When Saint Jude's Infirmary read on a website that Ian Rankin was a fan, they invited him to appear in the video for their single ‘Goodbye Jack Vettriano’. A year on, the Rebus author has penned lyrics for a song on their forthcoming second album while artist Vettriano is providing the cover art. Our guest editor catches up with his fellow Fifers as they take a break from the studio
Firstly can you introduce yourselves? ()ka}. we are (irant ('ampbell tbass. \ocalsl. Ashle} (‘ampbeII (guitar. \ocalxl. Iimma .Iane (\ocalsl. .\Iark I-rancis (guitar. \oc‘;tI\l and .-\Iun 'I'homax (drums).
How is the second album progressing?
It's been reaII} \Io\\. like ad\ancing on Russia. Mishap has begat ntixadxenture has begat tribulation. The actual pla}ing and taping ol' the music “em like a dream. The prodttcer has guided ll\ through the malaise like a shepherd.
We ha\e a siege mentalit} now: \\ e knou that it
the first album “as us caught on a train platl‘orm desperatel} tr}ng to comince a Io\ er to \ta}. then this albtttn is t|\ tr}ing to \\ rite the great
Scottish no\eI in l‘i\ e chords and a \\all ol‘
rcverb. or else die tr_\ ing. \Ve \\ ill deIi\ er IItI\ ;l\ our crooning tnoment or as our blood) epitaph. ()h. and some gu_\ that \xritex botth about 'I‘aggart is gonna rap on a song about I.othian Road I think . ..
Have you got a title for it yet?
The \\orking title i\: and the pot and Illt' /I(‘\ <‘II.\'Il¢’(/ because it has been such a am of attrition against late. linance and \ intage drum \I\Il1\. You’re not yet in a position to give up the day job(s). Just how tough is that?
It can be like a second job - all the adtnin. the booking of Vans. sending emails etc. The banal ' mechanics of being in a band is the most
corrosixe thing to our little gang. You \mnder
hoxx bands that do this for a Iixing cart Ita\ e all
20 THE LIST’ ‘:\ \. . .“
that time and squander it b} making such unimaginatixe. unfocused. repetitixe albtttttx. I hope the} are using the rest of their \pat'e time constructi\el_\. in libraries or \olunteering.
How did you get together in the first place?
Grant .-\\hIe_\ is in} sister and Iimma .lane is in} consin. I uanted to get a band together and it \\a\ easier pla}ing Brian \Vilxon with m} littnil} than tr_\ing to lind ati_\one at m} high \cltool who could pla} an instrument. lIa\ing girls in a band ix a grand idea it rein\ in the teenage brat in _\ou. I sometimes ha\e a nighttnare ultere I'm
in a band with ltt_\ brother and Saint Index ate all big hair. cheap coke and boring teenage girls talking about "I‘he Stones.
Jack Vettriano’s become a fan. Is this the beginning of a Fife creative mafia?
More a cartel. \\e conxene in the basement ol the .-\tl;tlil Smith 'I‘heatrc \xith .Iock} \Vilxon m the ('hair ((iot'dott Broun‘x otherqu engagedt and ponder \xa'u ol' \crening mone} out ol the .'\rt\ ( ’ouncil and the lzl '.
What do you remember about your first rehearsal and your first gig?
()ur lirxt proper rehearsal “as at (iIenrothex and the gu} that ran the rehearsal rooms had roadied lor .\'ir\ana In the space ol the minutes he had told us cwrflhing \xe \\ttttItI e\er need to know. e\cept hon to tttne our III\II'IIIIIL'III\. ()ur Ill‘xl 4f) gigs xx ere a triumph ol sheer beIiel o\ er abilit}: a [no-stringed bass; a tinn}. tinn} sound; then huge metallic distortion. \Ve aI\\a_\\ kneu the sound from the first rehearsal. it's onl} mm that we can pla} that sound Ii\e. 'I'he gigs ll\L'tI to \tttltttl good in our heads becattxe \\ e could imagine the missing parts. 'I‘he audience can ntm hear tItoxe missing parts I think.
Who does the songwriting? How collaborative is it?
Grant .-\\hIe_\ and I \krote the first album and