2014 was another brilliant year for Scottish music. The DIY Scottish punk scene in particular once again showed why it deserves greater exposure and attention. Clearly, there is still a lack of this. A recent article titled “The British Punk Scene Is Alive And Well” by Noisey named some top British punk bands, with no Scottish ones mentioned. That’s just one example.

Before that paragraph turns into a rant, it might be best to consider the strengths of the Scottish punk scene and show you what may have been missed or forgotten during 2014 from Scotland. At the start of the year, there was a ‘2014 DIY Punk Preview‘ and so this seems like a good way to bookend the year.

January and February were quiet no doubt, almost like the calm before the storm. Scotland’s very own pop-punk stalwarts The Murderburgers had a session on the now defunct Radio 1 Punk Show. The BBC charge bands a killer fee to let them take home their recordings so don’t expect them to surface.

Skip forward to March and the storm had well and truly picked up. The Kimberly Steaks released ‘To Live and Die In West Central Scotland‘ which was a 21-minute commotion full of self-deprecating humour and references to TV shows. One of the albums of the year, though the review didn’t do justice to how long the Steaks’s album has been on repeat for me and many others. Yeah Detroit’s ‘Everybody Hates‘ was pop-punk influenced more by blink-182 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater than The Kimberly Steaks release, but still very entertaining. Terrafraid released an honest, heartfelt emo record in the form of ‘Despondent‘ that same month. It’s not only soulful and brimming with substance but it’s very well produced. Some proceeds from the album go to The Scottish Association Of Mental Health.

Great Cop’s May release was the ‘Stay Human EP’ via Struggletown Records, who were also featured on this series in September. The EP may be short but the three tracks are very promising and Great Cop are a band which you should definitely keep a close eye on. Thin Privilege released their last album, a self-titled and deservedly acclaimed one which was a crashing, careering and satisfyingly-heavy melodic-punk record.

Continuing the theme of bands who are no longer going, The Walking Targets released an excellent album in June with ‘Chasing Days’. The Edinburgh-based melodic-punks produced an appropriate send-off which is full of poignant, heartfelt song-writing in the vein of The Lawrence Arms and Hot Water Music. The same month gave us Algernon Doll’s ‘Omphalic’ which was an honest, introspective and very accessible record benefiting from some excellent song-writing and production.

Kaddish are a band whose latest album is a brilliant combination of hardcore and emo. Intense and chaotic at times and infectious above all, ‘Thick Letters to Friends’ needs your time and attention – a highlight from August. The Lemonaids released a surf-punk album in September which reignited the summer, adding a tasty bubblegum flavour to The Ramones with tongue-firmly-in-cheek. Maxwell’s Dead also released a thoroughly entertaining album in the shape of ‘Deer In The Headlights’, a fast-paced ska-punk banger straight out of Dundee.

Elk Gang’s ‘3 Songs’ is a promising taster of what this Edinburgh hardcore-punk band is capable of. A full length release that builds on this EP would be great – one to watch in 2015. The Murderburgers re-released ‘How to Ruin Your Life’ in October as well which is worth picking up if you missed the original. ‘Tomorrow’s Worn Out Blues’ was Bonehouse’s eight-track EP which had the cohesion of a full-length, just a bit shorter. As a result it’s a really accessible release which manages to be substantial and profound all the same.

In November, Britney released the absolutely chaotic and dishevelled ‘Britney 2’. The band also put on an unforgettable album release show, entering the stage dressed in matching pink onesies. Melodic-hardcore wrestling aficionados Get It Together released a politically-charged EP titled ‘Rebuild, Recover’. It’s punchy with the production being a huge step up from past releases and the artwork is a flattering rendition of Stirling, which just gains further points. The ever-strong Book Yer Ane Fest from Dundee’s Make That A Take Records had an amazing weekend according to those who went – I will forever regret having to miss it. The aforementioned Thin Privilege will cap off the year with their last EP, ‘Thin Privilege Does Not Exist’ on December 31^st the day after their final gig.

This isn’t a definitive list of bands, nor is it a ‘top list’ at all. However, it is a compilation of overlooked Scottish bands and albums which deserve your ears. The Scottish punk scene is a diverse, accepting and incredibly hard-working community and its exclusion from more prominent publications comes at the loss to everyone. Though there is a lack of exposure, the sheer graft and talent of these bands and labels should be celebrated above all else and shouldn’t take away from what has been its strongest year so far.

“Struggletown Records has been a ‘real thing’ since March 2011 when we put out our first release, the Wolves At Heart EP ‘Write It Down’. Prior to that it was a concept in my head that I had made a logo for and superimposed it over photos of burgers”, Steven explains. “The origin of the name is an Australian slang term for a hangover which was passed on to a colleague at work and I was taken with the concept of a particular location for people who are struggling – it tends to refer to similar situations as ‘First World Problems’ or sometimes reasonably difficult situations.”

These articles on Scottish DIY punk really do emphasise how difficult it is to put out music and I tend to sound quite negative, but Steven views it differently: “Putting out music is dead easy, all you need is money, time and a little experience (after a few releases it gets even easier) but the challenge nowadays is getting people to: 1) hear it and 2) care about it.” Clearly, he agrees that getting people to listen to the music itself is one of the hardest parts.

His reasoning for what seems to be a creeping apathy is that “People used to actively seek out and pay for new music by emerging artists to a far greater extent than they do now. In this wonderful age of social media everything is only one click away and there are a thousand bands, labels, funny videos and memes vying for your attention.” Perhaps social media is getting saturated nowadays. We should know – Punktastic stopped posting news articles on Facebook after they gradually stopped reaching people. It’s partly websites set up to selectively show certain content above others which are to blame.

Still, Steven has a pragmatic approach to showing what his label has to offer: “Cutting your way through all that noise and showing people that you have releases worth caring about can be tough, but it’s worthwhile. You have to be flexible in your approach and try out different things for each different record. The next few months will be a real test of the impact we’ve had as a label when we release a bunch of new records one after the other.”

In terms of recent releases, Struggletown are pushing themselves. “We’re currently eagerly awaiting vinyl pressings for three releases and we’ve received another in the last few weeks. The Bright Side 7″ [which is streaming above!] is shipping now, with two tracks of excellent melodic hardcore tinged with elements of emo and post-rock – at their most intense it reminds me a little of Go It Alone and it could definitely be compared to similar Scottish artists such as Departures. Next up we’ve got The Sinking Feeling double EP 12″ which features their brand new EP, ‘Ugly’, on the A-Side with 4 new songs and their last EP, ‘Old Friends’, on the B-Side which has some of their most well known songs, such as ‘Snakeblood’. Those records are due to arrive in mid-September and pre-orders are live now. Not long after that we’re releasing a 10″ EP from Wolverhampton based pop-punks Maycomb in conjunction with the excellent WOLF TOWN DIY.”

“Last but not least we’re excited to be releasing the debut album from Bear Arms, who are a Scottish four-piece who play post-hardcore/indie rock in the vein of Thrice, Biffy Clyro and Brand New. This record has been in the works for over a year and the guys have worked super hard to get it sounding huge. We also released a couple of great LPs earlier in the year from Thin Privilege (noisy dance rock á la Blood Brothers/The Jesus Lizard) and Algernon Doll (spaced out rock with hints of Nirvana/Elliot Smith).”

For those of you who aren’t near Glasgow, the gigs that Struggletown put on may not be that significant but the bands playing are always quality, so have a listen and catch them when they’re playing near you. The gigs run at Bar Bloc every month (usually on the first Thursday) and Steven describes Bar Bloc as “an incredible venue with a DIY ethos that’s helped us out more than any other venue or organisation since we started.”

Local bands play consistently, and Struggletown put on a number of acts from further afield including Into It. Over It, Koji, Delay, Hop Along, The Sidekicks, Drug Church and loads more.

“A lot of the ‘bigger’ bands we put on are in conjunction with the excellent promoter Punk Rock Rammy. He’s single-handedly keeping punk rock bands coming to Glasgow and representing us very well as a valid city to book a show in, plus he’s the DIY-est guy I know.” We can all vouch for this in Scotland, and there’s just a stream of touring bands that come up who are nothing short of excellent, thanks to him.

All day fests are great fun as well, and guess which DIY label is putting one on very soon: “The culmination of the last three years of shows is happening in October when we attempt to put on our very first ‘Fest’ at Stereo, Glasgow. STRUGGLEFEST 2014 features ten bands who have all released music with us in the past three years. We’ve got Wolves At Heart, Prevenge (CAN), Wank For Peace (FR), The Sinking Feeling, Bonehouse, Algernon Doll, The Great Albatross, Bad Luck, Bright Side & Great Cop all sharing the stage from 3pm onwards on Saturday 11th October – it’s a 14+ show and it’s £10 for an advance ticket. I hope it’s gonna be nice and busy for the touring bands and everyone enjoys the show!”

“I don’t know if the punk scene as a whole is any different now to when we started Struggletown. I think we’ve maybe had a small positive impact on the local scene in terms of bringing people and bands together who might otherwise have been much more separated by their sound. I think mixed bills are fun, giving the audience a bunch of different styles of music to listen to can be challenging but overall I think it can broaden the mind.” There really are a lot of people making music in Scotland, and in terms of punk itself, we’re lucky enough to have so many hard working labels, bands and promoters up here. As Steven says , they’re all making a “positive impact” – there are no maybes about it.

Lastly, I threw a pseudo-intellectual question into the interview, but one that definitely has an answer: Is all punk DIY? Steven answered this one as well as anybody could.

“Not all punk is DIY, but not all DIY is punk either. I think a band/label/promoter from any genre can work within a DIY ethos. Punk’s pretty mainstream now, which doesn’t exclude it from being DIY, but it does open doors which are more appealing than having to work excessively hard to get your music out there. Take all the help you can get, but don’t step on anyone, be good to people who help you and do as much as you can yourself, just as a general rule. All the bands – punk or otherwise – I’ve met through DIY shows and releases have been great people, so maybe there’s a good attitude that goes along with that kind of ethos.”

“I started the label in Spring 2012 [and] I initially had the idea of being a ‘silent partner’ in helping to release records (paying the money but never being credited for it). However, my ego is such that I need to be praised and acknowledged at all times.”

Like most DIY ventures, this one was spontaneous but driven by a passion for music as Ewan goes on to explain. “When I decided to help put out the first release (HEXIS – Seputus/Fatum 7”) there wasn’t even a name or logo for the label yet, I just knew I wanted to be involved with the ‘business’ side of releasing records.”

“I had run a record label by the name of Seventh Street Records when I was 15 that put out one CD then ceased to be, because I had to study for my Standard Grades (O levels to you southerners) [GSCEs to you under 30 year olds – Samarth].”

“Instead of re-visiting that name, I decided to combine my love of Harry Potter, Twin Peaks and words that juxtapose nicely and settled on BLACK LAKE RECORDS. Sounds pretty neat, dunnit?”

Running a record label takes a huge commitment, and it seems like Ewan is well aware of this.

“It’s the only thing I am doing since leaving my ‘normal’ job at the end of March. I would love for the label to be doing well enough for it to be my only full time job, and although it does okay, I can’t really live off the label (yet).”, he says.

“I am no doubt going to have to bite the bullet and get some other job doing something I hate, just like everyone else who wants to be a creative person full time.”

Running Black Lake Records can’t be easy – DIY Punk is saturated with labels and bands, Ewan explains. “The main difficulties come with finding new ways to get people to notice your products and interact with them as there are just so many labels and bands nowadays (which is cool) but it’s definitely hard to stand out”, he explains.

“Social media makes it really hard for small brands sometimes when you have to consider ‘boosting’ posts for a cost and paying to get your page noticed etc. Basically, Mark Zuckerberg sucks.”

That’s not the only difficulty for Ewan. A mix of apathy and a lack of free time is a major obstacle. “It sounds so cliché but people just need to keep going to shows and getting out there. I appreciate people have other commitments and maybe a gig in a room with no windows isn’t something they want to actively pursue after a 9-5 slog; but it really is about supporting the bands that are making the effort to tour and play music in new places.”

Ewan goes onto say, “The use of social media now means that people can support touring bands all the time instead of only at a show but in order for the sense of ‘community’ to carry on, people need to be showing face at gigs and watching bands/engaging people in conversation about music.”

Here’s some of the bands that Black Lake records are releasing records for in the next few months:

Plaids/XAXAXA: “One for the old-schoolers. The sound of the 90s combined with some Hüsker Dü vibes from XAXAXA.”

Seventeen Again: “A really cool screamo band featuring members of The Reptilian (another cool screamo band) from Kalamazoo, Michigan (which, if nothing else, is a fun name to say!)”

Cassilis: “Noisy as heck punk rock from Everywhere, USA. Features an ex-member of one of my favourite bands ever; The Valentine.”

Carson Wells/Human Hands: “Arguably two of the best emo bands in this United Kingdom right now. Nufffff said.”

Kaddish: “Arguably one of the best bands in the world right now (and the last 10 years). This is their long-awaited 2^nd LP. Screamo played by Black Metal Enthusiasts.”

The Sky Above & Earth Below / Mahria: “A split 7” between two VERY GOOD bands from North America. TSAAEB’s LP continuously gets regular rotation on my turntable. Really excited to work with Mahria as well, as they are a band who’s work I’ve loved for years, so it’s nice to be able to be involved with that!”

The future is most certainly Black then.  I asked what Ewan would be doing if he wasn’t running a DIY label. “Thanks for asking”, he states.

“I would almost certainly consider a life as a Mirror Inspector. That’s something I could really see myself doing!”

Following on from the prevalence of social media in today’s discourse, here’s a list of bands that Ewan “Buzzfeed” Cameron recommends:

“Here’s a handy list of some of my favourite Scottish bands (in no order) with their relevant bandcamp pages for ease. I havent listed any bands that I am working with to keep it unbiased”

Black Cop
Gunfinger 
Bed of Wasps
Bonehouse
Turtle Lamone
The Walking Targets
Clocked Out
The Murderburgers
Inuit
Farewell Singapore
Cutty’s Gym
Battery Face
Rungs 
Min Diesel
Lost Limbs
Sky: Lark (UK)
Ittó (US)
Capacities (US)
Kilgore Trout (US)
Weakness (US)
Parents (NZ)
Улыбайся Ветру(RU)
Henry Fonda (DE)
Afterlife Kids (DE)

For more information check out:

BLACK LAKE RECORDS: http://blacklakerecords.bigcartel.com/

BANDCAMP: http://blacklakerecords.bandcamp.com/

SAMARTH KANAL

The North Of The Border series of features focuses on Scottish DIY Punk, and this month it’s an introduction to The Walking Targets. Ruaridh (drums/vocals), Max (guitar/vocals) and Alex (bass) make up the melodic punk three-piece, for fans of The Lawrence Arms, Hot Water Music and The Menzingers.

The Walking Target’s roots are familiar to most of us, as Ruaridh explains: “I think collectively our gateway band into punk music was through Green Day and then even more through Rancid, as it is for loads of people.” This makes complete sense on first listen to their debut EP, ‘Controlling The Motions’, with fast-paced punk rock backed up by full-bodied guitar and infectious bass hooks.

If you have a look back at the other NOTB columns it becomes pretty evident that I gush over the amount of talent that the Scottish music scene seems to leak out of its every pore. These guys are no exception – they’re young, all of them around 20. That shouldn’t be a surprise but lyrically speaking, these songs are poignant and mature.

“In terms of actually writing the lyrics I tend to just write about what’s going on in my life and in my head. It’s very much a venting process for me.”, Explains Ruaridh. “Max writes in a similar way but in general seems to rationalize his thoughts more and think in a more optimistic way. I think that creates quite a cool dynamic across our songs lyrically.”

For a band which started out when they were 13, these guys have to get along – touring across the UK and Scotland can take its toll – and the chemistry between them comes across in person. Ruaridh goes into this further: “Having known each other for so long definitely means we know how to make each other tick! But at the same time it means we have a pretty strong understanding of each others personalities and so can sustain a good dynamic even when we’re in each others faces.” They’re solid live as well, managing to add a another layer of energy and grit to their recordings.

“At the end of January this year we recorded our debut album with James Bragg at Middle Farm Studios which was an amazing experience. We are all itching to release it but really want to take our time to get all the plans worked out. Our self imposed deadline is to release it in June ’cause we’re in the embryo stages of planing a UK tour to promote it. We also are incredibly excited to be playing this years FEST in Gainesville, Florida! Other than that we just want to continue to write and play music and I guess just see what happens!”

It’s evident that the future’s bright for The Walking Targets then. It’s fitting really, as the whole Scottish music scene is thriving right now. The Scottish DIY Punk scene is full of active people with talent and initiative and this is yet another awesome product of that combination. Clearly the band agree, saying that “[the community] is bloody lovely! We were introduced to it in late 2012 through meeting Boab (Punk Rock Rammy) and Raph from Walk The Plank Promotions”

They first played the aforementioned Book Yer Ane Fest in 2012 which can only be described as an amazing three-day rammy (read: party) in Dundee; Ruaridh goes on to explain how inclusive and friendly the community up here really is: “We met a whole cast of awesome people! It really is a thriving community of honest and talented people and we are really chuffed to be considered a part of it. And the quality of bands is really really good – The Murderburgers, The Kimberly Steaks, Billy Liar, Uniforms, Get it Together, Cleavers (RIP), Andy Chainsaw, Lachance and tons of others. We have definitely been inspired to make the best music we can with these folk as our peers!”

SAMARTH KANAL

STRUGGLETOWN RECORDS – STEVEN HILL

http://struggletown.limitedrun.com/

Thin Privilege LP – We are releasing an album for the noisy Post Hardcore/Dance Rock band Thin Privilege – working with Bloc & Black Lake records on this. The LP should be out in late March/early April with a tour to follow.

The Sinking Feeling are writing a follow up to the exceptionally well received Old Friends with both EPs receiving a vinyl release. In a somewhat unconventional way, the band have booked recording time with Bob Cooper in Manchester, so expect big things from the new EP. The Sinking Feeling were also recently included in an illustrious list of to watch in 2014 by Already Heard – alongside Every Time I Die, Tool & many other big bands.

Later this year we’ll be releasing the Bright Side 7″ – Melodic hardcore for fans of More Than Life, Go It Alone, Defeater – with The Edinburgh/Livingston based 4 piece currently in the process of mixing and mastering. There’ll be previews and streams up in the coming months.

Ewan Grant who writes and records all the music (apart from drums) that makes up Algernon Doll has expressed an interest in releasing this year’s follow up to the amazing Citalo Pop, through Struggletown Records. He recently stated on his Facebook page that Bob Weston of Shellac is interested in mastering the record. We’re very excited to be involved with this project.

Finally, monthly shows at Bloc will continue with two bands on rather than three, so people can catch trains home and still enjoy the full live music experience we provide; on March 6th we have Algernon Doll and Lovers Turn To Monsters.

BLACK LAKE RECORDS – EWAN CAMERON

http://blacklakerecords.net/

2013 was a hell of a year for me and Black Lake. I put out 12 records, booked a handful of awesome shows and took the label merch and distro all over the UK and Europe, as well as putting the wheels in motion for several more releases. In 2014 I plan to focus more on putting out records than booking shows (something I didn’t do too frequently anyway) as there are several releases I have planned for this year that are going to be pretty awesome, so I’m looking to focus my funds on that. in terms of releases for my own bands.

Hopefully there will be at least one or two DIRTDRINKER 7″s this year, and my new band BOAK is also going to be putting out our first 7″, recorded just before Christmas – it’s being mastered by Will Killingsworth (Orchid/Ampere/Vaccine).

In terms of other artists, I will probably be diversifying. Although I’ll still be releasing the usual mix of punk/emo/hardcore records, I may also be putting out a pop record and a Scottish Americana record. I have always thought of Black Lake as a label that I have full control of, so I’m really just putting out whatever records want to rather than having a certain set of genres I work within.

This year I’m also doing a couple of releases that will be a big deal. At least in my mind… I can’t say too much about them at present as they’re still in the early stages of completion, but it might turn a few heads. One band features one of my favourite musicians of all time and the other is a pretty big band that I’m kind of overwhelmed to be working with. More on that soon!

I also plan to put out a compilation in the next few months that will either be free or for charity donation. it’s going to feature a lot of cool bands that either contain friends of mine or are just awesome bands I really like from all over the world!! It’s going to be really fun, but as some bands are recording songs especially for this comp it might take a little while to surface so apologies in advance!

Strangely, I put that into a word/character counter to see how long it was and it’s EXACTLY 2014 characters long…SPOOKY

MAKE THAT A TAKE RECORDS – DERRICK JOHNSTON

http://makethatatakerecords.bandcamp.com/

2014 may be the Year of the Horse, but on the bleak east coast of Scotland are looking forward to the Year of the Cowpunk! We are very excited for this year. Our aim is to do more of everything, learning from our past experiences and giving it 100%.

We aim to release more music, put on more shows and have more of a blast than we ever have before. In the first half of the year, we shall be involved in putting out the second full-length record from Scottish screamo/hardcore legends Kaddish and the brand new album from the UK’s most under-rated punk band, The Kimberly Steaks.

Uniforms are currently working on their first album and we’d expect that to be ready for its LP release by the summer. The Walking Targets are recording their album with Peter Miles at Middle Farm Studios in Exeter and will destroy. Keep your eyes on those boys.

We’ll also be releasing 7”s from the wonderful Broken Stories as well as the first Tragical History Tour vinyl. As always, we shall do everything that we can to support our local DIY community and will also be putting out an EP from new Dundee emo-punks Lachance as well as putting out a split release from Andy Chainsaw and our pal Big Ade. All of this is planned before the year has even started, so who knows what else will pop up? We shall also be releasing Make Yer Ane Comp V which will feature 30 tracks from across the world for a super-cheap download.

Then we’ll have the shows! Our first show of 2014 was on January 31^st in Dundee with four unique flavours of Scottish hardcore; Rope Spasm from Perth, Get It Together from Falkirk, West Lothian’s Sufferinfuck and the mighty Filthpact on their final tour. We’ll have The Murderburgers in March, The Slow Death in summer and loads more that we’ve yet to announce. Indeed, loads more that we haven’t even thought about yet. We’ll also be hosting a monthly acoustic night at Cerberus in Dundee.

Book Yer Ane Fest VIII will be happening from Friday 28^th November 2014. No doubt that will grow arms and legs as usual, so put it in your diary now!

We shall also continue to develop our online community and content including Cowpunk TV (over 350 live videos), the Dae Yer Ane Podcast and Write Yer Ane Zine. We will also have a new website live in the next couple of weeks.

Overall, we’re pumped for 2014; more shows, more records, more touring, more tattoos, Ireland, Europe, USA, BYAF, putting out as much incredible music as possible and surviving through it all in good humour and happiness! I’ve never been more excited about the Scottish punk scene as I am right now and I am privileged to be a part of it. Please get in touch yo!

WOLF MASK ART – DANNY CROMBIE

http://www.wolfmaskart.co.uk/

Last year was pretty awesome as I got the opportunity to quit my job and try to do the art thing full time so my main concern now is trying to pay the rent and keep food on the table, I have had some really great offers come up recently so I’m very excited for what this year may hold.

Apart from that I’ve got some record cover work in the pipeline for some great bands and I’m working on issue 7 of Boredom and Coffee which will be out around Easter and will be around double the size of the last, it’s shaping up to be the best one yet!

As for Cleavers that’s totally dead and not coming back!

[Thanks to Danny for making the art for this feature! – Samarth]

PUNK ROCK RAMMY – BOAB

www.facebook.com/punkrockrammy

What you can expect gig wise in Glasgow (that I can say just now anyway) is Austin Lucas, SNFU, Restorations, Smith Street Band, Astpai, Elway, Joe McMahon (Smoke Or Fire), Bangers, Real Friends, You Blew It!, Modern Baseball, Red City Radio, Perdition, Citizen, Diamond Youth & Headroom. Also just announced a gig for Australian punks Bodyjar. That’ll be pretty sweet. 11th May. It’s one of two UK shows so might interest some folk outside of Scotland. If this is going live after 3rd Feb then you can also include The Swellers and I Am The Avalanche in that list of bands. 29th April and 16th May.

I’m not involved in this one but Iron Chic in Edinburgh on 6th May will be such a good gig. Walk The Plank Promotions for all the info you need there. Stuck In Springtime Fest is a cool lineup too. Search it online and you’ll find all the details. Book Yer Ane Fest in Dundee will have plenty of cracking bands as per. Check out Make That A Take for more info and gigs. The next monthly Struggletown Records gig at Bar Bloc is a tidy lineup with Get It Together and Bright Side. Also, Anti Vigilante tour next month, great band. Nutsack Jetpack putting that on. Give them a search online.

Release wise the new albums by Lagwagon, Menzingers, Braid & Masked Intruder should be cool hopefully. And Rehasher. They’re a fucking great band, shame they pretty much never play.

I also recorded a bunch of stuff recently that sounds good. Kimberly Steaks and Lemonaids were doing albums and The Murderburgers an EP/7”. First Step To Failure are in next month tracking their album and also Uniforms for a 7” I think. Flakes are also in doing a couple of songs for a split I think it is. Check them all out anyway, good bands.

That’s all I can think of from the top of my head anyway. No doubt forgot something.

SAMARTH KANAL

“Book Yer Ane Fest started out as a one-off all-dayer held at Mucky Mulligan’s, Perth in November 2008, essentially by accident”, says Derrick Johnston, founder of Make-That-A-Take Records, a DIY collective based on the east coast of Scotland.

“The first BYAF was held in Perth in November 2008, comprising mostly of Scottish bands (many of which are now defunct) including Kaddish, Mesa Verde, Black Channels, The Hijacks, Sunset Squad, Torturo Nervosa and more. Our only travelling (non-Scottish) band that day was our friends The Living Daylights.” It can’t be easy trying to get bands to trek up to places which may seem remote to play.

While we were provided with a strong line-up in 2008, the roster has only gotten stronger over time. BYAF has become a yearly event in Dundee’s Kage nightclub since, with this year’s festival giving us the likes of Cornish punk trio Bangers, Broadcaster from New York and The Murderburgers – our very own Scottish pop punkers.

“BYAF in 2011 was the first time that we ran for three days and it was one of the craziest weekends of my life. I get stoked for every show, let alone every BYAF, but having Leatherface headline the Saturday night of BYAF V was probably the happiest I’ve ever been at a punk rock show. We didn’t start this shit thinking that it would mean anything to anyone other than ourselves and our little community, but the fact that things seem to have grown and that it has become something significant for other people is very humbling.” Derrick has been aiming higher and higher, with a great mix of hardcore, pop-punk and emo for this year’s iteration. For those nursing throbbing hangovers, there’s also an acoustic stage over the three days featuring Lach and Billy Liar amongst others.

The festival is for a good cause, namely Safe-Tay water. Safe-Tay is a water safety charity based in Perth, Scotland, and is clearly close to Derrick’s heart. “[Our] roots and connection to Safe-Tay run [deep],” he goes on to say. “Safe-Tay is a water safety charity founded in 2006 after the death of Graham Motion, musician, drummer, active member of and enthusiast in the local DIY hardcore scene.”

“His close circle of friends (the PCC) put together Motionfest in 2006 shortly after his passing. I worked on the bar that day and it was a visceral experience. Come 2008, I asked those dudes if they’d be doing a third one, to which they replied in the negative. I then asked if we (Make-That-A-Take) threw an all-dayer, would they object if we did it as a fundraiser for Safe-Tay? Of course they didn’t.”

It’s evident that starting a punk festival is no mean feat, but Derrick’s hard work looks like it will pay off again this year. “The best thing about it for me is being in a position to raise money and awareness for a charity that is close to our collective hearts and is an issue within our community and locality. To be able to do that whilst spending time doing something that we love – getting grubby and listening to punk rock – with people from all over the world is pretty incredible to me,” he admits with abundant enthusiasm.

“It’s essentially Wrestlemania for our collective; the thing we work towards every year. From a purely selfish perspective, I get to see loads of my friends that I don’t see too often all in one place rocking out and having the best weekend. The fact that I’m largely responsible for booking it doesn’t hurt either, as I can indulge my tastes!”

Three bands will be playing their first ever shows at BYAF: Stay Clean Jolene from Manchester, Last Of Us from Perth and Lachance, a new band from Dundee. The weekend will also act as a release party for the “Roaster”10” split from Uniforms, Sink Alaska, The Walking Targets and Question The Mark, as well as being the Scottish release show for the ‘Sweden The Deal’ compilation.

Cleavers will also be playing a one-off reunion show, giving people a chance to catch their punchy, energetic live antics. Derrick’s enthusiasm is almost palpable. “Overall, I’m excited about the line-up, I’m excited to play both with Uniforms and by myself but mostly I’m looking forward to a weekend of kick-ass punk rock and celebrating the hard work that our community partakes in across the board. I’ll be pretty happy when I’m watching The Bomb close out Sunday night. I think it’ll be pretty special. I’m about ready for a party and some chaos.”

There’s not quite as much hype centred around BYAF as Fest 12, but we’re still lucky enough to have a pre-BYAF show in Scotland. “I’m looking forward to a week of madness and very little sleep.”, explains Derrick. “We’re throwing a pre-BYAF show on Thursday 28th November with The Murderburgers, Billy Liar, Uniforms, The Walking Targets and Maxwell’s Dead at The Banshee Labyrinth in Edinburgh.”

“It seems that we’re always busy with BYAF,” Derrick admits. “Every festival is a learning experience and over the last few years, we have at least tentatively planned ahead for the following year before the last one is done. Sometimes it seems like hard work; sometimes it all just falls into place. Things have been logistically challenging this year due to the sheer number of acts that we have performing and the fact that we’re running across multiple venues for the first time, so trying to avoid clashes and accommodate touring schedules has been tricky, but it’s a great problem to have.”

There are a load of punk bands worth seeing live in Scotland, but it’s rare to see such a selection playing together under one roof over a weekend. Not only that, but bands from across the country, Europe and America are gracing the stage of Kage Nightclub in Dundee. “We’ve been running a lot of shows recently and have had some incredible bands visit Dundee over the past few years; we’re very lucky to have built the friendships that we have to be able to do these sorts of things in a place like Dundee,” Derrick summarises with the humble, well-intentioned attitude that has got him this far.

SAM KANAL

DIY punk is an important, self-sufficient way of producing music. The usual channels for distribution and production, which use middlemen between labels and retailers in order to heavily publicise music, have historically been reluctant to take on bands such as Minor Threat, Bad Religion and other mainstays of the genre. Punk music has always been viewed as a niche market, and the majority of bands making it are not considered to be lucrative enough for a label to take them up. As a result, many bands have to record and distribute music themselves. With any luck collectives are set up, allowing punk music to reach a wider audience over time.

You could bet on the presence of a DIY punk scene anywhere in the world. Singapore has one, as does Sao Paolo, in Brazil. In fact, Japan has had thousands of punk records released by DIY bands, with the Philippines having an old punk scene as well. Eastern Europe has an exhaustive list of punk bands, some of which were formed before the fall of communism. So it shouldn’t surprise you to know that Scotland has a very active DIY scene too.

We spoke to a couple of Scotland’s most active DIY labels – Black Lake Records and Struggletown Records – to get an inside view of a thriving, creative scene.
 

“Working hard to share the music, message and aesthetic that we are part of is more important than any monetary, social or status gain.”

 
“The biggest advantage to everyone is the community”, says Steven Hill of Struggletown Records, a Glasgow-based record label which puts on gigs and turns out music, amongst a host of other things. “It seems that almost all the members of the worldwide DIY punk scene share a similar ethos, one where working hard to share the music, message and aesthetic that we are part of is more important than any monetary, social or status gain”. DIY Punk is universal in attitude as well as in a geographical sense.

The DIY punk scene is different from others, in a way that’s worth shouting about. Ewan Camerson from Aberdeen-based label Black Lake is doing just that, saying that the presence of a community like this is “empowering”. This kind of enthusiasm is what sets DIY Punk apart from other music scenes, and it’s exciting and reassuring to see people running labels who do it for the satisfaction and the music itself above financial gain.

“It puts the power in your hands and means you’re in full control of everything to do with your own band. You can book your own shows, make your own releases, go on tours that you’ve organised yourself etc. It adds a really beautiful feeling of satisfaction to everything you do with a band or label. You can just do it all on your own. It’s awesome!”, Ewan gratifyingly declares.

There are a whole host of aspects to consider with organising releases and distributing them, which many have had to learn themselves. Steven Hill’s Struggletown Records runs an online store: “Everything is shipped out of my spare room. We rely on other labels and distros to grab a few copies and sell them in their own stores, we’ve had releases over in Japan, Europe and North America through this route.”

It’s not easy to sell records to people who may not have even heard of the artist, but Steven has some advice. “One of the best ways we’ve found to distribute physical releases is to take a box of records to shows. People are much more likely to pick something up in person if you can explain what’s so great about it and compare it to some bands they already love.”

Social media is an important aspect to publicising bands and DIY labels are all over them. It’s a necessary evil for many, but for people who run businesses out of their own home, using websites and forums is actually really useful. Having said that, the general consensus is that all these followers, blog posters and general listeners need to get more involved if they really want to help the Punk DIY scene.

Steven has some specific suggestions for punk DIY fans. “The best thing they can do is support the bands, labels and releases by buying copies of physical releases, downloading digital releases (paid or free) and sharing them with friends. Wear the t-shirts of the bands you like. Talk about it to anyone who might be into it. Bring friends to shows, put on shows! Give bands a place to stay, blog about them, post them on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/anywhere and just stay involved.”
 

“It might just be something people do to counteract the terrible weather.”

 
Ewan’s opinion on using websites such as Bandcamp to distribute music isn’t as optimistic: “I just hope people don’t become dependent on digital downloads and ‘pay what you want’ Bandcamp albums and are still interested in buying physical products. The recent resurgence in vinyl sales would suggest that probably won’t happen, but it’s always a mild worry!”

Ewan and Steven have touched on what makes any self-sufficient punk scene important, and what people need to do to get involved. As a final question, we asked what makes Scotland’s punk scene special – what sets it apart from the rest of the UK and how it’s different?

Steven thinks the reason is that “there are a very high percentage of bands from Scotland, perhaps more so than some cities in England. This might be due to the rich history of Glasgow bands that inspire people to start their own, or it might just be something people do to counteract the terrible weather.” On the other hand, Steven has noticed something interesting about the nature of the local punk community. “I feel that with recent trends within Facebook and other social media, the UK is kind of becoming it’s own giant scene, rather than a Scottish/English/Welsh divide.”

Ewan is looking forward to the future: “The Scottish DIY punk scene is an interesting one, as it’s recently had a revival in interest across the board, and seems to be gelling together better than before due to a better amount of connection and communication with like minded individuals. When you’ve got packed out shows for bands you thought you would never see in Glasgow, you know things are going well.” It’s not always going to be an easy job, and he acknowledges this fact.“It’s definitely very frustrating at times, but if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”

The current situation is concluded perfectly by Steven, who says: “DIY is what it is, doing it yourself – so really the essence of the whole thing is on each person to do something – get out to a show, start a band, write a zine, put on a gig etc – it sounds corny but the more people acting on their own will impact the scene as a whole.”

“A lot of these people play in bands and put out music too, so they’re working hard for the music that they produce,” Steven adds. He calls out Punk Rock Rammy, Hawkchild DIY, Choices Made Events, Kashif Saghar, Partywound Promotions, Make That A Take Records, Black Lake Records, The Final Comedown and This Is Our Battlefield.

There are a huge number of reasons why you should get involved with and appreciate your local DIY scene. Scotland’s punk community seems to be thriving thanks to labels such as Struggletown and Black Lake, but there’s a whole host of other labels, promoters and bands that have had a huge hand in creating it. The quality of music being produced is an incentive in itself, and that’s reason enough to go to shows and buy music, then write, and just never shut up about it.

SAM KANAL

Black Lake Records : http://blacklakerecords.net/
Struggletown Records: http://struggletown.co.uk/

Welcome to our first ever ‘North of the Border’, where we take a regular look at what’s happening up in the Scottish punk scene. Each month, our new reporter Samarth Kanal will be introducing new artists, trends and venues housed in Scotland. This month, and for our first installment, Samarth chats with The Murderburgers.

The words “Scottish Pop-Punk” don’t ring many bells and it’s about time things change. The ingredients – bad weather, a shortage of hope, and a distinctive sense of humour – are ever-present, and north of the border there’s never been a lack of talent.

Take The Murderbugers as an example. This is a three-piece comprising of one-part Ramones, one part Teenage Bottlerocket and perhaps a fraction of The Proclaimers.

Lead singer and guitarist, Fraser, describes his roots in a typically honest manner: “I saw The Queers playing in the summer of 2006 and it was the most fun show I had ever been to. It was so fun that I got kicked out and missed the last couple of songs. I loved the no bullshit approach as well, just song after song after song[…]I’ve always been more into the poppy side of things.”

Fraser Murderburger has a somewhat impish charm and the aforementioned sense of humour which makes for punchy, accessible pop-punk.

It figures that stripped-down US pop-punk bands such as The Queers and The Copyrights greatly influence The Murderburgers. Fraser continues on how he was inspired to form his band, saying, “That’s when I started writing shitty pop punk songs and finally got my shit together in February 2007. I asked my brother to play guitar, my friend Sean to drum and my friend Brian to play bass. That line-up quickly changed, as it always bloody does.”

Even with an inconsistent line-up and numerous other difficulties (including a near-death experience touring with Dear Landlord in America), The Murderburgers have four full-length releases under their belts, most recently ‘How To Ruin Your Life’ (2012). This gives an honest and tongue-in-cheek take on unemployment, relationships, and general hopelessness. Although, it took a while for the seriousness of some of the tracks to sink in, particularly ‘My Head is Fucked Again’. It just goes to show how these songs aren’t contrived and puerile; this is an album which is simultaneously relatable and amusing.

“Nowadays I guess our songs are a bit different from most pop-punk bands lyrically.”, says Fraser. “We used to just have stupid songs about girls and standard “fuck you” tracks, but I got bored of writing that stuff and I admire anyone that can keep it that simple and keep it interesting, but I can’t do it. I find it much easier to write about stuff that I’ve actually had to deal with. Anxiety, depression, that sort of thing.”

Regardless of their pessimistic stance on life, the future is looking a whole lot better. A new album, ‘These Are Only Problems’ is scheduled for release on October 8 via Asian Man Records and Monster Zero. This coincides with the first date of their US tour leading up to playing Fest 13 in Gainesville, Florida, at the start of November.

“We probably have more lyrics than the average pop punk band too. Over 3000 on the new album. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.” This is a sign that their upcoming release will be a slightly more mature outing. Although, after listening to the new single ‘Another Way Out of Here’, fans of fast-paced, witty punk songs should be very excited.

“The future is looking pretty damn busy and we will probably smell way worse than we already do. The Midwest [USA] dates are with Strong City, and the rest will be with Lipstick Homicide and Boys. The day we get back to the UK we start a 3 week UK/Europe tour which will finish at Book Yer Ane Fest in Dundee at the start of December. Basically, we don’t plan on being in Scotland very much next year.”

Personally, it’s reassuring that The Murderburgers are showing growth both in following and in their new tracks. After repeated listens of ‘How To Ruin Your Life’ and the preceding album, ‘Burned Out, Worn Out’ (2010) it’s also clear that they deserve greater audiences and exposure.

Fraser sums it up best: “We never thought we would get the chance to do anywhere near the amount of shit we are doing, so we want to push it while we have the chance. I want to see where we end up. Probably the job centre or an early grave, but we’ll see.”

SAMARTH KANAL