once we have the skeleton of a song,” Adam says. “They take ages [to

get right]. It’s a shame ‘cause everyone with the stringed instruments yells at Lackie to play better drums and we all play the air-drums to help describe what we want it to sound like. He just sits there like he’s about to greet!”

It’s been a long road to get to this stage, with the group now recording a debut album for a growing expectant fanbase. After meeting at high school, the first ever Jetpacks gig was in April 2003. “We certainly didn’t bond over a common love of a few bands or anything like that. Our drummer was into Blink 182 and screamo, Michael [guitars] didn’t start liking guitar music for ages, and myself and Sean [bass] were content going to see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Obviously as time has passed we have become much more passionate about music and are a bit more focused now.”

Luckily for all concerned, they sound nothing like a Blink/ screamo/Chilli Peppers hybrid.

Tastes can change a lot in six years, especially through school and young adulthood, and with the benefits of regular gigging and paying customers who won’t hold back from offering a scathing critique where it’s needed.

“A guy came to one of our early gigs purely because of our name.

He then heckled us and called me a farmer!” Adam complains, but with that they dropped their Wurzels influence, so all’s for the better. Recent gigs have been going much more smoothly. They made a schoolboy error in selling out Nice N’ Sleazy’s—“We had to turn friends who had bought tickets from us away, Sean’s sister had to sneak in after we started!”—and thoroughly enjoyed their September performance at Edinburgh’s Mill. “Yes that was great!” Adam says. “We were a bit

suprised that it was so busy for us that night. It was great fun.”

Now for that debut album.

“We’ve recorded everything we’ve got! We’re very pleased at how it’s coming along. We feel it’s a great interpretation of the live show: loud and quiet at the same time.

We’ve done a bunch with Ken Thomas, who produced a couple of Sigur Rós albums, and M83, and they’re getting mixed right now by Peter Katis, who’s done Frightened Rabbit, The National, and Interpol.”

And along with these opportunities, these esteemed names

legitimately dropped, comes just a little expectation. I ask Adam about the Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit albums, which both won Album of the Year in The Skinny. “Yeah we completely love those albums. It’s a bit scary because they are both soooooo good and Scottish and we’re on the same label. We were joking about having to win The Skinny’s Album of the Year now, you’ve put us under so much pressure!

And now, of course, it’ll go to Merriweather Post Pavillion because it’s glorious!” It is, but don’t write the Jetpacks off just yet. [AB]

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Ross Clark & The Scarfs Go Missing www.myspace.com/electricpolyester

Ross Clark doesn’t look like a country music star. He doesn’t talk like a country music star. And unless there’s a tobacco chewing habit shortly about to rear its ugly, Woodbound head, we’re pretty sure he doesn’t act like one either. But when this unassuming young man from Lanarkshire opens his lungs, you could well be forgiven for thinking you’ve scored yourself front row seats at the Grand Ol Opry. With his band The Scarfs Go Missing, Clark has spent the larger part of 2008 and the infancy of 2009 impressing any listener worth their salt with what he politely describes as “f**ked up, loud, loud country.”

Disillusionment is often said to be a precursor for excellent music. With Cobain, it was heroin and life itself.

Zack De La Rocha has been known to pen the odd ditty in honour of his

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calm disenchantment with various forms of establishment. With Clark and his like-minded accomplices, bitterness played its part too. But don’t worry, they aren’t about to get all political on our asses. After seeking each other out over MySpace, the quartet was after something more than the pop punk penchants of their peers. The finer things in life, they reckoned, were more along the lines of Neil Young, Crazy Horse and checked shirts. Clark brought the tunes; The Scarfs brought the noise.

Together they are an enticing proposition: tuneful and raucous in equal measures, Clark’s open wounded altcountry woes stitched harshly back into place by the electric clamour of his comrades. Vive La Revolution!

The band released a debut single, Silversword, last June to positive reviews and since then, it’s been

all systems go. A busy gigging schedule was punctuated by a successful and well received set at The Mill in October. “It’s cool how The Mill is supporting new bands,” beamed Clark at the time, “they’re giving loads of bands the coverage they deserve.”

A full-time, dedicated troubadour, Clark also found the time to record, produce and release a solo album, You Brought Evil in January of this year. It’s certainly not an easy listen: Clark’s battered larynx was no doubt in need of a rubdown when he left the studio. It is, however, one of the most impressive debuts to have been released in the UK in some time: a highly-powered mix of blues, folk, country and gospel sounds that provides a sense of the energies yet to be released by Ross Clark & The Scarfs Go Missing. [FB]

St. Jude’s Infirmary

www.myspace.com/saintjudesinfirmary

The self-proclaimed Velvet Underground of their generation (or Velvet Underground with Scottish accents, as some critics have styled them) played The Mill in December. Originally from Fife but now based in Edinburgh, the band is a bit of a family affair, with Grant on bass, sister Ashley on guitar, cousin Emma on vocals, and friends Mark and Cat on guitar and drums respectively. Their

unlikely marriage of European folk and post punk influences produces slow-paced tracks of melancholy and regret, the gruff voices of the boys mingling with the sweet notes of the girls. Fans include Ian Rankin, who made his DJ debut at their Little Sparta single launch in January, and has contributed lyrics and narration for their forthcoming album in the form of a track entitled At The Foot of the Walk,

described by the band as a love letter to Edinburgh. Artwork for the release is provided by artist Jack Vettriano, who got involved after the band recorded Goodbye Jack Vettriano for their 2006 debut album Happy Healthy Lucky Month (SL records). The collaboration with such famous names has left the band open to thus far uncountered accusations of striving to create a Fife mafia. [RW]

Pearl and the Puppets

www.myspace.com/pearlandthepuppets

Katie Sutherland, singer, songwriter and musician from Kirkintilloch, has dropped out of college to potter along the worn road to a successful career in the music industry with a guitar on her back and her faithful Puppets by her side. The Puppets are Blair (drums), Gordon (guitar and ukelele) and Scott (bass). Their alternative indie pop sound has

led to them being snapped up by 21st Artists (who also manage the likes of Lily Allen and James Blunt) signing a publishing deal with Warner Chappell and recording at Olympic Studios in London with the renowned Stephen Street (who has previously produced The Smiths and Blur). Katie, aka Pearl, is in possession of a distinctive voice and the quirky talent for

songwriting evident in such songs as Because I Do, Make Me Smile and Mango Tree. Her music has grown from the acoustic roots of Jack Johnson, Regina Spektor and The Cranberries. Pearl and The Puppets played at Hydro Connect Festival in Scotland over the summer and are currently catching the eyes, ears and hearts of everyone from XFM to the Herald. [JC]

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The Fire And I The Fire & I is composed of Hooligan and G Love, a dynamic duo flung together from the inconceivably twinned townships of Mexico City and Bathgate. Sure, they may sound like Funkadelic cast-offs, but sonically the axe they have to grind has a sharper edge than most, owing more to local heroes and recent tour-mates Biffy Clyro than George Clinton and his merry band of Parliamentarians.

The band started out as a quartet but before long trimmed off the fat to reincarnate themselves as a pair of hyperactive noiseniks, trading notes on everyone from Queen to Nirvana to the Manic Street Preachers. Resultantly, their music is melodic to the core, tempered with a healthy dose of colourful synths and more than accommodating to the odd riff or two.

The Fire & I’s debut single, Just

eagleowl Using a bafflingly diverse range of instruments including ukelele, glockenspiel, double bass but no drums, Edinburgh’s eagleowl offer a refreshing alternative to the imaginative guitar-bass-drums-keyboard of less standardised four pieces. The omission of drums at first seems like a fairly hefty statement, but it’s actually a reflection of the band’s intuitive approach, as guitarist and vocalist Bart Owl explains: “It was just a case of writing around whatever instruments were available to us. We never intended to be ‘the band without a drummer’.

Although I now like having that restriction, as it helps the writing process.”

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www.myspace.com/thefireandi

Face It, should be coming your way in the next month or two and was recorded on the back of successful festival debuts at T in the Park and Wickerman last summer. With aforementioned support slots for

Biffy and Cumbernauld oufit The Dykeenies and a successful Mill debut before Christmas under their belts, it may well be worth your while keeping your eyes peeled for this pair in 2009. [FB]

www.myspace.com/eagleowlattack Eagleowl form part of the Fife Kills collective, a community of musicians and promoters with a DIY ethos hailing from (you’ve guessed it) Fife, who work and perform together periodically in Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond, thereby reducing gig costs and increasing the support network. Other artists include Rob St John, My Kappa Roots and Randan Discotheque. They’re often described as folk bands, but Bart sees this as necessarily too simple a definition: “It’s based on folk, but I think the most important thing is that everyone has their own idea of what that word means. Folk is really just the starting point, and everyone has

their own take on it – I think we’re called folk more for our instrumentation than our actual songs.”

Genre notwithstanding, eagleowl produce melodic, multi-layered and above all slow music, atmospheric dreamscapes that leave the listener hanging in suspense, gasping for the next note. Their sound was once described as ‘tortuously’ slow, something that they claim to take as a compliment. The band released their debut EP, For The Thoughts You Never Had, in August last year to across the board critical acclaim and a rash of four-star reviews in The Skinny, the Scotsman and the List.

Work on their debut album continues at their own inimitable pace. [RW]

The Little Kicks

If Ladbrokes were to offer odds on the next unsigned Scottish band to ‘make it’, one of the favourites would surely be the Little Kicks.

The Aberdeen quartet have steadily built their reputation over the past few years, playing to packed tents at the T in the Park and Connect festivals and supporting bands of the calibre of Editors, Glasvegas and Maximo Park.

Having already achieved a certain degree of success, I asked lead singer Steven Milne whether he thought the bookies could be paying out (metaphorically at least) anytime soon. “Maybe, hopefully, but who knows,” he says.

“We’re a pretty mainstream act but we’re under no illusions that EMI will start banging on our door, we just play music we enjoy and enjoy playing it live. And I guess it depends on what people judge as

www.myspace.com/thelittlekicks

success. If we play gigs out of town and put together a CD and people come to shows and buy it – I’ll feel like we are achieving something.”

Unlike the stereotypical unsigned band of mates in it for the adulation of the local pub scene, the Kicks have higher ambitions, and maintain a strong work ethic: “We love playing so we used to say yes to everything but lately we’ve been stricter and turned a lot of things down – sometimes with gritted teeth. I write about three songs a week but sometimes don’t finish those songs quickly. Lately I’ve been taking ideas in earlier and we’re racking them up faster than ever.”

The Little Kicks make – in their own words –”tight, melodic, pop-indie-disco songs that are predominantly about love, life and loss”, although when I put it to

Milne that the songs already sound like the finished articles, he’s surprised by this reaction: “Funny you should say that as until recently we have never been satisfied with our recordings. I have a constant cold so I often have a nightmare with vocals. We put a lot of pressure on each other to play well on the takes – sometimes too much pressure and you need to take a break before tensions get high.

It’s good to be like that though – it means you all care.”

But creative tensions are unlikely to cause this tight-knit group any problems. Milne sums up their motivation simply: “The day we stop enjoying it is when we stop, and I think that’s a long time away.”

With a debut album, single and tour planned for April 2009, now’s the time to place your bets. [NM]

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The Ads

That Glasgow has always produced indie rock bands of the highest standard should be taken as a given.

From the early, influential days of Postcard Records, right through to the early noughties funky punkiness of Franz Ferdinand, the conveyor belt has shown no sign of slowing up. The Ads have spent the past year proving that they are worthy of a seat at this high table of Glasgow indie and early reports suggest they bring a distinct

www.myspace.com/theads

personality to their spot.

A quartet signed to King Tut’s records, they formed when two lifelong friends decided they had something worth adding to the already crowded and bubbling melting pot: taking the local influences of Jesus & Mary Chain and Sons and Daughters, fusing them with those of a more international flavour (The Pixies, Radiohead), they soon found themselves involved with the same

We See Lights We’ve been seeing a bright future for We See Lights since their debut EP landed last May, but they’ve since evolved from the trio that recorded that promising little sample into a seven-piece collective dedicated to playing with your heartstrings like puppeteers. A debut album is in the can and will be available imminently, but it’s playing live where we suspect they will continue to

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management company as Snow Patrol, scoring some high profile support slots in return. The fuzzy indie on debut single Autopilot and its follow ups has earned them scores of admirers as well as a sold out ‘home venue’ gig at Tut’s itself.

Incessant gigging, combined with near ubiquity on last year’s festival circuit and a triumphant Mill debut, have all led to considerable buzz about The Ads. Check them out. [FB]

www.myspace.com/weseelights

excel. Take lead single and band anthem Parachute for an example: while male and female lead vocalists regretfully trade confessions, it’s the sight of all seven members chanting the “break my fall” chorus that reminds us we’ve all done things we’re not proud of.

It then becomes a communal admission of fallibility, a group hug involving everyone in the room, even those who didn’t know they

needed comforting when they walked in. With four songwriters contributing to their setlists, and a revolving cast of lead singers, they manage to avoid repeating themselves while still retaining a distinct group character: one of bittersweet melancholy that uses open-hearted song as therapy.

Don’t catch them on a down day, or you might just walk out blubbing. [AB]

Y’All is Fantasy Island

www.myspace.com/yifimusic

Falkirk quartet Y’all Is Fantasy Island are currently aiming for the title of Most Prolific Band in Scotland after releasing not one but three albums and an EP in the course of 2008. Formed in 2001 in the increasingly musical central belt town of Falkirk, they released their debut album In Faceless Towns Forever in 2006 before waiting a whole two years to whip out the multiple follow-ups. While the debut was a personal journey of growing up in the impersonal towns of the commuter belt, songwriter and vocalist Adam Stafford took a lyrical leap for the follow-up, May 2008’s Rescue Weekend, introducing a more narrative style to weave stories of dyslexic skiers, suicidal stalkers, and murder victims being cooked for dinner. There followed an EP, With Handclaps, in the summer, before the short-awaited third album No

Ceremony in November. The year was rounded off with Infanticidal Genuflector, an ambient mixture of unreleased soundtrack work that they offered up to their fans as a free download at Christmas time.

Yifi are a brilliant example of the DIY ethos currently pervading the Scottish music scene. Free from the strictures of a record contract, they have found their own funding to record in a no-frills environment as and when they see fit. Their debut was recorded in a single session in an abandoned house, an experience that Adam describes as being even less glamorous than it initially sounds: “There was no running water, we p***ed in a bucket and ate Pot Noodles for 19 hours. The reason it was only one session was because Jon had to work in Glasgow the next day, Tommy started back at univer-

sity and I had to work as well.”

Their style varies wildly across genres, with the pathos of Stafford’s lyrical storytelling tying it all together. The band sum up the eclecticism of their style rather nicely in their claim to be “specialists in most styles, mainly: melancholic acoustic folk, bombastic rock/pop and steamtrain thrashblues grunge”.

The only question left is, where did that name come from?

“It’s from a book called God Is a Bullet by Boston Terran. Two characters are sitting in a roadside diner at night somewhere in the Mojave Desert talking about religion and violence. After a long discussion they come to the agreement that the meaning of life boils down to one thing: a piece of graffiti written on the wall across from them which reads, ‘Y’all is Fantasy Island’.” [RW]

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Das Contras

Das Contras aren’t your Average Joe Indie Band. Since emanating from the Kingdom of Fife a few years back, they’ve provided a colourful backdrop to the standards, positioning themselves as one of the most unique acts on the Scottish scene.

The band describe themselves as a “six headed musical monster with a Latin temperament, an axe to grind, two devilish horns and a rock and roll heart.” When it’s put as succinctly as that, who are we to argue?

Said founder member, guitarist and vocalist Sher on the band’s inception when we spoke to him before Das Contras’ maiden Mill set last year: “I met Dave (trumpet / keys) at school in Fife, when Dave stepped in at the last minute to play drums in Fiverdeal - a short-lived punk band infamous locally for inciting

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www.myspace.com/dascontras

riots. Dave knew Tony (sax), Marcus (guitar) and Sam (bass) through Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra. Colin (drums) and Gerardo (percussion) were poached from other bands once we got to Glasgow.

“We gigged like beasts for a year and ended up being asked to support Terry Callier, who asked us down to London to support him again at The Jazz Cafe. That gig along with Fringe Sunday opened a few doors for us to play festivals overseas. As I mentioned ‘jazz’ four times, I should point out we’re not jazz.”

Such large numbers surely have the potential to cause arguments.

Not so, according to Sher, who advised us that “the devil whispers me the lyrics as I sleep, I make an acoustic version then jam it into shape with the band. It’s very difficult to be democratic so it’s a dictatorship

peppered with ruthlessly crushed revolution.”

Unsurprisingly, the band’s influences are as diverse and rare as their chat, ranging from Love, The Doors and Tower of Power, to James Brown, Manu Chao and the late John Martyn. There is also no shortage of local acts to have impressed Sher and co of late. Of the lengthy list he ran through, Edinburgh’s Bombskare and Diwan, Glasgow’s dBass and Gavin Gordon and Fife’s own Kyle Cuthbert and Camel Toe came top of the pile.

The band successfully debuted at The Mill last year, and Sher had this to say of the experience: “The Mill is offering us an opportunity to play free entry gigs at the top venues with shit hot PAs and engineers, record and film it... And we can ask folk to come along without them having to fork out a door fee.”

ActionGroup

ActionGroup have been circulating for a few years now, and are regular fixtures on the Scottish live scene.

Founded on notions of collective endeavour, the band have a fluid approach to roles within the lineup, meaning that a live show will see members swapping places and instruments, taking it in turns to be front man. ActionGroup was born when Peter Boggon and Mark Donnelly heard each other’s solo proj-

Chutes Scotland’s capital is famously in thrall to Glasgow when it comes to producing bands that can lock into the mainstream. For every Broken Records on the East coast there’s a Mogwai, a Franz Ferdinand and a Glasvegas on the West. But over the past few years the tide has been slowly turning, with a healthy scene sprouting up amidst the cobbled streets and windy closes of Edinburgh.

www.myspace.com/actiongroup

ects, discovered a common thread, and decided that it was easier to work together than separately.

Joined by guitarist Dylan Mitchell and drummer Adam Bond Thomson, ActionGroup produce complex, lyrically dark music that weaves together a wide and contrasting range of influences. This ecelecticism is one of the band’s defining features, as Dylan explains: “There’s no way anyone can listen

to the same music all the time.

What binds us together is that we listen to such an eclectic mix, that comes across in our music.”

ActionGroup’s self-financed debut album, Greed, was released in 2007 to positive reviews. They are currently in the process of recording the as yet unnamed follow-up, which they are, in the spirit of collective endeavour, again financing and producing themselves. [RW]

www.myspace.com/chutesmusic One band at the centre of this burgeoning community is Chutes.

Despite spending much of 2008 out of the spotlight to concentrate on recording, the five-piece are a regular and popular sight at local gig nights, and were chosen to support Idlewild at the prestigious opening night of The Picture House last year. When not winning over fans on stage, they have been helping to nurture local talent by setting up

The Depot, a studio and rehearsal space in Granton oriented towards fledgling bands. Chutes’ sound draws on the energy of post-punk bands like Joy Division and Josef K, with an accessible, chorus-driven formula that seems destined for radio-play. If you happen to meet them after one of their shows, buy them a pint for championing Edinburgh’s cause in Scotland’s ongoing battle of the scenes. [NM]

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FOUND Edinburgh-based music and arts collective FOUND have been Scotland’s most curious indie band for almost three years now, deftly sidestepping easy summation because they prefer asking new questions to asserting familiar answers. Signed to Fife’s Fence Collective, their experimental bent is certainly reminiscent of hallowed Fifers the Beta Band, ex-members of which they regularly collaborate with. FOUND

www.myspace.com/foundtheband are carrying that torch further, squeezing pop songs into the spaces between their off-kilter creative scaffolding, and borrowing others’ songs to remix into more intriguing shapes. Succinctly self-described as “Unpredictable, noisy, melodic, daft, electronic-art-pop”, FOUND are a far different proposition from Edinburgh’s usual indie traditionalists, and it’s that singular spirit which has earned them an invitation to this

year’s South-By-Southwest industry showcase in Austin, Texas. With two excellent albums (the first earning a rare 5-star review in The Skinny) and countless eye-opening shows under their belts, it’s hard to imagine what oddities they could possibly come up with next; but with a seemingly endless array of weird and wonderful instruments to tease new ideas from, we don’t doubt there’s plenty more to follow. [AB]

arrived to rapturous applause – the crowd loved the drama. We then played an extended set to allow Kev to shine. We gave him a kicking later.

al items for bands, but their hard work should be acknowledged by some kind of payment. I presume all the other staff working at The Mill get paid, it seems wrong that the entertainment doesn't.

We got in touch with found’s tommy perman to find out how his mill experience went: What's your name and what do you do?

My name's Tommy. I'm in FOUND. I do too much.

How'd you enjoy the Mill?

We had a very funny experience.

Kev Sim (sampler / percussion / celebrity barman) went home after the soundcheck and fell asleep.

With his phone off. We had no idea where he was and what had happened to him. With minutes to go before the gig we realised we'd have to go on without him and hastily rejigged the set to play numbers that weren't heavily reliant on him. Kev's quite popular with the ladies and his fans were in the audience heckling us wondering where the hell he was. Some of his work colleagues from The Basement bar were there and they were running in and out trying to phone him and shouting updates to us in between songs. Finally someone managed to get hold of Kev and he raced across town in a cab. He

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What did the Mill do for you?

The Mill provided us with an excellent live video which we've been using as a promo online – if you watch it you'll notice the absence of Mr Sim.

What would you like to change about it?

I think that the bands should get paid. The live videos, photos and recordings are valuable promotion-

WHAT’RE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2009?

We're going over to play at SXSW in Austin, Texas in March and then a few shows in New York City on the way home – which is very exciting.

We've got a brand new EP coming out called The Fidelities EP and we're working on our third album.

And if FOUND all goes to pieces, we’re constructing an emotional robot band as a back up.

Dorian What’s your name and what do you do?

Hello! We are Dorian and we create tunes of an indie/rock genre. With a laptop! We also have Chris on drums and Rory and Matt singing and guitaring.

Why’s your band called that?

We are named after the classic Oscar Wilde novel A Picture of Dorian Gray.

What did the Mill do for you?

Gave us the chance to play with some of the best upcoming bands around in a fantastic venue. It was also an opportunity to gain some valuable exposure and publicity.

What’s your favourite band?

As individuals our taste in music can be quite diverse, but I suppose as a band it would meet in the middle at

www.myspace.com/dorianuk bands such as Smashing Pumpkins, Mew, Mansun and Phats and Small... (don’t ask.)

What’re you most looking forward to in 2009?

Some ace gigs and hopefully more support slots with some larger bands.

We had the pleasure of ending 2008 with a support slot for The Futureheads so a few more like that in 2009 would be welcomed! Also a wee trip to the studio in the coming months will be fun, as well as putting the final touches to some new tracks for our EP release.

What gig (anywhere, any time) do you wish you’d been at?

Hmmm... that one in Canada last year where Noel Gallagher got punched in the face? Or, we missed Chico play at the Bridge of Allan firework display last year... very disappointing.

What song would you most like played at your wedding?

Rory Hmmm.. I can’t really answer that as I’ve already had the pleasure!

But it was a Viennese waltz. Which involved lots of being dizzy, strength, stamina and about a year of practice.

Chris The Macarena!

Matt Phats and Small - Hey! What’s Wrong With You...

Mitchell Museum

www.myspace.com/mitchellmuseum

In bridging the gap between popularity and acclaim, few bands can match the lauded Animal Collective.

Mitchell Museum, then, must be pretty chuffed that of all the bands they could have been compared to in their infancy, it’s the revered Baltimore outfit that have been mentioned most often. An exciting blend of psych pop and hyperactive noise, Mitchell Museum are a quartet with the world at their feet.

Formed at a New Year’s Eve party in 2007, it’s been a great first year for the band made up of Cammy MacFarlane, Dougie Kennedy, Kris Ferguson and their rather festively named drummer, Raindeer. 2008

was the year that saw their first single release in the form of the excellent Warning Bells which they have recently followed up with the equally impressive Sleepwalking. Their lead is certainly taken from the international indie scene rather than the overcrowded UK equivalent, with healthy dollops of the aforementioned Animal Collective, polite nods to the psych pop of heavyweights Mercury Rev, and energy levels on a par with hyperactive hernia-inducing Aussies, Architecture In Helsinki. Plaudits have been coming in thick and fast, with the singles gaining glowing reports and their incessant gigging

diary garnering them a reputation as one of the most entertaining on the local scene. Indeed, such was the extent of their progress, Mitchell Museum were invited to play last year’s Wickerman Festival and even scooped King Tut’s Artist Of The Month as recently as November.

Their exposure has not just been local, though, with national DJs Mark Riley and Steve Lamacq already having outed themselves as fans and invited the four-piece to speak on their respective shows. Not bad for twelve months then. And with what looks to be plenty of juice left in the tank, Mitchell Museum should be a band to watch in 2009. [FB]

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Manda Rin Love it or loathe it, Kandy Pop is one of those tunes that’s instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up in the pomp of mid-90s Britpop.

The disco-pop boffins behind that infectious ‘Sugar sure, kandy pop’ chorus were Bis, a Glaswegian trio of teenage scamps who rose fast and faded almost as rapidly.

Singer and keyboard player Manda Rin looks back on those days with a mixture of pride and regret.

“I’m so glad I got to do what I did 12 years ago,” she recalls. “I got to tour with bands others would kill to, and visit so many interesting countries around the world. I feel like my Bis experience passed me by too quickly and I remember so little, so anything I do at all now I just want to appreciate and enjoy. The music business can be a cruel industry, but I like my backseat view on it now. I can just watch everyone else try their luck.”

After a short-lived spell with her former bandmates in the rockier Data Panik that she maintains was “a great experience”, Manda Rin returned with a debut solo album last year, and has recruited a new band for gigging. How has she found flying solo? “I like being in a band for writing songs as a team and throwing ideas around. But these days I’m so busy that it’s just nice to do things in my own time and at my own speed. I’m so impatient and hate waiting around for others anyway. There’s no stress and no demands with solo stuff, and I hope I’ll do it one way or another for many years to come. “ Clearly still worshipping at the pop hook shrine, Rin now turns her talents to shimmying electro ditties like DNA and No Language. “I wish I could write Girls Aloud type pop tunes but I’m far off that,” she

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www.myspace.com/musicmandarin

says with a staggering degree of modesty. “I’d love to have a little breakthrough but I won’t cry if I don’t, or change my sound to get it.

I just make music inspired by what I’m currently really into. I just want to have a good time and be proud

of what I do. I wouldn’t write music purposely to chart or do something that just wasn’t ‘me’.”

Or, as she sang as the only unsigned act ever to play Top of the Pops: “Just don’t let the music stop.” [NM]

RBRBR XTC, REM, MGMT ... and now RBRBR. The world’s latest musical acronym is an Edinburgh electro outfit who refuse to take themselves too seriously, as drummer Paul reveals when I ask what it stands for: “Last week it stood for Raging Bull Receives Bad Rash.

Next week, who knows?”

The five-piece have been touring Scotland’s highways and byways for three years, and Paul has enjoyed the ride. “On the whole it’s been a lot of fun and we’ve been getting a good response,” he says. “Visually our live show is a bit different, because we dress up a bit silly and we’re clearly having fun. There’s been a couple of times where we thought we were going to get lynched for that, but it always ends up fine.”

Their MySpace site betrays an interest in the French electro of Ed Banger acts Justice and DJ Mehdi, but Paul says that’s only one facet of their inspiration: “Everything from Captain Beefheart to MF Doom to Bonnie Prince Billy is an influence. The cool thing about so much of the French electro scene

www.myspace.com/rbrbr

is that it’s not overly serious.

There’s a silliness to it, and it’s fun, but it’s still great music - and that’s definitely something that we try and bring in to our sound.”

One band at the forefront of the electro/rock crossover is Metronomy, who chose RBRBR as support for their Edinburgh show.

“The Metronomy gig was great”, Paul says, “definitely a highlight,

How To Swim “Overcomplicating things since 2005,” is How to Swim’s MySpace tag-line. There’s little doubt that they are referring to their fluctuating line-up, estimated at somewhere between six and twelve members at any one time.

Singer and songwriter Ink Wilson has been the only constant since their inception, and at one point upwards of fifty people crammed into his home to record vocals for

and it marked the start of a busy period for us. We did a Radio 1 session with Vic Galloway in November, a Fresh Air FM session in December, we played The Mill in Edinburgh and we’re sorting out a tour for spring.”

With an EP also due for the summer, RBRBR might also stand for Rapidly Building Respect By Rocking. Just a thought. [NM]

www.myspace.com/howtoswim

early demo Bones. Overcomplicated perhaps, but the results of that recording, where Ink himself sounds like Nick Cave clenching his teeth at an impending Biblical apocalypse, are nothing short of stunning. At times the weight of it all seems too much and recent single Genesis P and Me perhaps bears the brunt. But flip it over to b-side From Here to Dundee and the complexities are ironed

out to a sound as simple as Kings of Leon donning white robes and sneaking onstage with The Polyphonic Spree. They claim each performance wildly differs from their last, but the one constant is glowing praise from all quarters, pushing this enigmatic troupe as ones to keep an eye on this year. Timely then that their debut album Retina (or More Fun Than a Vat of Love) is now imminent. [DC]

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Punch & The Apostles

www.myspace.com/punchandtheapostles

Apparently, Punch & the Apostles don’t care how they are described, as long as people are listening.

But, at the risk of coming a cropper to that old Frank Zappa adage (something about writing about music and dancing to architecture), it’s worth at least trying to put The Apostles into words. Imagine a time-travelling septet of punk gypsies, celebrating the end of prohibition in a 1930s New Orleans speakeasy with Duke Ellington and you’re probably still nowhere near comprehension. Perhaps Frank was right after all.

Led by Paul Napier, who scatterguns his disdain for the local music scene, and the record industry in general, with impartiality, they are certainly a breath of fresh air amongst the identikit indie-landfill bands they rail against. Such soapboxing would all be for nought if their music was not up to scratch, but fortunately this merry troupe of ragamuffins certainly deliver.

Staples like Can of Beans stalk minds with three-four dirty blues rhythms before breaking into a

Tokyoblu The fact that Tokyoblu (the longrunning Edinburgh club night) and Tokyoblu (this seven-piece dance collective) hail from the same stable doesn’t make things less confusing, just a bit more intriguing. An experiment, of sorts, at combining a traditional club night with the thrill of a live performance, this colourful collective provide an instant rush of straightup dance grooves that no doubt

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Charleston bop then exploding into a torrent of crashing cymbals and wall-of-noise jazz. Which may all sound pretty daunting, but the fun, zeal and overall tightness of song structures ensures that they don’t meander po-faced down avant-garde detours - at least not without their tongues wedged firmly in their cheeks. Not that PATA come across as an overtly jokey band like, say, kindred spirits

Super Adventure Club. They are serious men and women for serious times. “Record labels are just crumbling edifices,” lamented Napier to The Skinny last year. “There’s not much behind them and they’re not interested in putting money and effort behind developing bands. So we’re probably going to have to do it ourselves: play lots of shows and put our work out.” That sounds like a plan to us. [DC]

www.myspace.com/tokyoblurocks goes down a treat with the sweaty throngs at Cabaret Voltaire. Outside of the Saturday night city club scene they’ve had considerable success with debut single Groove Tonight, eliciting proud proclamations of being Scotland’s answer to Basement Jaxx. Even Fatboy Slim has been known to spin their tunes on occasion. Led by vocal duo Jenny D and Sara, one a honey-coated Sophie Ellis-Bextor sound-a-like,

the other a sweeter sounding Beth Ditto, and with a globe-spanning dance oeuvre meshed with some spiky guitar riffs, it’s easy to hear why they are causing such ripples.

This culminated with them packing out the Bacardi Tent at last year’s T in the Park, but with potential chart-crashers like Rock Into My World under their vast array of pork pie hats, bigger things could well be on the way. [KM]

Futuristic Retro Champions

www.myspace.com/retrochamps

The five bright young things that make up Futuristic Retro Champions love Scrabble, big brass bands and koala bears, and think they sound like a calculator having a heart attack on a sunny day. Brought together by a sculpture project at Edinburgh College of Art this band is a pulsating UV ray of light piercing through the grey overcast indie of the Edinburgh music scene in a

rainbow of neon. Sita Pee, H bomb, Casio Carla, Stamp and Action Dan are whisked together to form the oxymoronic but oddly accurate Futuristic Retro Champions and their happy, hardcore, emotronic, indie pop bliss.

Live, the band are a force to be reckoned with, peddling their joyful, jump up and down pop nuggets with the ever-energised Sita Pee’s sweet vocal tuning undercut

Twin Atlantic

by her Weegie accent and lyrics about love, life and dancing.

Like what Goldfrapp would sound like if they came from Scotland and actually had a laugh, Futuristic Retro Champs have a devoted following and could well be set for world domination if only they’d stop saying their songs are “not quite as good as Girls Aloud”.

They’re self-produced and much, much better. [KM]

www.myspace.com/twinatlantic

What’s your name and what do you do?

My name is Aimmi Dunsmuir and I manage Twin Atlantic.

How’d you enjoy the Mill?

We really loved The Mill. It’s such a great platform for up-and-coming bands to get their name out.

What did the Mill do for you?

The Mill gave us an awesome live video for Twin Atlantic’s single What Is Light? Where Is Laughter? and the band’s name could be seen on the extensive ad campaign prior to the show, which was great in the run-up to the single release.

Have you been there much?

Yes! We try and go along to as many of the shows as possible.

What do you think about it?

What’s your favourite band?

There’s usually a great atmosphere... Maybe everyone’s in a good mood about getting to see cool bands for free?

Besides Twin Atlantic.... Deftones, Glassjaw, Death Cab For Cutie, Brand New, Wintersleep... I could go on and on.

What would you like to change about it?

What’re you most looking forward to in 2009?

Maybe the days of the week that the Mill takes place. But that’s about it.

Any bands you’d like to see play there?

Boycotts and The XCerts.

Seeing where the next 12 months take me and the band. Twin Atlantic have their first UK tour of 2009 kicking off at Glasgow’s QMU and then we’re all off to SXSW. It’s shaping up to be a really good year!

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The Chutes 48

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a genuinely diFFerent approach to marketing At Miller Genuine Draft, “Genuinely Different” isn’t just a line on a poster - it’s a philosophy that we take seriously. For us, it means having the courage to take a different approach to everyone else if it will deliver more interesting and exciting results. It’s at the heart of everything we do.

We chose a different approach to brewing when we created Miller Genuine Draft. We developed our unique four stage cold filtration process rather than settling for the beer industry standard method of pasteurisation. We think this gives better results because it guarantees an exceptionally smooth taste which remains as perfect as the day it was bottled.

We also think that this attitude of searching out new and interesting ways of doing things is one which we share with you. So when it came to finding a better way of promoting Miller Genuine Draft, we believed that the usual routes of sponsorship or competitions just weren’t going to cut it. Instead, we decided to put our money behind those people who embody our shared spirit of being ‘Genuinely Different’ - the emerging bands who put so much hard work and sacrifice into creating those magic moments of live music.

That’s why we created The Mill. It was a chance for us to work directly with the bands and the people who support them, rather than going through middle men. It lets us use our brand investment to promote the bands, not just ourselves. By doing this we can bring amazingly talented industry people to work with bands who couldn’t otherwise afford them and ultimately to stand back and allow people to enjoy what matters most: just the music, the crowd - and of course a nice, cold Miller Genuine Draft!

the mill is an 18+ venue Brought to you By miller genuine draFt. enJoy the music, drink responsiBly.

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the mill: into the music editor

ROSAMUND WEST

design

MATTHEW MACLEOD

staFF Writers

FINBARR BERMINGHAM ALLY BROWN DARREN CARLE NICK MITCHELL

additional reporting

JESSICA COOK

additional photography

ALEC BRUCE

PRODUCED BY RADGE MEDIA LTD. ON BEHALF OF THE MILL HELLO@RADGEMEDIA.CO.UK

For Free tickets, artist doWnloads, gig guide and more visit WWW.themill-live.com to get in touch With the mill drop us an email at contactus@themill-live.com

the mill is an 18+ venue Brought to you By miller genuine draFt. enJoy the music, drink responsiBly.

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Any Colour Black Into the music

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WWW.THEMILL-LIVE.COM

THE MILL IS AN 18+ VENUE BROUGHT TO YOU BY MILLER GENUINE DRAFT. ENJOY THE MUSIC, DRINK RESPONSIBLY.