While the debut album from Glasgow’s There Will Be Fireworks features epic, cinematic soundscapes and elaborate production values, it wasn’t always like this.
“The first few songs we came up with were pretty bad,” laughs singer Nicky McManus. “We’d record ourselves playing on a mobile phone and then listened back to it, all excited by what we’d done. We basically sounded like a terrible version of Biffy Clyro, but that didn’t seem to matter to us. We just thought it was fun!”
It was in high school the band’s members made their first tentative forays into music, occasionally jamming with a few other friends during their lunch break. However, the current line-up only came into being when bassist David Madden returned to Glasgow after a stint at St Andrew’s University. He started playing with singer/guitarist Nicky and drummer Adam Ketterer, with guitarist Gibran Farrah joining a short while later. “We’re all friends and we’ve known each other for ages, so we can be complete arseholes to each other and it doesn’t matter!” says Nicky.
As the band’s sound became more expansive they decided it was time to ditch the mobile phone recordings and Madden took it upon himself to find a suitable studio. Whilst researching, he came across the Old Mill Studios in Strathaven and decided to give its owner and in-house producer Marshall Craigmyle a call. The two bonded over a mutual love of the Twilight Sad, and before long the band were recording their first session in the converted amphitheatre.
“There was a really warm, organic sound in the studio” says Nicky. “It’s got lots of little rooms where you can muck about with different acoustics, and it’s just a great place to play. We’d explain our idea of what we wanted something to sound like, and Marshall would help us achieve that. Sometimes he’d give us his own creative suggestions as well.”
The album was recorded over the course of a year, with the band booking a session whenever they could get away from their university and work commitments. “It actually worked well that way” says Gibran. “It meant that we had gaps of time where we could listen to what we’d recorded and decide what we wanted to change. It gave us the space to tinker with small details in the mix that most people probably aren’t going to notice anyway!” It’s clear that the band look back on the recording experience with fondness, “It’s been the highlight of our year” says Adam. “Going down there to record was like going on holiday, we all just had a good laugh.”
As the sessions progressed, the band brought-in some of their friends to play different instruments, such as the trumpet and cello, resulting in the album’s rich, textured sound. At first the band were aiming to record enough songs for an EP, but ended-up writing a substantial amount of new material during the sessions. “We kept coming-up with songs and booking another day in the studio, so we ended-up with an album” says Nicky.
While the band say they are influenced by a wide range of music, they are hesitant about drawing direct comparisons. “I don’t know if we sound much like other bands” says Madden. “While we were recording we’d listen to stuff like Bright Eyes and Sigur Ros so you might hear some of those influences. We also like Neutral Milk Hotel, Bon Iver and Death Cab For Cutie.”
Many have been quick to compare There Will Be Fireworks to fellow Scots the Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit, but the band themselves are slightly bemused by this. “I think people mention those two because we sing in a Scottish accent” Nicky reasons. “We’re fans of both those bands and it’s nice to be compared to them, but musically I don’t think we’re that similar. It’s funny, when a Scottish band sings in an American accent it’s no big deal, but when they sing in their own accent people comment on it. Personally I couldn’t sing in an American accent, I’d just feel stupid.”
Like an increasing number of their peers, There Will Be Fireworks have embraced the DIY ethic and self-released their eponymous debut. “It allows us to do things at our own pace, which is great” comments Madden. “At the moment the band is basically a glorified hobby. That’s not to say we don’t take it seriously, but we all do other things outside of music and we’ll continue taking a DIY approach as long as its working.”
Released at the start of July, ‘There Will Be Fireworks’ has caused a stir amongst music blogs and websites. The band are currently lining-up some gigs to build on this buzz, but reveal they are already thinking about returning to The Old Mill Studios to start work on their second album. “We’ve already got two songs in the bag” says Nicky.
Such restless creative energy suggests There Will Be Fireworks fully intend on living up to their explosive moniker in the months and years ahead.
‘There Will Be Fireworks’ is out now.
The album can be ordered from the band by going to therewillbefireworks.weebly.com