INDIE band The Snuts instantly received international acclaim when they burst on to the scene with their 2021 chart-topping debut album W.L., becoming the first Scottish band to enter at No 1 since The View with Hats Off to the Buskers in 2007.
Hailing from Whitburn, West Lothian, they had further success with their second album Burn The Empire but then decided to take a huge leap of faith and left their label, giving the band complete creative control for their new studio album Millennials, which is released today.
The band opted for a creative shift as they wanted their songwriting to be more direct and to address big themes such as mortality, love and heartbreak.
Following the release of Burn The Empire, singer Jack Cochrane continued to write music and record demos in his living room and his Glasgow studio. The front man described these demos as “10% finished ideas” before enlisting the help of producer Scott Anderson to make new music.
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Cochrane said: “Scott is very meticulous and musically clever. His whole thing is to take what we are trying to say and instead of hiding and leaving too much room for interpretation, let’s see if we can get to the point and let people hear what we are trying to say on the first listen.”
“It was very uncomfortable for me to do that. Usually I would suffocate everything in a big poetic fire blanket so people don’t know what I’m saying. Because it was uncomfortable, I found the challenge exciting. We had to be more direct and not waste time and beat around the bush.”
Cochrane thinks the industry and the media are quick to put young indie bands in a box and limit their music capabilities. However, he believes his fans are accepting of whatever “sonic journey” they decide to tackle next and don’t feel confined to the parameters of a specific genre.
The Snuts have a fearless approach to music and strive to take creative risks to keep it fresh and exciting for fans but also for themselves.
“Being competitive with yourself is the most healthy way for us to make music,” Cochrane said. “If you get caught up with what’s popular or trending, by the time you’ve made something that fits, something new comes along. It’s about making something that excites us more than the last stuff we’ve done.”
Typically, The Snuts have recorded most of their music on tour. However, they returned to their roots with Millennials and recorded the “heart and soul of the album” in the Highlands.
Cochrane said: “It was the first time we have made music in Scotland for five to six years. We had been all over. We found somewhere secluded, there were no pubs and no shops, and we even had to get a ferry across. We went there with the intention of making some noise!”
Throughout two two-week stints, the band recorded half the songs and had a clear understanding of the music they wanted to make. Then it was time to hit the road again and during the tour the pace and the tempo of the album was cemented, reflecting the “rambling man”/ energetic lifestyle they led from city to city.
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The Snuts will headline two special album launch shows at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 27-28. It was a no-brainer to hold these exclusive shows at the iconic Glasgow venue, which holds such a special place in the band’s hearts.
Cochrane said: “It is culturally so important to us as music fans and we knew it was a place our fans wanted to see us at. Most of the shows we went to growing up were at the Barrowlands. I think I was chucked out of it for being underage more times than I’ve been in it.”
He added: “It’s just a beautiful place. It’s a shame, there are lots of venues like that in the UK but they are disappearing. The Barrowlands is such a stronghold here, it’s a crazy and beautiful venue.”
Often when a band or artist reaches a certain level of fame, they are enticed by the bright lights of London or Manchester to build upon their success. However, this doesn’t appeal to Cochrane as he wants to maintain a work-life balance with “less distraction”.
He said: “When artists move to London they lose a sense of self and they can be influenced who they feel they need to be. For me, staying in Scotland means I can have a real separation from professional life, making music and touring, and then the other side of life, being a family man.
“There’s lots of reasons we broke up with our label but [a big reason why] is that in their eyes, it would be preferable if we just moved to London and hung around in Soho House every night causing bother … you can get plenty of bother up here.”
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