“There hasn’t been a buzz like this about a Perthshire band since the ’80s,” says Perth Concert Hall music director Andy Shearer.
“They speak very much for their generation but there’s also much to love in their sound for fans of ‘8os and ’90s indie. They have a real baggy swagger and a great irreverent attitude.”
He’s talking, of course, about Parliamo – Perth’s homegrown “underground pop” band whose explosive live reputation precedes them as they gear up to take the stage at Perth Theatre’s Joan Knight Studio on December 11.
Already boasting high-profile radio play and a growing fan base, the band’s release of their debut EP, The Parliamo Manifesto, has only fanned the flames of anticipation for their hometown gig.
@ParliamoBand what an E.P. Btw. Probably the most exciting unsigned band in Scotland for mehttps://t.co/oVjbaNQFCP
— joss (@joss_japanfour) November 13, 2021
Combining lovelorn acoustic numbers like Only Friends with bolshy, in-your-face bangers like Catholic Guilt, the EP is certainly a statement of intent – if the intention is to have loads of fun.
So with all the rumbling and rattling from these underground noise-makers, we simply had to grab a catch up with Parliamo lead sing Jack Dailly After all, from the sounds of things, this band are going to be “cool” very soon indeed.
Parley with Parliamo
Rebecca: First of all congratulations on the record – it’s fantastic.
Jack: Oh, thank you very much! Cheers.
Tell me first – who are Parliamo?
Well, there’s six of us – there’s myself, Jack Dailly, I’m the singer. Finn Freeburn Morrison and Calum Simpson are the guitarists. We’ve got Mairi Sutherland on vocals, keys and acoustic guitar. Fraser Nicholson’s on bass. And then Andrew Haxton on drums.
And five out of six of us are from Perth – Andy’s from Ayrshire.
We’ll forgive him. How long have you guys been making music together?
Well me and Finn have been writing tunes together since we were about 14/15, but Parliamo’s only been releasing stuff since 2018.
Where did the name ‘Parliamo’ come from?
The comedian Stanley Baxter, from the ’70s, had a show called Parliamo Glasgow, which was all about Scots language and stuff – it was just a wee piss-take. We just lifted it from that, to mean ‘speaking, patter’, that sort of thing.
That adds up, given your quite colloquial lyrics. Do you have a favourite Parliamo line?
Yeah, actually! Probably the one probably from Catholic Guilt – ‘talking to God on the great white telephone’.
That’s what my dad always used to say when I was hungover and spewing in the toilet in the morning. That was his term for it – ‘talking to God on the great white telephone’.
It was good to be able to get that in there – a wee phrase from my old man.
Brilliant. Who are your main influences?
Primal Scream is probably the biggest one. They’re a Scottish band, obviously, and their sound and how they manage to bridge the gap between rock and electronic music is definitely my biggest influence.
Also, Supper Furry Animals, Massive Attack and The Beta Band.
You’ve been shouted out by the likes of The Feeling and the SAMA Official roundup. Who would you most like to hear you music?
The Pope. I want to know what he thinks.
You can definitely hear your local accent in the music. Was that a conscious decision?
I think that’s just how I’ve always sung – but I’m glad of it as well. For me, in myself, I’d find it a bit strange if I sang in an accent that wasn’t my own. It would seem a bit disingenuous.
If that works for you, then 100% go for it, but that wouldn’t work for me.
If you had to describe your sound in three words, which words would you use?
“Good and nice”.
How does songwriting happen in the band?
It’s pretty collaborative! Me and Finn will do most of the stuff between the two of us, but then everyone else will bring something else in.
So sometimes it’ll start with a guitar riff that Calum brings in, or a bassline Fraser brings, so it just changes around.
We try and work together so that everyone can bring their own aspect.
You’ve had sold-out shows in down in Liverpool, as well as King Tut’s in Glasgow and Dundee’s Hunter S Thompson. Now you’ve got a hometown show coming up in Perth. How does it feel?
It’s amazing! It just feels so good to get back playing again, for one thing, after so long without gigs.
Also to get the new stuff out there and to have folk, like, singing it back to you? That’s a great feeling.
We all unanimously agree that gigging is the best part of the job, so we’re over the moon – so excited.
What can audiences expect from a Parliamo gig?
Just a wee bit of madness, really!
Your EP, Parliamo Manifesto, just dropped. What’s the idea behind the ‘manifesto’?
We just wanted to set out what we’re going to be doing, like a real manifesto.
This is a shift in sound for the band and the beginning of a new wee era for us, so we thought The Parliamo Manifesto was the appropriate title for the record.
You seem to be on the cusp of breaking out. How will you know you’ve made it for real?
I suppose when you start getting stopped in Gregg’s. When I’m buying my sausage roll and someone starts singing a song at me, that’s when I’ll know.
And finally, what’s next for Parliamo?
We just want to get right back into the studio as soon as possible and get more stuff released next year. We’ve got some gigs in Glasgow lined up for March.
And we’ve got another big announcement that we’re not allowed to talk about yet – but it’ll be great!
Parliamo will play the Joan Knight Studio at Perth Theatre on December 11 2021. For tickets, head to the Perth Theatre website.
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