I was born in Glasgow and I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve never really wanted to live anywhere else. Some people may think that’s boring but it’s not when you love your city so much. I’m glad I have the opportunity to write this short piece as I think sometimes Glasgow can be overlooked.
One of my good friends Conor runs a label called ‘Dead Beet Records’, he has a great vision and good taste when it comes to music. The label has been running for around a year and already he has put out some exciting releases by Future Glue, The Venus Lyx, Jim Valentine & The Velveteen Saints. As well as putting out records, Dead Beet also put on great monthly nights. My other friend Blue was involved in the label too but she recently moved to London to start working for Matador. Fuzzkill Records are also putting out some of the best stuff around. You should check them both out.
I love finding out about new bands in Glasgow. No matter how good they are, I never really see them as competition. We’re all in it together after all. Here’s some of our best new bands, in my opinion. Psychic Soviets, The New Fabian Society, Halfrican, White, The Rockalls, Future Glue, The Velveteen Saints, Jim Valentine, Twin Mirrors, Catholic Action, Hector Bizerk, Lilac Pin, Secret Motorbikes and Electric Gardens. Listen to them all. There’s a bar on Sauchiehall Street called ‘Broadcast’. We have played there more than anywhere else. It has a great vibe. We did a late night residency in there at the end of 2014 and it was a lot of fun, the ceilings are low and it sounds great. There’s a bit of a scene in there, just a lot of people who like music, hanging around, watching bands and having a drink. No egos, no bullshit.