The Valkarys Q&A

Your name: 

Scott Dunlop.

Where are you from? 

Edinburgh, Scotland.

Name of band:

The Valkarys.

Who else is in your band?

Sarah Ross, Craig Birrell, Kier Lavin, Colin Brennan and Wayne Hoy.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

We play psychedelic music, and garage music. Sometimes far-out psych and sometimes more poppy. 

Who are your main influences musically?

The Beatles, Velvet Underground, The Byrds, Brian Jonestown Massacre. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I just want to keep making records. We have four records out now - two albums and two EPs. I want to create a large body of work that stands up against all my heroes. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

There's been a lot of highlights, too many to mention, but the most important one is we are still creating new music and releasing records. We have never had anyone help us out or give us money etc, but we have released four records and play shows. That's the highlight for me. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Nothing. Even the bad shows or the bad times are a learning curve. 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Storyteller. It's a cool song, psychedelic, with a great groove to it. 

Where can we listen to it? 

http://youtu.be/Eb0zBwD65ro

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.facebook.com/thevalkarys 

www.twitter.com/thevalkarys

www.soundcloud.com/thevalkarysofficial 

www.youtube.com/skeetsvalk 

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

No, I just want to say thank you for your interest in the band. I appreciate it. Peace and love.

Starling Q&A

Your name: 

Dan.

Where are you from? 

From all corners of England actually: London, Edinburgh, Bradford and Somerset. We’re mainly based in London.

Name of band: 

Starling.

Who else is in your band? 
Craig (drums), Sol (bass) and Vanessa (keys).

How would you describe yourselves? 
We’re a four-piece anthemic rock band with an orchestra next door.

Who are your main influences musically? 
We all come from such different backgrounds musically, I come from a rock background but I am greatly influenced by Bob Dylan, Elgar, The Ink Spots, Aretha Franklin, Chopin, Jimi Hendrix, Liszt, The Beatles, Nirvana, Dvorak, Rage Against The Machine, U2, Peter Gabriel, Incubus, John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Miles Davis, Debussy, just to name a few.
Although I also feel that all things inspire your own expression of art from the books that I read to the sculptures that I enjoy all expand the space within to cultivate ideas. In the band we have Vanessa who comes from a film music background and brings the John Hopins and Thomas Newman influences, Craig who also comes from a rock background and Sol who is too big to fit in any bracket.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
My personal dream is to live out my fullest potential as a person and spend my time doing things that I do best which is writing and recording music, as long as I can do that with integrity then I have won.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Dan: Just before going on stage to do the album launch of ‘Public Service’ the crowd were chanting our name and we came out and played my favourite ever show.
Vanessa: We all had a shared moment of, “This might just be the best time of our lives” when we were living and recording the album at Parr St Studios. It was fulfilling in every way even before anyone had heard the material.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Last year when we were stolen from and lied to by members of the music industry.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
Lights is a good example that covers most aspects of our sound and it’s all about how when the s**t hits the fan, you know who your friends are.

Where can we listen to it?
www.youtube.com/starlingband




Where can we find out more about your music?
www.starlingband.co.uk
www.facebook.com/starlingband
www.twitter.com/starlingband
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/starling/id909053356

The 23's Q&A

Your name: 
Blair Ramsay.

Where are you from? 
Musselburgh just outside Edinburgh, Scotland.

Name of band: 
The 23's.

Who else is in your band? 
Ben Clark (rhythm and lead guitarist), Lee Anderson (bass) and Michael Ferguson (drums). My role is frontman, rhythm and lead guitarist. 

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 
As a band i would describe ourselves as confident and open. We are always up for making a scene about things and that's what we intend to do in future. Our music comes across a few different types of genres so we never really give ourselves a specific one but our mixes are rock n' roll, indie and possibly alternative. 

Who are your main influences musically?
We take a lot of influence from the likes of Oasis, Libertines, Kasabian, BRMC etc. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?
What we hope to achieve is certainly a record deal at some point but right now all that matters is getting our music heard. It's too early to make a call on our future cause we have only been a band for two and a half years, but we certainly dream of playing the big stages with the big names. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
We have a few highlights but selling out Electric Circus and Cabaret Voltaire in Edinburgh when we started as a band were big moments, so early in our time as a band as well. Also playing our first show in Glasgow at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut at the end of last year supporting The Blue Dawns was a big highlight. Definitely a band worth looking out for. Nice bunch of lads too.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
There's been a few gigs where myself and Ben have got completely fucked before even getting on stage and having a poor gig because of it. We are still bad for it to this day but we have controlled it a lot better now.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
Our latest single She's Trouble is a big favourite for our fans. It's 7:04 long but doesn't disappoint. 

Where can we listen to it? 

https://soundcloud.com/twenty-threes/shes-trouble


Where can we find out more about your music?
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/The23sband/
Twitter - @23sband
Instagram - @the23sbandofficial 
ITunes - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/shes-trouble-single/id963230125
SoundCloud - soundcloud.com/twenty-threes

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?
Spread our name about as much as you can.

Debut single from Elle Exxe

LIE To Me is the debut single from Elle Exxe.

The dirty pop singer, from Edinburgh, is gaining momentum with support slots for the likes of Professor Green, MNEK and Jess Glynn, as well as her own headline slot at the 229 club in London last month.

Have a listen to the track below and for more info visit facebook.com/ElleExxe

Third album out from Stanley Odd

ALTERNATIVE hip-hop outfit Stanley Odd have released their third album A Thing Brand New via A Modern Way Recordings.

The Edinburgh-based group have also shared their track Her Name Was Hip Hop as a taster.

Frontman MC Solareye - aka Dave Hook - told RealSoundsOK: "The death of hip hop is not a new topic. Almost every generation of rapper declares 'hip hop is dead' as soon as a new generation appears.

"This is just my take on an established concept in hip hop culture, while allowing me to make comments and observations about some of the more negative effects of its commercialism."

You can listen to Her Name Was Hip Hop below and for more on the group visit www.stanleyodd.com

Dog On A Swing set Personal Worst

SCOTTISH folky outfit Dog On A Swing have released new single Personal Worst.

Ed Ritchie from the "cross between a solo project and a band" told RealSoundsOK about the song.

He said: "A close friend of mine is a sprinter and I'd often hear him talk with other athletes about their PBs (personal best times etc.). 

"The song itself was inspired by bus commutes during rush hour. Most of the other songs from the forthcoming EP began on those journeys to and from the outskirts of Edinburgh.

"Funnily enough, Personal Worst is one of the more upbeat songs I've written! There's a melancholy b-side to redress that balance."

You can check out the single below and for more visit dogonaswing.co.uk

Debut EP on the way from The Indos

SCOTTISH rockers The Indos will release their debut EP 50 Shades Of Blue on November 3rd on Twin City Records.

The band - Michael Knowles (guitar/vox), Jamie Gilchrist (guitar), Robbie Gilchrist (bass), Dando Myrillas (guitar) and Greg Atkinson (drums) grew up together in North Edinburgh.

They got together a year ago through their love of bands like Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes, with their main influences coming from The Yardbirds, The Kinks and The Who.

The EP will be available to buy from twincityrecords.com and to download from the usual places.

For more on the band visit facebook.com/TheIndos

David Neil Q&A

Your name:

David Neil.

Where are you from?

I'm from Whitby in the North East of England. Currently living in Edinburgh.

Name of band:

David Neil.

Who else is in your band?

Daniel McGarry - Guitar

Andrew Turnbull - Drums

Scott Rafferty - Guitar/Keys

Ben Lobban - Bass/Keys

How would you describe yourselves?

Honest and heartfelt songwriting. I wear my many different influences on my sleeve. My music is brought to life by my fantastic band. 

Who are your main influences musically?

I'd say it's songwriters such as David Gray, John Mayer, Neil Young and Tom that have the most influence on my music. I'm also a huge Matt Corby fan. I love timeless songwriting. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I take things one step at a time but I'm very ambitious and so are the band. At the moment the next target is to tour the UK in the summer and to play a few festivals. We'll see where that takes us. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Releasing an EP and performing it live was a fantastic experience and me and the band and we really enjoyed the show. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I honestly can't think of one. I've definitely made mistakes and I look back at them sometimes but you've just gotta learn from them and move on as with anything.  

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

It's difficult to choose as the E.P contains a range of material but 'Letting you go' would be a good starting point for people who want to check out my music. 

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/davidneilband/sets/castaway-e-p (Link to my debut E.P on Soundcloud)

Where can we find out more about your music?

https://itunes.apple.com/album/castaway-ep/id763836649

David Neil – Castaway - Spotify

http://instagram.com/davidneilband

https://www.facebook.com/davidneilband

https://twitter.com/DavidNeilBand

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

Me and the band are currently working on a new EP, which will be released later this year. We're also going to be touring in the summer. 

Wullae Wright Q&A

Your name:
Wullae Wright.

Where are you from?
I am from Glasgow, Scotland; however I currently live in Edinburgh.

How would you describe yourself?

I would describe my music as being largely centred around the rock, indie and acoustic genres. I have a very similar recording and production style for each album, but I do try and keep each album individual. I have other sounds running through my albums such as dance, electronic, hard rock and dubstep. 
As an individual, I like to focus on my music. I enjoy promoting it, and take a lot of pride in this. I enjoy chatting with other musicians and people who listen to my music. I try and be as respectful as possible and thank those who take the time to listen to it. Music is an integral part of me and my life.

Who are your main influences musically?

My main musical influences are Radiohead, Manic Street Preachers and Stereophonics. They have been there right from the start until now in my life. Albums like 'OK Computer', 'the Bends', 'Everything Must Go' and 'Performance and Cocktails' by these bands really influenced my latest album 'The Orange Line'. I am also hugely influenced by Martin Grech, Bloc Party, Jimi Hendrix and Queens of the Stone Age. There are lots of other bands etc too, but these are the most influential.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

In many respects I feel I have achieved what I had hoped to do in music. I have had a mental check list for years, hoping I would achieve them and tick them off over the years. The list has adapted as time has gone on, and so to has life around me. With age and time I appreciate the things I have achieved even more so. 
I aimed to play a well established venue, and in 2009 played at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow. I have recorded and finished 5 albums and several E.Ps. I have been signed by an Independent Record Label, had music featured on compilation albums, and been played on numerous radio stations. These are all achievements.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

The answer to this question links very well with the last. I would probably say my greatest achievement or highlight, even though it is not my achievement as such, is the people I have been lucky enough to meet and interact with over the last few years. The level of engagement and support from people has been absolutely astounding. Right from the outset of making music, I wished people would enjoy my music. That people would listen to it, and it might add something to their day. There is still no greater feeling when someone tells me they have been listening to my music and enjoyed it. It moves me in an indescribable way, and I am thankful to every single person for everything they have given me.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

A very good question, one that has made my conscious mind scour suppressed memories. I had to give this one some thought, and one memory that conjures up the same negative emotions over and over is when I made the decision to leave the Independent Record Label I had signed with. It was a tough, but necessary decision to make at the time. When starting off in music, the idea of signing to a label became such an overwhelming dream that I genuinely didn't think it would ever happen for me. To have a label have that much faith in my music was one of the biggest compliments I've ever had in my life. To walk away from that was difficult.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

One song that seems to have taken on a life of its own is 'UFO' from my latest album 'The Orange Line'. I have never had a response to any of my songs as I have had with 'UFO'. I put an unfinished/work in progress version of 'UFO' on Soundcloud years ago, just to gauge peoples' reactions to it. I was then told it was considered for a compilation album through an Independent Record Label. The interest in the song grew and it definitely helped increase interest in 'The Orange Line'. 

Where can we listen to it?

You can hear 'UFO' and the album 'The Orange Line' at my Bandcamp http://wullaewright.bandcamp.com/album/the-orange-line. 
'UFO' can also be heard on my Soundcloud http://soundcloud.com/wullaewright; and on iTunes on Red Dragon Records Compilation album '1st Renaissance' https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/1st-renaissance/id580520000.

Where can we find out more about your music?

You can hear and purchase my albums, E.Ps and singles on my Bandcamp at wullaewright.bandcamp.com and hear by individual songs at soundcloud.com/wullaewright
To contact me you can via twitter.com/wullaewright, read up on my music at wullaewright.blogspot.com and watch live performances and music videos at youtube.com/wullaewrightmusic

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

I've enjoyed answering the questions you have asked, and I would only maybe like to add that I have recently just released a new single from my latest album 'The Orange Line'. The single is 'Roadtrippin''/Survived Unpromised Souls', a double A-side single with two new b-side tracks and lots of extra tracks. 

John D Revelator Q&A

Your name:

John Diment.

Where are you from?

Glastonbury, Somerset via South Yorkshire, East Anglia, Dundee & Edinburgh & then back to Glastonbury again!

Name of band:

John D Revelator.

Who else is in your band?

Ann Diment (wife) Percussion and backing vocals;

Cols Baird (Edinburgh) Guitar & Vocals;

Jez Hallows (Somerset) Guitar & Vocals.

For obvious logistical reasons Cols (our original guitarist) can't make too many gigs down South so an old mate of mine, experienced muso & fabulous singer Jez, has stepped into the vacant spot for a gig or two & is beginning to help my songs develop on different and exciting path – fun times!

How would you describe yourselves?

Roots influenced acoustic pop.

Who are your main influences musically?

Richard Thompson, Jonathan Richman, Billy Bragg, Johnny Cash, Dylan, Hank Williams. Indie Pop, 60s garage & psychedlia, British & Irish folk, Old time American Music, Country, Rock & Roll, Bluegrass, Punk. Oh and The Wurzels obviously!

What do you hope to achieve in music?

To enjoy making music and to perhaps be able to make some money out of it one day. Not a fortune you understand but enough to recoup the some of the £1000s spent on musical equipment, gigs, recording, not to mention the hours put in at songwriting, learning how to play etc. If I could’ve only spent that sort of time, money and effort on my various professions over the years I’d be minted!

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

I had a great booking at the beginning of February this year in a stately home in Perthshire where all the guests were parting and jiving to our tunes (most of which they’d never heard before) and they wouldn’t let us off stage. I was jetted in and out, fed, watered, accomodated and paid – that’s Rock & Roll!

Other than that, hearing my songs on the radio always gives me a little buzz!

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I hate messing up solos and songs and that usually happens when I’m not very well prepared. There’s been a few open mics I wish that I’d stayed at home for.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

It’s like asking which one of your kids you love the best! I guess “So Say Superman” is the kind of song I aspire to as it shows a level of lyrical smart arsery that I like over a very simple tune. As is typical of songwriters, I have a whole bunch of new ones which are my current favourites….

Where can we listen to it?

It’s on our debut, a six-song mini album called “Shed Sessions Volume 2” recorded and released Autumn 2013 . You can hear it here: http://johndrevelator.bandcamp.com/

Where can we find out more about your music?

https://www.facebook.com/JDRevelator?ref=hl

https://soundcloud.com/english-johnny

http://www.reverbnation.com/johndrevelator

http://johndrevelator.bandcamp.com/

https://twitter.com/JohnDiment

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

Where next for the Revelators? We have a new full length album ready and waiting to record between now and summer 2014. My songs have been picked up by a number of roots and indie internet shows for worldwide broadcast which is pretty nuts!

I have a fabulous gig lined up for 15th  March at (of all places a Garden Centre in Somerset) supporting and playing with with two great musicians in Billy Shinbone (Flipron) and Nick Parker (Nick Parker & the False Alarms).

I also have a memorable night planned playing to Bristol Rovers fans on the 2nd of May song “Winky on the Wing” commemorates a friend and Gas player of yesteryear).

We have several offers of gigs up and down the country as well as a couple of festivals in the offing and a number of record companies interested in working with us!

Have a listen and if you like what we do, come and say hello on Facebook and find out more exciting times!

Dog On A Swing Q&A

Name: 

Ed Ritchie.

Where are you from? 

Edinburgh, Scotland.

Name of band:

I play music under the name of Dog On A Swing.

Who else is in your band? 

Well, it's sort of a cross between a solo project and a band. I write the songs and sing them, then other musicians come and go on a fluid and flexible basis. If you like my music and I like what you play, odds are good that you can join the band!

How would you describe yourselves? 

This is simultaneously the most useful question to ask and the hardest to answer! I've settled on saying we play three-minute(ish) pop(ish) songs. There's a mild folky streak because I came up through the heavily-acoustic songwriter open mic community, but it really depends on the song and instrumentation.

Who are your main influences musically? 

I've figured out that I can include many of my musical influences by drawing a huge triangle between Aereogramme, Jeff Buckley, and the Dismemberment Plan. It's also important to point out that I've been influenced almost as much by what I don't like (and thus aim away from) as well as art/literature/GIFs.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Like many musicians, I would love to write songs and perform full-time. I'm fond of the phrase 'jam econo' and direct influences in this would be RM Hubbert and Jonah Matranga.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

Last year, I released my first studio EP digitally and on CD (see the link below). I've only been actually finishing songs for the last three years, so to have a tangible result from that is wonderful. I also completed my first proper tour this month!

And what's the moment you want to forget?

I wouldn't say 'forget' so much as 'never experience again', but trying to navigate London with a guitar during a Tube strike is about a third of the fun you'd expect.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

Based on popularity, it'd be 'In The Morning'. However, I write a whole range of songs, and 'The Romance Of Love' is probably the midpoint and thus a good starting place.

Where can we listen to it? 

Both songs are part of On Love, which you can stream (and buy) at dogonaswing.co.uk (Bandcamp page).

Where can we find out more about your music? 

The above website is the best place as it has links to our other sites. For reference, here's some of them:

Soundcloud (a few songs from different releases, as well as demos and alternate takes)- soundcloud.com/dogonaswing

Noisetrade (free download of the very first release)- noisetrade.com/dogonaswing

Tumblr- dogonaswing.tumblr.com

Twitter- @dogonaswing (for the Tumblr feed and band news) and @Ed_Ritchie (personal account which covers everything I do)

Facebook (I post setlists here)- facebook.com/dogonaswing

Anything else you'd like to say? 

I want to play my songs as far and as often as I can. If you hear my music and like it, get in touch by emailing dogonaswing@gmail.com. Anything you can do will probably be a huge help, so let me know. Cheers!

Delta Mainline Q&A

Your name: 

George Gunn.

Where are you from? 

The band are based in Edinburgh, Scotland, where I’ve lived for the past five years or so.

Name of band: 

Delta Mainline.

Who else is in your band? 

A lot of people. Brothers David (vocals/guitar) and Shaun McLachlan (drums/percussion/synths/vocals), Verity Blanchard (piano/organs/synths/vocals), Gavin King (bass guitar), Greg Walker (percussion/harmonica/effects/Theremin) and last, but certainly not least, William “Willie” Walker (guitar). We’re joined for select gigs by Dr Bruce Michie (brass) who also plays brass on most of the recordings. Quite a mob.

How would your describe yourselves? 

Hard-working and quietly ambitious. Musically: a juke joint band from outer space.

Who are your main influences musically? 

Everyone in the band has their own influences so, as you can imagine, a lot of different elements creep into our overall sound; anything from country and gospel to post-rock and shoegaze. Having said that, we all love Neil Young, The Velvet Underground and Wilco.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

We’d love to be able to do this full-time. The success of the debut album has given us a good platform to build on, so I don’t see any reason why we can’t achieve that. You’ve got to be willing to think a bit more left-field if you want to be a self-sustaining musician though: gigs and music sales alone don’t pay the bills.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

Releasing our debut album. It took us literally years to write, record and put together (all independently too) so to see it getting critical acclaim across the board, and from the big boys too, really was something else. We didn’t have any expectations. It’s a beautiful feeling putting years of work into something and seeing it go so well.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

Ha, there have been a few. We got sabotaged once. That has to be the winner. Seconds before we were due to go onstage someone pulled out a handful of cables from the desk and mixed up all the faders. Of course, everything sounded horrible. And to compound things further the sound engineers were young students who’d never had to deal with that kind of pressurised situation before. We all felt terrible for them too and ended up abandoning the gig halfway through to a wall of feedback and buzzing. And not the good type of feedback either. We were headlining as well…

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

Dead Beat Blues from our debut album. It’s got all your trademark Delta Mainline elements crammed into four minutes: spacey soundscapes, gospel-tinged vocal harmonies and country rhythms gradually building towards a huge climactic chorus at the end.

Where can we listen to it? 

On our website (where you can also listen to the rest of the album): deltamainline.com/audio/oh-enlightened

Where can we find out more about your music? 

Everything you’ll ever need to know (including links to iTunes and all social media sites) is on our website: deltamainline.com

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask? 

Yes: we’re going to be recording and releasing a follow-up album later this year. We’ve just been tipped as ‘ones to watch’ by the Scottish press after the “rave reviews” (their words, not ours) we received for our debut.

Matt Midgley Q&A

Your name: 

Matt Midgley.

Where are you from? 

Bonnie Scotland! Edinburgh to be precise. Though I'm currently based in Oxfordshire.

How would you describe yourself? 

A semi-professional drinker with a music problem. Amongst other things I like beards, late nights, and Ghibli films. I'm a singer and acoustic guitarist. I play my guitar like a drum.

Who are your main influences musically? 

I take influence from more or less everything I like listening to. On one hand, I'm fond of a lot of artists you'd expect on hearing my songs; Nick Drake, Bright Eyes, Frightened Rabbit, Jon Gomm... On the other there's everything from Tool to Radiohead, Pantera to Blink 182, and Pogo to Patrick Wolf. 

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

I just want to write songs that are important or special to me, put them out there - live, recorded, whatever - and hope to see them affect people in a positive way. I guess I'm already achieving that to some extent, but there's always another song and another audience.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

I played a run of shows in Austria this summer with Walk The Walls. Vienna was just nuts; I don't think I've ever been so well recieved at a gig. After that I went to a guitar workshop in the Alps run by Thomas Leeb - a hero of percussive guitar - and soaked up some of the most inspiring musicianship from players from across world. And drank incredibly heavily. Natch. A life-changing fortnight.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

I know it's a cop-out answer, but nothing. You're shaped by every experience, good or bad, and you learn and progress. I wouldn't be the musician or the person that I am today if not for what happened yesterday.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

Carrier Wave. It's a song that kind of wrote itself. I sat down with my guitar, played the first two pairs of harmonics, and about eight minutes later it was finished. That's really abnormal for me. Even more abnormal is that I still really like it; I go through phases of love/hate with my own music, but this song remains something I'm really proud of and it continues to reverberate. It's about my best pal, Rara.  

Where can we listen to it? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEZSVPbMWiQ

Where can we find out more about your music?

My website: www.mattmidgley.co.uk

My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MattMidgleyMusic

My Twitter: @matt_midgley
My Bandcamp: http://mattmidgley.bandcamp.com/

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask? 
I aim to gig as much as possible. If you're reading this and you like what you hear, give me shout via one of the sites above - I'll do whatever I can to book a show near you!

Debut on the way from Delta Mainline

DELTA Mainline are preparing to release their debut album Oh! Enlightened next month through Rehab Sound Recordings (UK) and Halcyon Records (North America).

It follows a number of formative releases, which have paved the way for the Edinburgh-based septet's journey towards a credible cult status that has seen them compared to Spiritualized, Sparklehorse, Spacemen 3 and The Beta Band. 

The bulk of 2011/2012 saw Delta Mainline take exile at the legendary Chem19 Studios to record this debut album. 

Engineered and co-­produced by Davey McAulay (Mogwai, Mike Heron, Remember Remember) the result is an album blessed with an emphatic beauty and sonic menace that captures a band in complete control of their powers.

To coincide with this release, Delta Mainline will take to the road, with various launch nights being held in Edinburgh, London, Birmingham, Glasgow and elsewhere throughout the UK.

To find out more about the band visit www.deltamainline.com or www.facebook.com/deltamainlineofficial

And you can get a taste of the band's sound by listening to Florentine Regime below:

The Cosmonauts Q&A

Your name: 
The Cosmonauts.

Where are you from? 
Four piece alternative/rock from Edinburgh, Scotland.

Who else is in your band? 
Chris Bryce - Guitar/Vocal, Alan Robertson - Bass/Vocals, Claire Schiavone - Cello/Vocals and Marc Burn – Drums.

How would you describe yourselves? 
With our energetic guitar riffs, atmospheric cello and lyrics that resonate, The Cosmonauts bring the passion and excitement of a bygone era bang up to date with a heart pounding crash.

Who are your main influences musically? 
There are way too many to mention them all but here are some of our favourites! The Beatles, Small Faces, Rolling Stones, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Tim & Jeff Buckley, Jefferson Airplane, The Band, The Stooges, The Clash, and Radiohead.  

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
As a band we would love to get a recording contract, tour the world and make our living from our music! 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Releasing our debut album earlier this year has been the highlight for us! The album has received a great response from all our fans over the globe, with everyone having their own favourite track too. It's available at all major online retailers and is self titled - The Cosmonauts.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
We feel like a really lucky band, with no real moments to forget! Fingers crossed it stays that way! 

If you could choose one of your songs as an advert for your music, what would it be and why? 
We have a new song called Mr Smith which would be a great advert for The Cosmonauts. It's a little demo on our soundcloud page at the moment but we're going to get it down properly in January, It's about breaking away from the sheeple of the world to form your own ideas and views. Plus it's full of hooks, harmonies and finishes with a little bit of a jamathon! 

Where can we listen to it? 
http://soundcloud.com/thecosmonauts69

Where can we find out more about your music?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Cosmonauts/288995347872

Twitter - @thecosmonauts69
www.reverbnation.com/cosmonauts69 

Anything else you’d like to say about your band that I forgot to ask? 
We're great believers in independent music, whether it be bands, bloggers or radio stations. There's some fine music out there and it's encouraging to see so many independent people doing what they believe in.