Gallus ‘MK Des’ 

With their second album ‘Life Is Bliss’ on the way, out on 25th September via Marshall Records, Gallus have shared another preview track called ‘MK Des (Miss Out)’. Following on from ‘Sick Bastards’, the guitar-fuelled anthem, complete with a rousing sax solo, sounds huge – full of that trademark urgency, chaos and soaring, infectious choruses. Lyrically, it shows a more reflective side of the band, as they consider the changing face of Glasgow, memory and the feeling of watching the places you love slowly disappear.

Speaking about the track, Gallus say: “‘MK Des’ is about looking around and realising that places you thought would always be there aren’t anymore. The song is rooted in Glasgow, but it’s really about a feeling that a lot of people can relate to. Whether it’s a venue, a neighbourhood or a period of your life, everyone has something they’re worried about losing. It’s one of the more reflective moments on the record”.

With a UK tour in the pipeline, see them at the Art School on 2nd October.

Ferguson Hi-Fi ‘Get Over It’

Having previously released music as Wuh Oh, Pete Ferguson is now starting afresh with a new band called Ferguson Hi-Fi, and ‘Get Over It’ is their debut track. It’s a thrilling rush of guitar pop that captures the joy and excitement of starting a new chapter; an exhilarating re-introduction that perfectly sets out where he is going next with confidence and purpose. Full of those pop songwriting credentials that shone brightly on his previous project, the song also features indie royalty with Stevie Jackson of Belle & Sebastian and Dave McGowan of Teenage Fanclub playing on the track.

Pete Ferguson talks about Get Over it ahead of its release – “I had a day booked in the studio with Stevie (Jackson) from Belle & Sebastian, Dave (McGowan) from Teenage Fanclub and my wee brother Mike, but a couple days before the session I had the feeling there was still one song missing. I got out of bed in the middle of the night, picked up the guitar and thrashed out what would become Get Over It in one go, singing gobbledegook into my dictaphone. In the morning I wrote lyrics based off the nonsense and found tonnes of meaning buried in it. The vibe I got was bitter rumination but also a sort of burgeoning excitement for being free of the whole thing. Even though I’m saying I can’t get over it, I’m also saying thank God it’s over. I brought it to my ad hoc Glasgow supergroup and it instantly came alive. I knew straight away we had the first Ferguson Hi-Fi single.”

Twin Atlantic ‘Supersweetness’ 

After recently returning with news of their brand new, eighth studio album ‘Separation From The Animals’ out October 2nd via Dance To The Radio, Scotland’s Twin Atlantic have delivered the next installment of music in the shape of the anthemic ‘Supersweetness’. The new single follows ‘Don’t Quit It’ and ‘In Your Eyes’, and carries on the album’s declaration of truth and brutal honesty. ‘Supersweetness’ is that taste of the bright side, and a huge open-armed rocker which sees frontman Sam McTrusty enlist the help of his young daughters on backing vocals. He says: “Every song is a love song really, but this one is about the bittersweet feeling of adoring my children until the point where it makes me feel ill,” says frontman Sam McTrusty, inspired by that overwhelming feeling of “loving something so much that it actually hurts.“

Katie Gregson-MacLeod ‘Nothing Really Changes’ 

Katie Gregson-MacLeod has announced the release of her debut album ‘Albatross’ on November 6th. The Inverness songwriter shot to viral fame while still a student, but she’s now working with Last Recordings On Earth – the small artist-oriented label founded by Matt Maltese. Taken from he album, she’s shared a preview single ‘Nothing Ever Changes’ – an emotive, understated number. She explains: “Writing the album, this song represented the putting-down-of-the-pen for me. It became as cathartic sonically as it had felt to write. Rather than attempt to make sense of anything, ‘Nothing Really Changes’ just sits back and observes it. The conclusion: it always does.”

Lupercalia ‘Bandit Country / No Way Around’ 

Hailing from Falkirk, Lupercalia were among the first wave of bands announced for TENEMENT TRAIL this year – and they’ve now shared their debut double single ‘Bandit Country’ and ‘No Way Around.’ The band have made their presence known around the local circuit, amassing a steady word-of-mouth following off the back of some rousing live shows at McChuills, King Tuts, and in support of Brogeal. And these new tracks capture that raw, raucous live energy in abundance. Imbued with 90s influences and early noughties indie, ‘Bandit Country’ is dark, brooding and riff-heavy while ‘No Way Around’ has an undeniable swagger and infectious groove. An impressive opening salvo from the four-piece ahead of the TRAIL debut.

Shay O’Dowd ‘What’s your plan son?’ 

In the midst of a busy summer festival season that has seen him play TRNSMT, Latitude, Boardmasters and alongside Deacon Blue, Shay O’Dowd has shared a new song with a short film, starring David O’Hara & Connor Newall. Recorded and produced by Jamie Squire, who writes with and plays in The 1975, ‘What’s your plan son’ is another striking moment of vulnerability that explores the complexity of a father-son relationship. In Shay’s words: ‘WHAT’S YOUR PLAN SON?’ is a song I wrote about my dad growing up in a tough environment and the complicated relationship he had with his own father. At its heart, it’s about the moment he realised where his life could end up if he didn’t choose a different path. It’s about the choice between becoming a product of your surroundings or finding the courage to want something better for yourself. 

The father-and-son relationship has always fascinated me because so much can go unsaid. Feelings aren’t always expressed openly, and I think that’s what makes those relationships so powerful. The title ‘What’s Your Plan Son?’ can be interpreted in two ways. On the surface, it sounds like my grandad asking my dad that question. But to me, there’s another meaning that’s even more important. It’s my dad asking himself that question – a moment of self-reflection where he realises that if his life is going to change, he’s the one who has to change it.

Fletchr Fletchr ‘Passenger’

Fletchr Fletchr have shared their second EP On The Island We Call Home. Following up from their debut EP ‘We All Feel the Same’, this latest self-produced body of work sees the band mature into more nuanced songwriters, exploring their vulnerabilities via vivid guitar textures and introspective lyrical depth. And while it’s a record that explores universal anxieties about modern life, it remains charged with hope and optimism via their widescreen brand of indie rock. It makes for a life-affirming and affecting listen.

Speaking about the new EP, lead vocalist Rohan Fletcher says: “‘On The Island We Call Home’ feels like our most polished piece of work yet. While still completely self-produced, we’ve refined what we learnt from ‘We All Feel The Same’ into a much heavier hitting project that was curated to translate on the live stage. We dive deeper than we have before on this EP, and it’s only the start of our next chapter.

The themes we explore are more mature and we approach them with a better sense of what’s going on around us. You can hear a bit more angst and anger in this new set of songs… from ‘Streetlights’ talking about the difficulties of relationships; ‘Fucking With My Head’ being about anxiety, and ‘Passenger’ which is about the state of the UK right now. There’s a lot for people listening to take and put their own meanings to.”

corto.alto, Jacob Alon ‘NOBLEHILL’ 

corto.alto (aka Liam Shortall) releases his new album ‘SOME SMALL FORTUNE’ on 4th Sreptember, and it finds him expanding his unique jazz vision with an array of special guests. One such name is Jacob Alon, who features on the new single ‘NOBLEHILL’, lending their delicate, angelic vocals to the shape-shifting instrumental. It’s a gorgeous collaboration that takes many exciting twists and turns. “I wanted to write songs with artists that I love and have a proper collaboration with them, rather than be a control freak,” corto.alto says. “That’s why I reached out to someone like the amazing Scottish songwriter Jacob Alon, and Mick Jenkins, who I’ve listened to forever, as well as a shapeshifter like BINA… I’m entering a different world with this music.”