Thursday 24 March 2011

...Andrew Lindsay & the Coat Hooks!

It's fair to say, Andrew Lindsay & the Coat Hooks are one of the hairiest bands in Scotland... certainly giving Biffy Clyro a run for their money anyway.  That's pretty much where the similarities end though.  After a few solo EPs, Andrew (second in from the right) has enlisted the help of some of his übertalented, musical friends for this latest release, The Whittling EP, which was released on Monday over here.  Over to the man himself to tell you a wee bit more...

Kowalskiy:  Who are Andrew Lindsay & the Coat Hooks?
Andrew:  Andrew Lindsay & the Coat Hooks is myself, alongside whoever is recording or performing with me at any given time. When I started writing what would become our debut EP, The Whittling, I knew that I wanted a full band to fill the songs with harmonious beef. One by one, I called upon my musical allies to join me in the studio and add their two cents.
The Coat Hooks that recorded The Whittling include: Loch Awe's Matthew Healy; pianist Lewis Buchan; producer and bassist David Anderson; my curly brother and frequent gigging companion Shambles Miller; pop chanteuse Reverieme; two members of my former band Guessing Game, Neil Campbell and Craig McKenzie; and my good friend David Hunter.
I guess the overall structure of the Coat Hooks treads a similar path to bands like Queens of the Stone Age and The Mars Volta, where, as long as I remain the constant, the rest of the band can become fluid around me.


(the pick of the bunch!)

Kowalskiy:  How would you describe 'your sound'?
Andrew:  I'd say we're a kind of brazen indie-rock-folk hybrid. What's been interesting lately is hearing how the revolving nature of the band has changed how the songs sound live. Our last couple of gigs have been performed as a three-piece, with Jamie Hewitt (bass) and Florence MacDonald (various instruments) joining the fray. Florence has added bodhrán, melodica and a ton of additional harmonies to the songs. It's like dressing them in different clothes!

Kowalskiy:  What can we expect from you in the future?  Plug away!
Andrew:  Our aforementioned EP, The Whittling, is out on March 21st, on a new Edinburgh-based label called After the Hush, and I'm sure we'll be playing about quite a bit.
I'd also like to record another Coat Hooks EP at some point later in the year, as I've got a stockpile of songs ready to go, and I get itchy feet.  I'm going to be recording a joint solo EP with my fellow Coat Hook and Loch Awe axe-man Matthew Healy during the summer, too. Judging from the material he's played me so far, it should be pretty solid.

The Whittling EP is out now over here, where you can also get your free download of one of the songs, the aptly-named Bearded Author.  It's a great EP.  Then again, what do you expect when some of Scotland's finest folkies all get together!  It "comes in a lovely digipack, with free badges, a wee note, and a download of the EP's acoustic pre-production demos".  So, if you ask me, it's well worth digging into the back pocket for.

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