Introducing Interview: Rebel Westerns

Scottish alt-pop band Rebel Westerns first formed back in 2014; the four school friends had previously been playing in other bands across the Scottish circuit, when they discovered they shared a mutual love of pop music, and so Rebel Westerns were born.

The band have since been garnering support from the likes of Dermot O’ Leary and Jim Gellatly, and have played sold out out shows at King Tut’s and Cabaret Voltaire.

We caught up with the band to find out more…

Welcome to Gigslutz, please introduce yourselves!
Hi guys, nice to speak to you! We’re Rebel Westerns. An alt-pop four piece from Edinburgh.

Tell us a bit more about Rebel Westerns.
We formed in 2014 as friends from high school and since we put out our first single ‘Trouble’ things have gone a bit mad. We’ve been all over the country playing some sold out shows, most recently in Edinburgh and King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow. As well as receiving unanimous praise from the likes of Jim Gellatly and BBC Radio Scotland, Dermot O’Leary called us handsome on Radio 2 – so you know you’re doing something right!

What’s the story behind your latest single ‘Atomic Blonde’?
‘Atomic Blonde’ is an exploration of love – wanting what you can’t have and our in-built desire for self-destruction. It’s an intense, autobiographical affair wrapped up in a three minute pop song.

If you had to compare yourselves to any other artists out there right now, who would they be and why?
While we bonded over a love of Fleetwood Mac and classic pop and guitar records like ‘Thriller’ or ‘Tango in the Night’, our contemporary influences are a shared energy for pulsing rhythms in bands like Foals and MGMT, and emotional connectivity of bands like The 1975.

How does the writing process for the band differ from track to track?
Our songs always have an element of real life experience – something that inspires me to write the bones of a song with the lyrics, melodies and the musical structure which we then all put our own stamp on by the end. It’s those personalities crafted into one sound that gives our music a purity that isn’t diluted by committee.

What is the next step for Rebel Westerns?
After our single ‘Atomic Blonde’ is released on September 9, we will be following that with a headline slot at La Belle Angele in Edinburgh on Friday September 23 which is free entry. The next few months will see us release our debut EP also.

Who are three of your most influential artists?
‘Tango in the Night’ by Fleetwood Mac was basically our blueprint for the band, there’s such an intensity on that particular record. For a guitar band we have a lot of R’n’B influences from the likes of Prince and Whitney Houston, that’s where the heavy pop influences come from with a strong synth-pop influence of MGMT.

Describe your sound in 3 words.
Adidas & Leather, baby.

Seth Rogen or Jonah Hill?
Seth, he parties with Snoop.
Pleasure speaking with you!

Huge thanks to Rebel Westerns for answering our questions!

‘Atomic Blonde’, the upcoming single from Rebel Westerns, is out 9 September via Depot Records.