Conducted by Capt. Obvious

Obvious: Congratulations on the release of your wonderful new album Forget The Night Ahead. While it’s still a noisy album, it seems to be more complex structurally and more melody driven. Was this a conscious decision and do you see your future material moving in that direction?

Graham: First of all, thank you for your kind words on our new record. The songs on Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters were the first songs we had ever written together so I think it wasn’t as much a conscious decision but more of a natural progression. We knew we wanted to balance the noise with the melody to compliment each other. We always start off by making sure we have the song written first then we layer up the noise and other instrumentation.

Obvious: While vague, some of the lyrical content on your first album Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters pointed towards a traumatic childhood. Have family members ever asked about the meaning of your songs?

Graham: To be honest, the songs on the first album were about me, my friends and family, and the actions of others around us that effected us in some sort of way. A lot of people have asked me about my lyrics and I haven’t told anyone. A few people have commented that I must have some sort of bad relationship with my family, but it’s the exact opposite. I have the best relationship with them and they support the band 100%. My parents have asked me what the songs are about but I told them not to worry. They don’t reflect badly on them.

Obvious: Martin Docherty, formerly of Aereogramme, has been playing keyboard and some guitar for you during live shows. How has having an extra member changed the way you approach your live performances and will Dok become a permanent member of The Twilight Sad?

Graham: It has given Andy a lot more freedom to focus on the main guitar parts as before he was playing two or three parts at a time. Dok plays the guitar, organ, and loops, so it fills out the sound a lot more than the early days when it was just the four of us. We knew we needed someone else to be in the live band as we knew we couldn’t play the new songs on our own and we were just lucky that Dok was around and a fan of the band and most importantly he was also a friend so we knew he would fit in. At the moment Dok is in the live band and we haven’t really talked about him joining the band as we have been so busy, but I’m sure when we get the time to discuss it, it will get sorted as he is very much a big part of this band now.

Obvious: You recently toured with Frightened Rabbit and We Were Promised Jetpacks (who you’re still touring with). How was it having an all-Scot tour?

Graham: Right now I’m sitting in Ann Arbor and we have 2 more gigs until we go home and I suppose it’s a good time to reflect on the past month and what’s happened. The first half of the tour was amazing as we were good friends with Frightened Rabbit and we haven’t had a lot of time to hang out back home as we have both been so busy. So it was great to drink, watch them play, and just hang out with them. The shows were nearly all sold out and it was just a good time all around. We didn’t really know the Jetpacks that well before coming over but they have become really good friends as well. They are one of the most consistent bands I have ever seen. They seem to kill it every night. The shows that we have headlined have been amazing too. They’ve nearly all sold out and for a small Scottish band from Glasgow that’s pretty mind-blowing for us. So there has been a lot of drinking and good times!

Obvious: After spending time with you and the other bands on your recent tour, I catch myself saying “You booze, you lose” in a feigned Scottish accent more than I’d like to admit. Have you picked up any lingo or mannerisms from fans on your latest American tour?

Graham: Not really. We just teach our American friends our fucked up ways of saying things. Esteban, our tour manager, Steven, our sound guy, and Terry, our bus driver, have slowly learned how to understand us. They have all now started using our Scottish slang in everyday life. As for “you booze, you lose,” that term is used a lot, especially when we’re Manky (Scottish word for drunk)!

Obvious: “I Became A Prostitute” is one of my favorite tracks off the new record. What’s your favorite synonym for a lady of the night? I’m partial to “harlot.”

Graham: Fuck, I don’t know! Eh, “whore” is probably the word that is used the most back home. I don’t really know too many as I don’t really hang around those parts of towns where these ladies do their business. Our bass player Craig is probably the best person to answer that question as he loves all ladies of different shapes, sizes, and professions.

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