Need more evidence that the Scottish music scene is exploding with talent? Give a warm welcome to alt-pop three-piece, PAGES.

RECORD WEEKLY’S INTERVIEW WITH PAGES.

Hi Matt, how are you doing?

We’re good, yeah. Been glad to get music out there and get the ball rolling again.

How has 2021 been for you musically?

It’s been interesting — 2020 and 2021 have blended into one. We had a prolonged period to re-evaluate where we’re at and what kind of music we want to make. This culminated in a shit-tonne of demos of which we whittled down to record. We then got the man, Joseph Schmidt (based in VA, USA), to produce the songs for us and spent about four months pissing him off from across the pond haha.

In all seriousness, it was an exciting experience that’s resulted in new material we’re delighted with. 

Fantastic stuff! Let’s take things right back to the beginning then — when did you get into music? How did you meet and form?

I got into music watching bands playing when I was a kid. I remember having a DVD of U2 playing live from Boston on their Elevation Tour, which I think must’ve been 2001. It made me jump around the living room pretending to be Bono (I still do that more often than I’d like to admit).

I’ve always fancied myself as a singer but it wasn’t really until I met Jack that I actually considered trying to make music. I doubt it would have ever left the shower/car if it wasn’t for him…

Jack and I had started making some demos with each other in 2017 I think. We did that for about 18 months, just the two of us, until we managed to persuade Ali to get on board (it probably only took a pint or something). Then we started gigging and had a line-up consisting of Jack and myself on guitars and Ali on bass with an assortment of drummers.

About three months prior to Covid, we became a three-piece with Ali and myself on guitars and Jack on drums and our fourth member… the SPD. 

Describe your sound in three words.

Ballsy, atmospheric, refined.

Did you get into any new hobbies during the lockdowns? 

I got hooked on the PlayStation and played tonnes of pro clubs with my mates, plus a lot of golf. I also started cooking… Thinking about it, I don’t know why I stopped. Then, of course, as soon as I was allowed, I started recording with the boys again. 

Talk us through your latest track, ‘Black and Blue’. 

‘Black and Blue’ was written in January this year. Like all the songs we were working on at the time, it followed a similar formula with layers of dark/atmospheric parts creating an underlying tension. I was messing around in my mini bedroom studio when I accidentally started playing the riff. The rest of the song was sketched out in about half an hour.

It was nice because we’ve had to work twice as hard to create songs that are half as good.

All the songs we’ve come up with are kind of set in a mystic place in my head. Maybe ’80s America. I’m not sure though…

That’s ace. So, while you’re here, can you tease any imminent new music?

Yes. You should expect another release this winter once we get the Christmas music out of the way. No offence, Bublé…

You can check PAGES. out on Spotify now. New followers are always nice, too, so go on, find them on Instagram as well.