On the radar: Song of Return

Signing a record deal isn't always the surefire gateway to success it might seem.

When things are going well the label are your best friends, offering to buy you sweets and take you to the cinema, and when things are less than rosy they drop you for the cool kid who just moved in around the corner.

The excellent and now defunct Glasgow electro outfit Union of Knives know only too well the fickle nature of the band-label relationship.

“We were doing okay I guess,” explains singer and multi-instrumentalist Craig Grant. “Over in LA land recording with a big shot producer. Then when we came back to Scotland, the label were concerned about the lack of ‘sure fire number one hit singles’. So they asked us to write some more demos with a view to going back to LA to finish them. Whilst all this was happening, they were losing money so they decided they couldn't send us back over to finish the tracks and also that they wanted to drop us.”

Song of Return - Shackles


After taking roughly a year out Grant decided it was time to make music again:

“I was bored out of my senses having not played live in ages so decided I wanted to get a band together to make all this new music happen live. The new stuff we had been recording had the feel of a different band anyway and as we had lost a few members to babies and weddings etc, we decided to form a brand new band.”

And so Song of Return was born. The outfit is split in two, with Grant and his ex Union of Knives bandmate Chris Gordon writing the music and the live band, which includes members of Admiral Fallow (formerly Brother Louis Collective), and Take a Worm for a Walk Week.

The new songs have an unsettlingly dark sound, complimented by the light vocal tone and falsetto harmonies Grant and Gordon sing over them. If you liked Union of Knives you won't be disappointed by Song of Return: moody, intense electro with ethereal male vocals.

Song of Return - Risk And Writhing


One thing is still up for debate though:

"I should probably say that we might change the name of the band from 'Song of Return' to something else in the next few months," Grant explains. “We're not quite sure what to yet, so sorry in advance for the mix up!”

So, go along to one of the gigs and give a warm welcome to Song of Return, or rather, [insert new band name here].

Words: Aimi Gold

Catch Song of Return live at The Mill, Oran Mor, Glasgow on 25 Mar, and at their official launch at Stereo, Glasgow on 8 May.

On the radar: Burnt Island

Burnt Island - A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again


Burnt Island - Music and Maths


Burnt Island are a Glasgow indie darling's dream band. From working with the Chemikal Underground label to forthcoming support from Aidan Moffat, they've checked enough cool points to chill every rum and coke poured in Sleazy's on a Friday night.

Luckily for them, and us, there's substance and musical merit there too.

While their sound has shades of The Delgados or even wistful Americans Midlake, it's the songwriting that sets them apart, no doubt aided by the fact that they're fronted by novelist-cum- guitarist Rodge Glass.

"The band started out from when I did a song with Vashti Bunyan called 'The Fire' on Ballads of the Book, an album put out by Chemikal Underground a couple of years ago", he explains. "I am mostly known as a writer and Vashti used one of my poems as the lyrics for the song, but when she invited me to play guitar and do some harmonies on the song I really enjoyed the experience and wanted to put a quiet band together."

The music is as understated as their sleepy seaside namesake (think soft plucky guitars, delicate flute licks and demure viola), creating a perfect backdrop for Glass's engaging lyrics and warm vocal tone.

Unsurprisingly, Glass's literary background is key to the way the songs take shape and helps explain why Burnt Island make the ideal accompaniment to a Sunday afternoon curled up with a good book. He cites poetic predecessors Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and Bill Callahan as influences, as well as brooding indie-rock outfit The National.

"The core of our songs are the lyrics, and we build everything outwards from there. So that affects the arrangement, the harmonies, the instruments chosen for each song - everything," Glass says. "I like the songs to be ambiguous enough for listeners to have some gaps to fill in for themselves, but rich enough in imagery to have something worth listening carefully to."

To mark the release of their mini-album Music and Maths on the 15th of March, the band are set to take off on a mini-tour beginning on the 7th at Mono.

"After the launch we're doing an acoustic set at Glasgow's Book Festival the night before and playing with Emma Pollock and Josh Pyke at Tut's on March 19th. Then there's a couple of dates in Edinburgh shortly after, one at the Roxy Art House with Kays Lavelle, Alan Bissett and Adam Stafford.

"Does that count as a world tour?" Glass asks.

"Not quite," we reply. But here's hoping the Burnt Islanders catch fire outside Scotland soon.

Words: Aimi Gold

Watch Burnt Island live at the following dates:

6 March: Aye Write Festival (Gutter Showcase) @ Mitchell Library, Glasgow (Rodge solo)
7 March: Album launch at Mono, Glasgow (with Aidan Moffat, the Second Hand Marching Band and Benni Hemm Hemm)
19 March: King Tut's, Glasgow (supporting Emma Pollock)
24 March: The Forest Café, Edinburgh
26 March: Roxy Art House, Edinburgh (with Alan Bissett, Adam Stafford and The Kays Lavelle)

Live review: Bronto Skylift

Wednesday 17 February 2010
Nice'n'Sleazy, Glasgow

Spoiling the end of a story is a bad thing right? Like if you’re about to watch a film and some ‘friend’ says, "It’s amazing when the giant octopus kills the mega shark." It makes you want to kick them a little bit.

Well if the same rule applies to a gig review then I’m about to do a bad thing.

Bronto Skylift finish their midweek noisefest at Sleazy's by taking things down jazz street and picking up a trumpeter on the way.

Their drummer replaces his usual machine gun snare hits with clever flicks of the wrist and light cymbal taps, giving their final song a completely different sound while retaining the power and emotion of the rest of the set.

And somehow it avoids being gimmicky. If anything it shows that the band are a little more diverse than their reputation would have you believe; they can totally jam.

The rest of the set is tight and loud with the band displaying their Lightning Bolt credentials to full effect, sandblasting away at a wall of sound that has the crowd eager for more. Yet on tracks like 'Lioness' and 'Wolf' a real pop element is audible through the decibels: Lightning Bolt’s jolly little brother, if you will.

As a band they’re definitely a little self indulgent, with thrashing guitars and outrageously heavy drumming that’s not to everyone’s taste. But there’s melody and groove at the heart of their songs, and a passion in their delivery that would put most bands to shame.

I leave the gig totally sure that they’re my favourite double act around at the moment (followed closely by Jay Z and Alicia Keys of course).

Words: Aimi Gold
Photos: Martyn Tramaine

Bronto Skylift play The 13th Note, Glasgow on the 19 Feb and Classic Grand, Glasgow on 24 Feb.