IT is only a matter of days before hundreds of music lovers descend on Glasgow’s busy streets for Tenement Trail 2018. As tickets continue to fly out for this year’s eagerly anticipated event, this week saw the reveal of the all-important stage times aswell as a number of exciting new additions to the bill. With even more new music to discover than ever before, headliners The Cribs will be joined by an array of fresh-faced promising acts, local veterans and popular touring outfits who will all be hoping to leave their mark on the renowned Glasgow crowds.

It therefore comes as no surprise that a number of the acts on this year’s bill have unveiled some thrilling new material ahead of the big day. From eighties-indebted new wave to glossy indie-rock to electronic music at its most experimental, here’s a rundown of the best tracks you need to hear before Trail.

Walt Disco ‘Danube’

Set to make their eagerly anticipated Tenement Trail debut later this month, Walt Disco followed up their recently released EP No Need For A Curtain last week with a sparkling new track by the name of ‘Danube’.A glitzy and playful incarnation of everything we’ve come to know and love from the band, their latest single sees them team up with Catholic Action frontman and renowned producer Chris McCrory who not only produces the track but can also be heard playing the xylophone halfway through.

Sprinkled with some of that familiar eighties-indebted charm which draws influence from the likes of Bowie, Orange Juice and Talking Heads, ‘Danube’ is perhaps their most emphatic release to date and features an enthralling vocal performance from frontman James Potter; sultry, dramatic and silky smooth all at once against a backdrop of deep grooves and glittering melodies. Invigorated by the aforementioned playful percussion from McCrory at its midway point, the feverish track develops into a luxurious whirl of vibrant pop; full of big synth sounds and twinkling guitars.

Awkward Family Portraits ‘Please Baby Please’ 

Primed to descend upon The Blue Arrow at this year’s Tenement Trail following the launch of their Double-AA single last week, TTV were delighted to premiere the Daniel Meade-assisted lament of ‘Please Baby Please’. Built on a narrative of a beau that’s hasty to take things to the next level and form a committed bond, their latest offering is an evocative slice of rockabilly yarn-spinning that is laden with electrifying Jerry Lee Lewis-esque keys and a unique drawl that would make Carl Perkins quake in his boots. Uniquely devised from the ground-up, the band’s dispensation and departure from the prevailing trends that have set Glasgow alight in recent times are an intrinsic part of their allure and their newest track demonstrates their innate talents and fascinating aptitude for a genre that they’ve only experienced vicariously through records and celluloid.

Glassmasterer ‘Last Chance to Make Plans (ft Chuchoter)’ 

Electronic experimentalist Glassmasterer is set to bring his beautifully crafted and wildly eclectic compositions to Tenement Trail later this month. Currently exclusively available on Soundcloud, listeners have the chance to acquaint themselves with his exciting new AA single ‘Last Chance to Make Plans/GhGhGhGhost!’ before the big day. Both entirely unique compositions, the first track ‘Last Chance to Make Plans’ features Edinburgh synth-pop duo Chuchoter and was premiered earlier this year on Vic Galloway’s Radio Scotland show. Opening in ambient fashion, it takes the listener on an aural odyssey; one which shifts from beguiling synths and organ sounds into an upbeat, funk-laden disco tune with a female vocal. It’s experimental, wildly creative and unpredictable; quite simply, like nothing we’ve heard before this year.

Whenyoung ‘Given Up’

Alongside details of a brand new EP, Limerick trio Whenyoung unveiled an exuberant new track this week called ‘Given Up’. Set to be the title track of the EP, which is slated for arrival on 9th November, the new single stems from what the band call “a series of late nights and self-inflicted misdirection”. What comes from this though is a hugely addictive slice of indie-pop; one which features one of the catchiest choruses we’ve heard this year as the band bolster their sweet melodies and jangly guitars with a punky self-defiance and underlying optimism. “The central message is to take your life by the reins and create your own future”, they say.

LOVE SICK ‘Fever’

Set to bring their gleaming pop creations to the legendary King Tuts at Trail, Glasgow electronic duo LOVE SICK have unveiled a big pop banger by the name of ‘Fever’.
Inspired by an unsuitable attraction that’s hard to shake off, the track lures itself into your subconscious much like an object of your affections; driven by hard-hitting beats and a menace of a bassline. It’s the kind of throbbing pop anthem that you’d imagine being played in the dark, sweaty underbelly of a club.

Since first emerging at the tail end of 2017, LOVE SICK have taken big steps in their short time together. And after recently taking some time away to work on new material and refine their sound, the outfit have returned with news of a debut EP. An exciting precursor of what’s to come, ‘Fever’ will feature on the release, slated for arrival on 14th November.

Marsicans ‘Suburbs’ 

Mixed and mastered by multi-Grammy award winning duo Fernando Lodeiro (Paul McCartney, Vampire Weekend) and Joe LaPorta (David Bowie, Imagine Dragons), Marsicans unveiled a reflective new single called ‘Suburbs’ at the start of the month. From a sold-out headline UK tour at the start of the year to a busy festival season throughout the summer, the Leeds outfit have had a massive 2018 so far; so it’s no surprise that they’ve grown accustomed to the touring life. The guitar-driven ‘Suburbs’, full of those signature poppy melodies and warm harmonies, is all about not being comfortable where you are and seeking more from life without being sure of what that is. Check it out.

Airways ‘Alien’ 

Peterborough outfit Airways have unveiled a new politically conscious single by the name of ‘Alien’ ahead of their appearance at Firewater as part of this year’s Tenement Trail. The first new song to be heard from the band since last year’s Starting To Spin EP, ‘Alien’ finds the band firing on all cylinders. Stemming from a frustrating situation which forced them to cancel a US tour due to VISA issues, the track is an urgent and frenetic plea from an outsider who wants to be let in. Full of razor sharp guitars and stomping rhythms, it’s a strong return from a band who have amassed an impressive following all over the UK in recent years.

Check out the TENEMENT TRAIL playlist below: