40 ...... Sunday, April 8, 2018 1SM MUSIC

by COLAN LAMONT

SINGER Ben Fletcher is looking forward to time on the road — in a shabby old van. The 21-year-old — who is just back from a string of European dates — says some bands like a top-of-the-range, luxury bus to take on tour. But Ben, who is one half of electronic pop outfit Aquilo with pal Tom Higham, reckons travel- ling in a scruffy motor is more exciting. Our tour is He says: “We loved the idea of sitting in a van and going all around Europe in it. DRIVING FORCE . . . Ben and Tom “Touring is all we’ve ever wanted to do since we were kids prefer to rough it on on the road so it was nice to get in a sweaty van with eight or nine guys and see the world. “It’s a little less glamorous but still very exciting. van tastic “We prefer it that way instead of just getting on a big tour bus, in Glasgow and Edinburgh but material. They already have really steady. We’ve made a real it. We go places with mates and like we did during our tour of they’ve always been really good enough for a second album but point of not being one of those stuff but apart from that it’s just America. shows. want to take their time with pro- bands that act like a rabbit in the music. “It was fun but you just woke “And we’d like to play elsewhere duction. headlights. “We made our first album in up in the next city and there was as well. Ben insists there’s no rush after “We’ve just taken it at our own four years. no in between — you didn’t see they waited so long to release the pace and like the idea of every- “I was 17 when we first started anything. ‘We take everything first one. thing being a slow build.” making it and a lot changes in “The European tour was so He says: “The studio has become And music is the most impor- four years — you grow up and amazing and two weeks was a at our own pace’ our lives now. We just make music tant thing in life to the duo, who mature a lot. nice time to get away. Now we’re “Shows are the only way we can all the time, even if it’s not specif- used to be in rival bands in their “Once we’d finished the first ready for Glasgow.” see more of the country as ically for a record and whether it home town. record, we didn’t want to tour it, The band, formed in Silverdale, we don’t have any Scottish music makes the light of day or not. Ben adds: “We’ve got so many we wanted to make another one Lancashire, will perform at the mates.” “We moved to London 18 months ideas and side projects so there’s straight away. It all came really city’s King Tut’s later this month. After releasing their debut ago, where we have our own stu- never a reason for us not to be in naturally and before we knew it And Ben admits they don’t get album Silhouettes last year, the dio and we basically live there. the studio. we had our second album.” to visit Scotland often enough. pair have been in the studio for “Our first EP was put out five “It’s weird, it’s quite addictive lAquilo play at Glasgow’s King He says: “We’ve only ever played long stretches working on new years ago and we’ve just taken it and if we are ever away we miss Tut’s on April 13.

THE AMORETTES “As someone who’s been in the industry for so WHO: Gill Montgomery (vocals/guitar), Heather long, and as someone who has accumulated such McKay (bass), Hannah McKay (drums) NEW a huge back catalogue of fantastic songs, it’s a WHERE: Linlithgow, West Lothian real honour that he wanted to work with us and FOR FANS OF: Joan Jett, AC/DC, Girlschool MUSIC that he felt our songs were strong enough.” JIM SAYS: I was lucky enough to see The I love the fact that it’s not a straight-ahead rock Amorettes very early in their career. record. There’s more dynamic to it, which should I caught them at a battle of the bands in find them a wider audience. Yes, it rocks, but it’s Learned From Rock And Roll. The track was the strong melodies that define Born To Break. Bathgate nearly 10 years ago. As one of the judges co-written by Black Star Riders (and former I remember being hounded out of the venue by Gill said: “It feels like a new chapter for the band Almighty) frontman Ricky Warwick. in many ways. We’ve focused so much on trying to their fans when they didn’t win. I do recall that the Singer Gill said: “Everything I Learned is a tale make an album that we’re all really happy with, and girls were lovely about it though. that resonates with a lot of people who picked up we had a great time recording it. Needless to say, they’ve had the last laugh. I an instrument in their youth and felt an affinity with “There are still songs on there that sound like can’t even remember who won, but it was The it. For me, I knew it was always something I wanted ‘old school’ Amorettes to our fans, but there are Amorettes who left the lasting impression. to do. It takes over your whole life, leaving more gentle moments on the album, and others From that raw rock ‘n’ roll outfit I first witnessed, everything else somewhat irrelevant. I think that pull in interesting new directions. they’ve developed into one of the best hard rock Ricky’s lyrics really do sum that up perfectly.” “I think Born to Break is certainly the most bands the country has to offer. Ricky had previously written with the band, and commercial-sounding record we’ve made, but still Gill and Hannah first met while studying music another old friend came in to produce the new has all the energy and balls of our earlier albums.” at college in Edinburgh. Hannah’s sister Heather album. Thunder’s Luke Morley had also worked on The Amorettes kick off a UK tour with came on board a few months later. their previous release White Hot Heat. Gill said: Australian-American rockers The Dead Daisies Since then The Amorettes have gone from tonight at The Garage in Glasgow. strength to strength. They released their fourth MORE: theamorettes.com album, Born To Break, on Friday. Watch a video of the band playing lJim presents a weekly showcase of New Music It’s an outstanding record, queued-up perfectly at: www.thescottishsun.co.uk on Amazing Radio Sundays 2-4pm. by the current single Everything Thing I Learned I amazingradio.com jimgellatly.com