Monday, 18 February 2013

Calm As The Colour

So you've got to ask yourself how a band that's putting out consistently fine music and pulling in accolades from press and radio alike, still aren't quite finding their place in the hearts of the Scottish music buying public.  Calm As The Colour from The Kingdom of Fife are such a band and whilst they've only been together just under two years they've garnered compliments and airplay from the luminaries of Scottish radio and beyond.

 Amazing Radio's Jim Gellately and Auntie BEEB's Steve Lamaq and Tom Robinson have featured their tracks, Tom Hingley has heaped praise and the listeners of local radio station Kingdom FM voted them 'Best Live Act'.  

The one consistent bug bear among certain muso's blogs seems to be the adherence to a 90's sound. 

Photo: In the studio tonight...Now whilst they are on a bit of a 'shoegazy trip' they're just plain good at it.  Fusing the Stone Roses and Oasis with Big Country and Teenage Fanclub aint no easy task but they've managed it with consummate ease.  Proof positive of that is the track 'Widows Of Our Worlds Collide' on the new EP 'When Traditions No Longer Answer Our Questions' with its 'Manchester' vocals overlaid on soaring 'Stuart Adamson-esque' guitar play.  It's got anthem potential and deserving of airplay on any radio station.

Daz took the time to explain what the songs were about, so here's his run down.....

"When Traditions no Longer Answer your Questions was inspired by the work of a sociologist called Karl Popper.  It's the nearest we could get to a statement that said in modern day society you only have yourself to count on.  'Be an individual'."

"The first tune is Windows of Our Times Collide.  The music was written by Mic and Kris. It's like a happy Jesus and the Mary Chain with dynamic drums.  The song is about two people who were close when they were younger but different situations engineered different paths in life.  Mainly university and Barlinnie jail."

"The second is 'The Light is Rising' which is an old song of Mics I used to play acoustically two years ago on the Glasgow circuit. Kris layered it up so it's more shoegazey and full of energy.  What it's about?  Only Mic knows he wrote the lyrics!" 

"The third up is 'A Little Precarious' and was written by Phil and Mic.  This one's like Half the World Away by Oasis.  It's about escaping the clutches of my girlfriend at the time and hiding in the city.  No love songs in this band!"

"Fourth tune is Everywhere is Here.  Again Mic, the Dennis Wilson of the band, wrote this on acoustic guitar, took it to the studio and Phil and Kris layered it up.  It's the closest we will ever get to JAMC.  It's about being an introverted person and waiting for the right moment to put your point across."

"The last tune is Flowers on the Hill.  It was written by me whilst sitting in Glasgow watching the world go by.  Mic, Smithy and phil all chipped in to make it sound pretty psychedelic.  It's about the old communities in the East End and how they struggled to even exist.  Hence the lyric 'fate or free will'."

"We put a lot of work into this record and are delighted how it turned out.  Chris Kay has done a fantastic job producing and mixing it again and we are eternally grateful for his work and letting us commandeer his bedroom while making it!"

Hot off the press is their latest track 'You Don't Know' (when the sun is shining) which has a nice atmospheric feel to it, a catchy chorus and some classy guitar work.   


Ralph is obliged to Ken O'Keefe and Steven Abercromby-Cook for the use of the photographs of Calm As The Colour. 

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