Glasvegas

Glasvegas (formed 2006)

Glasvegas are a Scottish band that formed in the Dalmarnock region of Glasgow. The line-up of the band consists of James Allan on vocals and rhythm guitar, Rab Allan on lead guitar and backing vocals, Caroline McKay on drums and Paul Donoghue on bass guitar and backing vocals.

Glasvegas: The Story So Far

After forming the band in 2006, Glasvegas played at the legendary Glasgow venue, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. It was at this gig that they were spotted by the former Creation label manager, Alan McGee. McGee has since become an outspoken supporter of Glasvegas.

The band's first single, 'Go Square Go!' was released in October 2006. The release was self-funded by the band. The second single, 'Daddy's Gone' was released in November 2007. The single sold out and the NME music paper named it the second best single of the year. 'It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Lie' was the band's third single, released in February 2008.

Following the release of the third single, Glasvegas signed to Columbia Records, following a major label bidding war. Two weeks after signing the deal, they won the Philip Hall Radar Award at the NME Awards. Philip Hall was the founder of the Hall Or Nothing press company, and the award has become a prestigious recognition of new talent.

The band's debut album, Glasvegas, was produced by James Allan and Rich Costey, at Brooklyn Recording Studios in New York. Costey has previously worked with the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Interpol and Muse.

The album's release date was set for September 2008 and the band took the unusual move of ensuring that fans that had previously bought the singles through iTunes would not get charged again for those tracks when they bought the album in the same way.

The album received a great deal of critical acclaim, with Observer Music Monthly likening it, in stature, to Oasis' Definitely Maybe and many journalists comparing the band's sound to that of My Bloody Valentine and other 'shoegaze' bands like Ride and The Jesus and Mary Chain (another Scottish band once championed by McGee).