Before The Twilight Sad released their debut album Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters in 2007, to deserved mass critical acclaim, no-one had heard of Kilsyth. Three years on, whilst their  North Lanarkshire home town remains in obscurity, but The Sad have gone from strength to strength, continuing to win critical acclaim and slowly building a dedicated fan base, they now surely deserve a place amongst the most innovative and authentic bands in all of the UK.
Tonight the band complete their UK tour with co-headliners and Glasgow scene compatriots, Errors, at Liquid rooms in Edinburgh. So on a chilly evening on Victoria street, perched outside the back of the venue on what looks suspiciously like a piece of scaffolding, I was lucky enough to meet with lead singer James Graham to chat about the band’s latest EP, their next album and the state of Scottish music in general.
As one might expect, having grown up in a small town near Glasgow, James comes across as pleasantly uncomplicated and down to earth, with a typically Scottish dry sense of humour, which makes an interviewer’s job much less daunting.
From the off, James is relaxed, yet excited about the prospect of playing in a newly refurbished Liquid Rooms, “this is probably one of the best venues in Scotland, sound wise, they’ve got some pretty good equipment. I wish it was in Glasgow to be honest,” he jokes.
Joking ceases temporarily, and the conversation soon turns to The Sad’s latest EP The Wrong Car, which features remixes of two tracks from their second album as well as two new songs. James describes the reasoning behind this “We had the two new tracks that we wanted to get out somehow, we’d always spoken to Errors and Mogwai about them doing some remixing of our stuff at some point, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. We were really happy with what they did.”
All the songs from the EP were taken from sessions whilst recording their second album Forget the Night Ahead. But in terms of their musical career, this latest release marks something of a turning point for the band, as James was keen to explain, “[The Wrong Car] was an important song for me, and we felt like we needed to get it out there somehow, that’s the whole of that second album period done now.”
As a huge fan of the band, I was obviously excited to find out what was next for them. There are plans for a third album which James assured would be finished by the end of January at the latest.
The songs are only at the demo stage, so could be subject to change, but James gives some pretty intriguing revelations about the new direction the band is planning on taking. “It may be a bit more electronic if possible, it was a conscious decision to not do anything like we’ve done on the past two albums.” Even more shocking to any fans of their first two albums was what came next, “there’s not a lot of guitars on them, whereas everything else we’ve done has got about a 'bagillion' guitars on it.”
At this point I must have looked dumbfounded, as James was quick to reassure me “I feel really strongly about the songs, I know everybody says this, like ‘they’re the best songs I’ve ever written,’ but I really like them.” At present the band are trying to find the right producer to give them the sound they are looking for,  “it’s just about what happens when you get in the studio...it could turn into a pile of shit! Don’t worry, it won’t!”
Joking aside, James seems excited about the prospect of the new album, an opinion I'm sure is shared by many. Their ambition to continue to experiment with their sound and not sacrifice their integrity by finding the right producer, reveals the attitude that has given the band that air of authenticity which has brought them praise from critics and fans alike.
As the interview begins to wind up, I ask James about fellow Glasgow band, Errors, who have been earning the double-edged title of “up and coming band” recently, and are promoting their second album on this tour as co-headliners. “I loved their first album, but it didn’t get as much as attention as I feel it should have got. But with their new album, everyone seems to know about them and they deserve what they’re getting because they’ve put a lot of effort in. They’re one of the best live bands around at the moment”, he explains.
The bands became friends as they were starting out at around the same time and played together at South by South West festival in America, but the decision to tour together had more humble beginnings, “it was just an idea we had whilst drinking in the pub, but unlike most ideas in the pub it turned out to be a pretty good one. It’s a bit daunting going on tour with them, because we’re gonna have to step our game up a bit. I’m glad we could do it though and we’ve had a great time.”
Two hours after James departs, Errors themselves take to the stage, and it quickly becomes apparent that the praise their touring partner lavished on them was not misplaced. Their set sees them change up their sound a bit, bolstering the pure electronic sound of their albums with distorted guitars and some pretty serious drumming. Front-man, Stephen Livingstone’s awkward geekish banter quickly warms them to the crowd, whilst their trance-inducing beats coupled with a rocking atmosphere is the perfect way to get everyone in the mood. These boys, signed to Mogwai’s Rock Action label, have that certain intangible something that makes them ones to watch for the future, even if that does sound horribly clichéd.
Running ten minutes late, The Twilight Sad finally take to stage with the capacity crowd crammed into the intimate venue, creating the perfect atmosphere. Set opener The Wrong Car from their new EP sounds epic, as the song builds to its deafening crescendo. Any long term fans of The Sad familiar with their live shows would not have been disappointed as they quickly built their trademark “wall of noise”. Consequently, some of the beautifully crafted melodies, which underpin much of what makes this band so special, are lost under the crunching guitars and pounding bass lines. Overall, though, the experience is truly awe-inspiring.
None of the new material described by James earlier is showcased, but the crowd is treated to a wide variety of their material. This includes gems from their second album, such as the visceral I Became a Prostitute and the beautifully tender The Room, as well as the old favourites from Fourteen Autumns. Most notable perhaps is set closer, And She Would Darken the Memory, which builds an extended and euphoric atmosphere of pure noise. Disappointingly the set is all too short, with only 50 minutes of songs, but like all good acts The Sad know how to leave the crowd wanting more. All I can hope for is that we see a lot more of both bands on show tonight.