Fatherson are a masterly indie-rock trio with a beguilingly Scottish sound and a blistering live set.
Together, Glasgow based Ross Leighton (guitar/vocals), Marc Strain (bass) and Greg Walkinshaw (drums) create absorbingly morose muisc with enough light and shade to veer from anthemic to candid in the slip of a chord.
Like kindred spirits Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad, their songs deal in the everyday wonders and woes of life as a Scottish 20-something.
As at home on-stage as they are in the studio, the lads are steadily building an army of followers around the UK and beyond.
Now that their impressive debut album is out in the world – and is getting rave reviews – we found some time in their busy post-South by South West live schedule to learn more about their sound…
We first started writing music because…
That old cliché of we felt we had to. When we hang out together we are always bouncing ideas off of each other and felt that the best way to take advantage of that was to play music together.
We have been making music since…
We were kids. Playing horribly out of tune covers and trying to teach each other how to look ‘cool’ holding our borrowed guitars and half of somebody's old drum kit. However once we felt we were getting better at the beginning of 2011 we started Fatherson and we’ve been all over since.
Our music is…
Honest heartfelt Scottish rock music.
You'll like our music if you listen to…
Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, Coldplay and Snow Patrol.
Our favourite venue is…
The Westgarth Social Club in Middlesborough, just because it looks and feels like playing in the past. Second to that, playing in the Barrowlands in Glasgow is always incredible.
Music is important because…
Without music there would be nothing to lose yourself in when you get in from a hard day.
Our biggest inspiration is…
Other people's stories. I love hearing about how people deal with the obstacles they face in their life and then trying to deconstruct how they reacted to write music about it. I think music is the best therapy for people, and if you can offer some sort of insight into certain situations then it ultimately does a lot of good.
Our dream collaboration would be…
Up until February it was my dream collaboration to sing with Enter Shikari, but the last show of the tour I sang with them at the Roundhouse. So now I think it would be amazing to collaborate with Seinabo Sey, saw her in the Hype Hotel at SXSW and I think her voice is incredible. It would be really cool to work with her.
To try us out, listen to my song…
Foreign Waters, the last song on our debut album.
If we weren’t making music we’d be…
Watching bands and wishing we could.
In 10 years’ time we want to be...
Comfortably able to tour the world.
Debut album I Am an Island is out now on A Modern Way.
http://iamanisland.net/
Together, Glasgow based Ross Leighton (guitar/vocals), Marc Strain (bass) and Greg Walkinshaw (drums) create absorbingly morose muisc with enough light and shade to veer from anthemic to candid in the slip of a chord.
Like kindred spirits Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad, their songs deal in the everyday wonders and woes of life as a Scottish 20-something.
As at home on-stage as they are in the studio, the lads are steadily building an army of followers around the UK and beyond.
Now that their impressive debut album is out in the world – and is getting rave reviews – we found some time in their busy post-South by South West live schedule to learn more about their sound…
We first started writing music because…
That old cliché of we felt we had to. When we hang out together we are always bouncing ideas off of each other and felt that the best way to take advantage of that was to play music together.
We have been making music since…
We were kids. Playing horribly out of tune covers and trying to teach each other how to look ‘cool’ holding our borrowed guitars and half of somebody's old drum kit. However once we felt we were getting better at the beginning of 2011 we started Fatherson and we’ve been all over since.
Our music is…
Honest heartfelt Scottish rock music.
You'll like our music if you listen to…
Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, Coldplay and Snow Patrol.
Our favourite venue is…
The Westgarth Social Club in Middlesborough, just because it looks and feels like playing in the past. Second to that, playing in the Barrowlands in Glasgow is always incredible.
Music is important because…
Without music there would be nothing to lose yourself in when you get in from a hard day.
Our biggest inspiration is…
Other people's stories. I love hearing about how people deal with the obstacles they face in their life and then trying to deconstruct how they reacted to write music about it. I think music is the best therapy for people, and if you can offer some sort of insight into certain situations then it ultimately does a lot of good.
Our dream collaboration would be…
Up until February it was my dream collaboration to sing with Enter Shikari, but the last show of the tour I sang with them at the Roundhouse. So now I think it would be amazing to collaborate with Seinabo Sey, saw her in the Hype Hotel at SXSW and I think her voice is incredible. It would be really cool to work with her.
To try us out, listen to my song…
Foreign Waters, the last song on our debut album.
If we weren’t making music we’d be…
Watching bands and wishing we could.
In 10 years’ time we want to be...
Comfortably able to tour the world.
Debut album I Am an Island is out now on A Modern Way.
http://iamanisland.net/
