The Backline Newsletter - Issue 16

The Backline Newsletter
Issue 16 - Thursday, 4th September 2025

What’s This All About?

The Backline is your weekly fix of Scotland’s loudest and proudest. Every Thursday we drop straight-talk Q&As with rising bands, must-see gig picks, and essential gear finds — plus the stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

We’re still young and only getting louder. Subscribe now and be part of Scotland’s music scene as it happens.

Let’s get loud.

Spotlight Q&A

This Week’s Feature Band: Ocean Views

Connect with :
Instagram / Facebook

1. Who’s in the band, and what do they play?

David Bothwell guitars and vocals 

Cammy Findlay bass and vocals 

Jack Dillon drums

2. Describe your sound in 5 words or less.

Beaty bouncy merry magic rockinroll 

3. What was your first gig as a band?

In our garage to about 30 mates during the second lockdown 

4. Biggest show so far and how did it feel?

Probably Belladrum was the biggest stage it was brilliant, bucket list moment, but ButeFest the first year was definitely the best crowd we’ve had the whole tent went bananas, that was when we realised we could do something with these tunes. 

5. Which Scottish venue feels like home?

The Gulab in Irvine or the Keg in Paisley is where we played all our early gigs, so probably them

6. If someone’s never heard of you, what song should they start with?

Definitely Cider Blues basically sums up everything we’re about, the lyrics on that song tell you just about everything you need to know about us. 

7. One band or artist you’d love to open for?

Cast or the La’s are our favourite of all time

8. What’s the biggest lie you’ve told a promoter to get a gig?

We told BBC introducing that our families descended from the court jesters of Robert the Bruce, idk where that came from but it got us radio play anyway. 

9. Most embarrassing moment mid-set?

Probably cammys bass strap falling off in the middle of the cider blues bass solo, he ended up styling it out a belter though you’ll find the video on our page somewhere. 

10. Is the Scottish scene more competitive or supportive?

Glasgows absolutely cut throat we pretty much avoid playing the cities, small towns are better you meet genuine people, we’ve travelled up and down the country playing gigs with bands we’ve met in all the small towns and shires, I’d play in Dunfermline over Edinburgh any day. 

Essential Gear: Korg Kaoss Pad KP3+

Why we love it
Part sampler, part effects unit, part chaos machine. The Kaoss Pad is a playground for sound. With its iconic touchpad you can warp beats, filter vocals, and loop on the fly. It’s basically an electronic fever dream in a box.

What it does
The KP3+ lets you load samples, trigger them live, and run everything through over 150 effects. Delay, reverb, filters, slicers, it’s a DJ and producer’s toolkit, but guitarists, vocalists, and even drummers have found ways to get weird with it.

Best for
Artists who want to make their live shows unpredictable. Whether you’re an indie frontperson adding textures, or a producer taking control of the room, the Kaoss Pad makes sure no two sets sound the same.

Try it if you like
Sonic experimentation, Radiohead style live weirdness, or just having a red box on stage that makes the crowd go: “What the hell was that?”

Gig of the Week

The Pretenders – Friday 5th September, Usher Hall, Edinburgh
Chrissie Hynde and co. don’t just play shows they command them. Expect razor sharp riffs, attitude for days, and a setlist that proves The Pretenders are still the coolest gang in the room.

Best of the Rest

The Hives – Saturday 6th September, O2 Academy, Glasgow
Garage rock chaos in a suit and tie. Relentless riffs, stage dives, and endless energy.

Rachel Sermanni – Sunday 7th September, The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
Haunting, intimate, and spine tingling. Rachel Sermanni’s folk songs hush every room into silence before breaking your your heart in the best way.

Mogwai – Wednesday 10th September, Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow
The homecoming. Mogwai’s seismic soundscapes will shake the Barrowlands to its foundations. Not just a gig an out of body experience.

Get Involved

Got a story from the rehearsal room, a feature you would like to see, a gig pick, or a gear review you want to share, or just want to plug some great Scottish music, suggest a band or get featured? Have you attended our gig pick - write a review we may feature it a future issue.

Hit us up at [email protected]

Like what you’ve read? It takes 5 seconds to sign up, it’s totally free, and you’ll get it straight to your inbox every Thursday.

www.backlinenewsletter.com

Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/backlinenewsletter