Ahead of their debut album, ‘Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams’, release this Friday, hotly tipped Scottish quintet, Shambolics, have turned to a cult national film for inspiration.
Their latest single, ‘Universal Credit’ is out now, and the video is inspired by none other than the film adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting.
The Fife band recreate a memorable scene from the classic film, combining the story with their own personal life experiences.
Co-frontmen, Darren Forbes and Lewis McDonald, take leading roles, playing a benefits officer and band member respectively.
Darren commented: “Two of us were on the dole when we were in the middle of making the about. They started putting us on a full-time course on how to get a job and build a CV, and we would beg them, just give us a bit of time, we’re nearly there with the band. So eventually we got chucked off it!“
It is the second time the band have turned to Trainspotting to promote their work, after recreating the iconic opening scene for their album teaser.
For this track, Shambolics thought it would just be a “funny bonus track”, but saw the humorous side to releasing the new single in the run-up to a landmark day in the band’s history.
Darren continues: “This song is a storyline of the meetings we’d have in these dole offices during the making of the album. We wrote it as a complete pisstake one night and took it into the studio the next day.
“We’ve accepted we’re not exactly the industry standard. As long as we keep cracking on and folk are digging the tunes and turning up to the gigs then that’s all that matters.”
You can pre-order the debut album HERE.
Shams’ upcoming live dates are listed below, please see HERE for remaining tickets.
And you can watch the Trainspotting inspired video for the new single, “Universal Credit”, HERE.
FEBRUARY
16th – Glasgow, Assai Records (6pm)
17th – Dunfermline, PJ Molloys (SOLD OUT)
18th – Dundee, Assai Records (1pm)
18th – Edinburgh, Assai Records (5pm)
19th – Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s (SOLD OUT)
22nd – Glasgow, McChuills (SOLD OUT)
MARCH
11th – Glasgow, SWG3 (special guests to Cast)
APRIL
11th – Manchester, Lion’s Den
12th – Sheffield, Sidney & Matilda (basement)
13th – Liverpool, Future Yard
18th – Leeds, Lending Room
19th – London, Two Palms
20th – Newcastle, Xerox
…
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