Scotlands Underground Music Scene
From metal to pop there's something for everyone.
The UK has a booming music scene with almost every city having a small community filled with passionate and supportive artists. Within the UK, Scotland's itself has an amazing community of musicians working hard at supporting one another at a time where the music industry is suffering. I myself have played music since I was nine and have been involved in the Scottish music scene in many ways both as a writer and musician. I can confirm that aspiring to play music professionally can be difficult, so for that reason I decided to share some of the incredible artists working within Scotland and the UK’s music industry.
Imaginary Friend – Dundee
Imaginary Friend is a Dundee-based musician self-described as dream pop/psychedelia artist. His music reflects that of Slow Dive and Ride and shares a similar impressive use of guitar effects to create a dream like atmosphere within his music. He has been creating music for three years now and has two albums available on Bandcamp. The music made by Imaginary friend is beyond impressive and sounds as though it could have been made a million-dollar budget, the production is of an amazing quality and definitely worth a listen.
His newest album Its Gonna Be a Long Time is currently in the works and will be available on streaming platforms soon. For more information and updates on the album's release check here.
Lavender Lane – Glasgow
Lavender Lane began as three friends working on a university project and have since released their debut single Blame in August of this year which incredibly hit over 45,000 streams on Spotify. The trio are inspired by a variety of artists and have retro indie sound to their music. Their single Blame is catchy and a great song to listen to if you need a pick up, the groups music is pretty unique and the only downside of their single really is that it’s the only one. You can stream Blame now on most platforms and follow the band here for updates on upcoming gigs and projects.
Aster – Glasgow
I first heard Aster’s music when reviewing her EP and I was blown away and I’m sure you will be too. Aster is making a name for herself in Glasgow indie music scene, inspired by iconic songwriters such as Joni Mitchell and bob Dylan her music is noteworthy for its lyrics and thought-out structure. She recently released her newest EP There we Were in a Frame. The extended play was entirely self-produced during lockdown and much like the rest of the artists in this article, its notable how incredible the production of her work is for a smaller artist. Her music is very dreamy and ranges from peaceful to emotional and is definitely one of a kind, and you can check it out here.
Fragments – Aberdeen
Moving onto heavier music, Fragments are a metal band based in Aberdeen. The group of five formed in 2019 and throughout lockdown created and released their debut EP Collapse. The group “had a vision of merging the sound of their favorite artist’s” and this is shown in the variety within their music. The group’s range in inspiration has given them their own sound and if you're a metalhead they are definitely worth the listen. Check their music and social media out here.
Rochelle Rochelle - Glasgow/London
I would normally open with the artists' name and genre, but Rochelle Rochelle’s debut single Bee is really a genre of its own and I mean that in the best way possible. She describes her music as “sometimes sweet and sometimes dark”. Aiming to create thought provoking pieces, Bee not only features well-thought-out lyrics but also incredible vocals and interesting yet catchy instrumental part. Much like the previously mentioned Lavender Lane, the only negative of her music is that there's only one single out at the moment. To listen to bee, follow Rochelle, check her out here.
These are just a handful of the amazing artists working within the industry right now playing a variety of genres and showing that there's truly something for everyone out there. You can support your own local artists by attending gigs and searching up artists nearby on social media. You never know what incredible music you can find.
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