Glasgow is a fabulous city of over 1.5 million people. It’s known for its unique identity and a culture that has grown over the years. The city is now a hub for the new and exciting and has a huge independent music scene. Glasgow has produced some of the best bands in the UK: Simple Minds, Franz Ferdinand, and Belle & Sebastian. The city is also home to many iconic venues such as The Barrowlands and King Tuts. The latter is recognised as the home for those who want to be discovered with bands such as Oasis and Arctic Monkeys having become household names after their performance at the venue.
Now there is a new generation of acts looking to become the next breakout musicians from the dear green place. Hopefully following in the footsteps of recent successes Biffy Clyro, The Dunts, and Twin Atlantic.
This new generation has created a buzz. Here are some of the upcoming talents to look out for.
Awkward Family Portraits
The five-piece are an old school rocking roots band with an incredibly unique sound. Lead singer Julen has a voice like no other which truly suits the bands aesthetic. Forming in 2016, the band brought their music anywhere they could, performing in an array of locations. Through this, they gained a deal with Holy Smokes Records. Awkward Family Portraits are great example of the DIY attitude that underpins the Glasgow scene. The band are regularly seen on the busy main street of Glasgow City Centre performing for passersby. Their roguish demeanour and classic Americana allows them to stand out on the vibrant streets of Glasgow. They released their debut album in late 2019 and began touring shortly before the pandemic hit. However, this hinderance hasn’t halted their efforts for success as they continue to work relentlessly for their big return to the stage.
Voodoos
Voodoos are an extremely exciting indie band filled with youth. The foursome have been bringing out tracks since 2018 and year on year have only gotten better. The band were on the brink of blowing up before the pandemic, gaining mass attraction with supporting gigs alongside The Dunts and Cassia. Voodoos have a great sound, with a heavy focus on gritty guitar work and thumping drumming. They a true gem, with their in your face live performances that get the crowd pumped and pits started. Speaking about how they have dealt with the pandemic they said: “We’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio writing… This has probably been our most productive time writing-wise and we are very excited about the future releases”. In April 2020, they released their sophomore EP What was that supposed to mean? which received great reviews and cemented them as a talent. 2021 is set to be a big year for the boys with more tracks being released as well as an appearance at Scotland’s biggest festival TRNSMT, where they are set to perform on The River Stage on the opening night.