Gig on the Green Special
FLING
Their first singles and cracking live gigs have made them the most talked about next-big-thing in Scotland. And, say MULL HISTORICAL SOCIETY, there’s plenty more to come.
Words: Doug Johnstone
t's not easy to take a band called Mull Historical Society
seriously. Especially when you find out that they actually
come from Mull. And that Mull really does have a Historical Society. Which they're named after. It's all a bit. well. twee. isn‘t it‘.’
Fear not. For Colin Maclntyre and fellow Mullite (Mtrllonian'.’ Mullteser‘.’) Alan Malloy are possibly the best new band in Scotland. as a handful of invigorating. oddball and poptastic singles are testament to.
Not that MHS are utterly devoid of tweeness — they still garner plenty of Belle And Sebastian cookie indie cred points. The band‘s debut single. ‘Barcode Bypass‘. was a gloriously melodic and gently psychedelic seven-and-a-half-minute epic about a local village shop owner who has a heart attack alter trying to keep up with a new 24-hour supermarket. It was also one of the singles of last year.
And their new single. 'Animal (‘annabusfi is
ch Boys: Colin r \L .81“!
Despite a bit of money at their disposal. the band were happy to record the album on the cheap in dribs and drabs in sunny Glasgow. where they‘re now based. ‘It's a bit of an overused word. btrt I suppose it has been quite an organic thing.‘ says Maclntyre. ‘I didn‘t really see the point in flying to Spain to record it when I could jtrst keep doing it in
Glasgow in the studio that I'm used to working in.‘
For now we‘ll have to settle for their appearance at Glasgow Green. (‘ontinual totrring over the last nine months has meant MHS have become a seriously robust live outfit. even seeing the odd foot touch a monitor without a hint of rronv.
about . . . well here's singer and gurtarist (‘olin ‘I Maclntyre to explain. ‘It's about escaping and not S cannabus following the crowd. btrt not really being strre if . you can pull it off.. he says. ‘The cannabus thing SO It is a reference to escaping. btrt I deliberately spelt wasn’t it so that it wasn‘t cannabis. because it‘s supposed to be a bus that you escape on ftrll of animals. I Are the band looking forward to the summer festival
. .v . - o g ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ which was the anrrnal cannabus. I mean. it sounds because It’s shows‘.’ ‘Well. I ve never even attended a festival before. says daft when you just explain it like that. That‘s it in S“ osed to be Maclntyre somewhat surprisingly. What never‘.’ ‘I don’t know a nutshell — btrt that wasn‘t really in a nutshell. why I‘ve never done it before. I‘ve jtrst been too busy doing was it‘." a bus you my own music. I think.‘
Izrm. qurte. fhe thing about Maclntyre is that escape on So what are they expecting? ‘I don t know. what happens he talks and talks and talks at you which. when at festivals? Is there musrc'.’ Maclntyre says latrghrng. ‘I
Q n 0 y ’ you re used to eking occasional grtrnts out of Of anlmals
miserable indie dtrllards. is refreshing as hell. One
can only assume he sets about songwriting with
such enthusiasm. since recent interviews have mentioned that he's got around 3()() spare songs all ready to go.
‘()h. I‘ve got more than that.‘ he says matter-of—factly. ‘I‘ve got them all four-tracked and they're not just little things you hum into a dictaphone. they're actually finished songs. Everybody I meet now keeps saying I‘m prolific. btrt it's just something I‘ve always done. I probably write about 50 or ()0 songs a year. btrt maybe now we‘ve got signed it will all dry up.‘
Well if it does they’ve still got 30 albums in the can. Prince-style. For now one album will suffice. and having whittled 4() studio songs down to a dozen or so. a debut album is set for release in the autumn. A sneak preview suggests a record soaked in melody with enough inventiver offbeat ideas to keep the listener on their toes.
10 THE LIST to 95’, Arrrj 7001
honestly don't know what to expect. You get used to playing to hundreds and now it's potentially thousands.‘ He pauses to let the number sink in for a moment. then lets out a nervous laugh.
‘So I'm really looking forward to it . . . errn. yeah.‘
Mull Historical Society play the Budweiser True Music Stage on Sun 26 Aug. The album ‘Loss’ is out in Oct. See Clubs for more Gig on the Green coverage.
GIG ON THE GREEN INFO EXTRAS I Tickets and information Day tickets £35, Weekend tickets £65. All tickets are subject to a booking fee. Credit card bookings can be made on 0870 90 33 444 and on www.ticketweb.co.uk I For all the latest updated information visit www.gigonthegreen.com