SOLENE QUENNHEN
Attic Lights are a band with energy. And hair. And big smiles. They have been playing the Glasgow scene for a couple of years now, and after being discovered by Francis MacDonald, some-time drummer of the band Teenage Fanclub, and signed by the major label Island Records, they have all the reasons to smile.
Colin McArdle plays the bass, sings and co-writes the songs with Kevin Sherry, the frontman. Unusually, his head is clean-shaven. "If there's a wig to wear, I'm the one who wears it. That's why I play the lead in the video for our song God," he says, grinning.
When you watch the video, you can probably understand the reason they're smiling: they seem to be having such good fun. "We're basically five best friends. Which is all we need. We're all aware that we need to be happy together for the next 10 years or longer, so we're all ready."
The 28-year-old bass-player from Springburn is relaxed and down-to-earth. His voice is so low it almost sounds like a contented purr. Being in a band, signed by a major label, playing a hundred gigs a year, going on a big tour this month; McArdle's life has "dramatically changed", he says.
"The one biggest thing that happened was that we managed to quit our jobs. So for the past six months we've actually been full-time professional musicians, which is a bit of a joke. When you think of professional musicians, you think of classical violinists. I just think it's hilarious I can tell people I'm a professional musician. I try to tell people I'm in a band when they ask. So most of the time they'll think you're unemployed or you're on the dole or whatever and just pretending you're cool.
"I used to be a mobile-phone person. I worked for a small communications company, doing business accounts. I have a degree from Glasgow Uni, and Kev's got two degrees as well, so we're not idiots."
McArdle shares lead vocal duties with Sherry, the rock voice in the band. In fact, all the members of the band sing, and Attic Lights have often been compared with the Beach Boys, with their joyous, perfectly mastered harmonies. The Magic Numbers, and The Pigeon Detectives are also valid comparisons.
Their audience is growing and they even attracted Brian Wilson to their concert at T in the Park this year. Colin says they're really appreciative of the people supporting him and the band.
"It's really funny, people wanting to know what we think and stuff, leaving messages on MySpace saying we love your songs' from all over the world.
It's amazing. It's a wee taster as well, because things are going to take off."
Indeed, 2008 will be important for the Attic Lights. Their tour starts this month, and they already have a good number of dates in the UK, and even a gig in Texas in March, to promote the release of their first album in June.
McArdle gives the impression of being relaxed and says the whole situation is, for him, "hilarious" and "hysterical", but behind the cool smile he really wants to do things right.
"You always have to be on top of your form, you know. We try to be really good on stage. It's really hard work. I like it when people come to listen to our music because they like our tunes. They don't come to see us because they think we're rocking out and girls don't think, oh, they're so sexy."
Francis MacDonald is their producer and their best support. "He's a really nice guy, he's straight down the line: you know where you stand with him.
"Everyone's in a band in Glasgow, and most of them are happy for us, which is nice. In the music scene there's a lot of collaboration, but there's only so many deals out there, so you want your friends to do well. But you don't want them to do better than you, if you know what I mean "I really enjoy seeing live bands these days, especially now that I don't have the jealousy of seeing a band on stage and thinking, I wish that was me there'.
"We want to make Scotland our own, so that people in England will be like oh, they're making a noise in Scotland, so maybe they're quite good' and then become big in the UK, and then Europe, Japan, America and world domination, hopefully."
- Attic Lights play Edinburgh's Heriot Watt University Union on January 24 and Glasgow's King Tut's on February 6. The single Never Get Sick of the Sea is released on February 4.
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