MIDAS talks to Edinburgh’s Broken Records following their Highlands & Islands Loop The Loop tour.

Broken Records are one of the most talked about bands of 2008. Formed in Edinburgh in 2006, they have already recorded a live session for National Radio 1 and supported Sons & Daughters, Editors and Idlewild. In September, the band toured the Highlands & Islands on the Loopallu fringe tour Loop The Loop; MIDAS finds out more.

Hello Broken Records, how are you today?

Very well thank you. We have just had a week off due to Ian, our guitarist, getting married, so everyone is feeling back to normal again.

How long have you been together?

We formed in December 2006, so a little under two years. Everything we have done so far has happened very quickly.

What were your experiences before Broken Records?

We had all left Uni a couple of years ago, and so were working in various places. I was temping at the Scottish Executive, mainly photocopying things to pay the rent. Not very exciting. I did have an amazing boss though, who allowed me the time I needed to go and play music, so it worked out very well. Music has been the only thing any of us have wanted to do, so anything before was really a means of getting by.

How did you form?

Rory (violin), Arne (Cello), Ian (guitar) and myself had been playing as a kind of Dirty Three style reverb mess, and had been offered a gig supporting a well known Edinburgh band called Degrassi. As they were a lot heavier, we decided to bolster the line up with Dave on the Piano, to fill out the low end of the sound, and he was good friends with Andy, who then joined. As you can't have drums without Bass (it's not right!), we met Gill through a friend who was having some down time from his own band, and in the first practice we knew it was something we wanted to take further.

Where did your name come from?

Broken Records was the name I had for a Saddle Creek-esque label based in Edinburgh. I was playing loads of solo acoustic shows around town and couldn't find a band, but I did have a means to record music. I offered bands to come and get there stuff recorded and I would try and put it out, but only if they would play in the labels umbrella band, which would be my music. After I used it a couple of times the name has just stuck, though we do get a lot of people asking us to listen to their music on myspace.

Who are your main influences?

We all have varied musical tastes, but certainly things that come out most are things like Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Neutral Milk Hotel, Bright Eyes, Spiritualised and Mercury Rev. Anything that sounds ambitious. Two guitars, bass and drums just puts me to sleep these days. Folk should be more ambitious with what they try.

What has been your musical highlight to date?

Certainly from the playing side, headlining our own show in the Liquid Rooms in the middle of the festival in August was amazing. To fill it was even more amazing, especially when we were up against hundreds of world renowned acts playing at the same time. There is something about hometown gigs that always excites me.

Best and worst shows?

From a fans point of view, seeing REM for the first time in Glastonbury in 1999 was amazing. Probably the most exciting gig I have ever been to. I couldn't ever say the worst show as there have been quite a few, but they all involve Feeder, who seem to support everyone I go and see and are generally awful.

From the bands point of view, two shows over the summer kind of hinted at moving up a gear playing wise which is exciting. Our headline show in the Solus Tent at the Wickerman festival was one of those gigs where everything seemed to go right, the crowd were great, the sound was great and lastly we played well. The other was at the Sugarhill festival in August, where the sound was just incredible (on stage and off it!). We were so comfortable on stage we could have played for days, which is a rare experience when dealing with Festival stages.

How did you find the Loop the Loop Highland Tour and what did you make of each of the places you visited?

We all loved the Loop the Loop tour. We treated it as a busman's holiday and took the chance to enjoy ourselves as well, so we generally went out after the shows, which when we are on tour we don't tend to do so much, and had a ball. Also driving north was such a refreshing change from the M6 down to London. You actually wanted to look out the window. I had never really explored the West coast too much, so to visit Portree and Tobermory, which are beautiful, was amazing. Everyone we stayed with treated us very well and it was a great experience.

What's coming up next?

We are hopefully going into the Studio to record an album which should be out in the beginning of next year, and we also have one last big support tour in November to go on before we ease off a little for December, so busy, but not as hectic as the Summer.

Any advice to other bands starting out?

Practice. It' a simple one, but the best. Don't get caught up in trying to be a rock star. Don't drink before playing, it makes you play worse. Take lessons if you can. The problem with music these days is there is so much choice, which means bands have to work harder to be heard. This inevitably means you have to be more capable than the next band to stand out technically, and this involves being a musician, which is something that you have to work to attain. I don't think anyone in the band would be arrogant enough to call themselves a musician, as there is so much more to learn.

Describe Broken Records in 3 words.

Big String Music

© Dougie Brown, October 2008

Link

• Broken Records