'THIS BAND IS ABOUT PRETTY SONGS THAT MEAN SOMETHING'
Eschewing regular gigging routes in favour of local coffee houses, Butcher Boy reinforce their reputation as Scottish indie’s great new hope. Camilla Pia swoons
ith corporate indie currently riding hiin in the charts and flash in the pan. lashion- ohsessed tykes pervading the hlogs. Butcher llo} are more than a hrealh ol' fresh air. ll. you haven't set had the pleasure ol‘ their musical company. l'irst alhum I’m/i! in Your Poetry is packed lull ol gorgeous indie pop ol'l'erings complete with sumptuous strings and compelling storytelling and was released to critical acclaim earlier this year its magnificence soon spreading h} word ol' mouth. llowexcr. the (ilasgow—hased septet‘s singer and principal songwriter .lohn Blain Hunt reckons it's a surprise to hear that it almost w asn't released at all. ‘lioi‘ a long time I didn’t let anyone hear these songs and I was sick with ner\es hel'ore putting the alhum otit.‘ explains the warm and sold} spoken chap. 'The core ol~ tlte stories were \er} personal and hased on things that actuall) happened to me so I felt awkward about people I knew being able to listen to them . . . it's almost like letting them read sour diar). I had to have a good hard think ahout it hut l‘xe been really pleased that it‘s been descrihed as genuine and heartl'elt because that is the tnost important thing to me.‘ Inspired h_\' Morrisse}; (ieorge ()rwell. Robert Forster. \Vill ()ldham and Various l'ilms. hooks and comic strips. Hunt put Butcher Boy together iii 2005 with ‘a great mix of lk‘rsonalities~ in order to 'create something heautil'ul’. As he goes on to explain. it ended tip heing quite a cathartic experience. 'Recording the alhum was emotional.‘ he s;t_\'s. ‘hecatise a lot ot~ the songs had come from unpleasant t'eelings which were then turned into something
positixe that l was incredihl} proud ol‘. It was a real period ol rel'lection l‘or me.
'l didn‘t learn the guitar to plan} other people‘s stul'l'.’ he adds. 'I did it to write in} own and this hand is reall} just ahout people who lo\e music making prctl} songs that mean something and approaching things a little dil‘lerentls.‘
One example M such a \enturc is a set M unique perl‘orinances in cales around (ilasgow this month.
'l have a mild lascination w ith old lashioned (ilasgow cal'es.‘ laughs Hunt. ‘.-\ges ago I had this idea ol starting tip a cale cluh where we would go around them all and mark them out ol ten so I thought I‘d make a tour ol it. It will he a really good chance l'ot' us to play songs l‘rom the next record in a nice. comtortahle enx‘ironment and I‘d much rather do something like this that has a hit ol thought and heart hehind it than he herded in and otit ol' all the Usual \enues.‘
With a lull hand tour ol the [K to t'ollow in October. a new record due in springtime. Hunt's diar} is full tor the ltH‘fi‘thlC t‘uture htit is clearl) relishing.
'Musicall). I now realise that I want to haxe a hook. a memorahle melod} and to make a statement in the lirst 2t) seconds. For the last alhum l was nerxous to try some things hut this one will he e\en holder in its honest} and integrit} l_\rica|l_\.’
Tchai Ovna, Glasgow, Thu 6 Sep; The Mad Hatter, Glasgow, Sun 9 Sep; Offshore, Glasgow, Wed 12 Sep; Bolshie, Glasgow, Sat 15 Sep; Tchai Ovna, Glasgow, Tue 18 Sep; Hitherto, Glasgow, Thu 20 Sep; Queen’s Café, Glasgow, Fri 21 Sep.
Devon Spmule Begiiiliiig,
inderstated country tilled with quirks and an old fashioned sensibility trom this 2-1 yearold lrom Charlottesville, Virginia. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh 9 Sep; ABC. Glasgow, Mon 70 Sep. (Rock 8 Pop)
Operator Please Australia's latest gift to the world is a bunch of ragamuttin teens doing a iii/y indie yelp ‘— like Yeah Yeah Yeahs without the eyeliner and Cure records. See Big Picture, page 9. Barfly, Glasgow, Tue ll Sep.
(Rock 8 Pop)
The Go! Team Unadulterated party music that isn't by definition, terrible is a rare commodity. but The Go! team are turning it out with consumate ease. See preview, page 58. ABC, Glasgow, Fri 74 Sep. (Rock 8 Pop)
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset Their album The Bairns is a contender for album of the year. The Geordie accent never sounded so lyrical and moving. See preview, page 59. Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Fri 74 Sep; Arches. Glasgow, Sat 75 Sep. (Folk)
Richard Hawley The quiet man of northern English rock'n'roll has done it again with another album of understated beauty in Lady’s Bridge. Here he gets the live showing he's been crying out for. See Five Reasons, page 66. Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 14 Sep; City Hal/s, Glasgow, Sun 76 Sep. (Rock 8 Pop)
Daedelus This music visionary has drifted from hip hop roots and spread his wings, the electronic pallete he paints from primed with virulent colours and tones. See preview, page 58. The Ivy, Glasgow, Sat 75 Sep. (Rock 8 Pop)
8 2’) Set, 700/ THE LIST 57