Dear Scotland

This video was made on Friday afternoon here in Austin just before the Scottish day party at Latitude 30. Featuring Admiral Fallow, Kid Canaveral, Rachel Sermanni and Bronto Skylift this is really something quite special.

Wednesday night saw the Scottish Showcase, put together by our partners Creative Scotland; and it was triumphant. With an incredible lineup of The Twilight Sad, Admiral Fallow, Twin Atlantic, Errors, Kid Canaveral and Withered Hand, a packed out Maggie Mae’s at the heart of Sixth Street in Austin saw an unforgettable night of Scottish music.

The Detour Scotland crew, including Ally McCrae and David Weaver, have been here in Austin all week filming the Scottish bands, getting ridiculous tattoos and generally having their minds blown by the insanity that is South by Southwest. These are their video diaries:

We actually recorded this Toad Session in the Queen Charlotte Rooms in Leith before the Song, by Toad Christmas Party back in December.  Partly this was because it seemed like a fun thing to do, and partly because swapping our traditional and rather overpowering turquoise backdrop for their Christmas lights and tinsel. Also, we had [...]

I have an unusually healthy supply of good videos at the moment, so I thought I might pass on three of my favourites, none of which bear much relation to one another, but all of which are cool in different ways. First up is Kid Canaveral’s brilliant new animated video for You Only Went Out [...]

I know, I know… I don’t things by halves! But the way I see it, if you’re going to turn people on to new music at the start of the year, you may as well give them a load of names and styles to investigate and explore. I can never limit my choices to only [...]

As our after-parties or hangovers rage across the world, we look back on what Scottish bands have said was their best after-show happening. Answers below from members of the Average White Band, Twin Atlantic, Broken Records, Fangs, Dananananaykroyd, FOUND, Mogwai and more.

It’s Hogmanay and apart from Auld Lang Syne, what other songs will should be singing to celebrate Scotland? We’ve asked loads of great Scottish bands what they thought the Scottish national anthem might be. Suggestions below from Mogwai, Camera Obscura, The Phantom Band, We Were Promised Jetpacks and more:

I just don’t understand it.  I mean, I came back from the most amazing musical weekend I think I have ever enjoyed, and instead of being interested and happy for me, when I start telling people about it they get this weird look in their eyes which looks just a little like blind homicidal rage.