Q&A: Wine Moms

“I definitely started off caring so much about streams and followers and now after having done it for a couple years, it’s so much fun just getting to make music without getting caught up on stuff like that.”

Photo by Jos Hurley

Wine Moms have established a reputation for themselves in the alternative DIY music scene in Glasgow, ingraining their unique grunge and punk sound into the consciousness of audiences all over Scotland. They are widely known for their riotous, chaotic, and loud live performances.

Since forming in high school, Wine Moms have grown significantly, headling iconic Glasgow venues such as King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut and Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, as well as sharing stages with countless bands like BILK, Master Peace, Grandmas House, and a short tour with Welsh rockers James and the Cold Gun. The band are at the top of their game and ready to bring fresh new material to the table in 2024. After two years, three new members, a tonne of new music is just around the corner.

Your most recent single was ‘White Lies’. Can you tell us a bit about the track and how it came to be? What was it like signing to Electric Honey Records?

I'd had the main riff for White Lies lying around for about 3 years and could never properly get it to click. Then the day that Rishi Sunak was put in power, I wrote the second verse all in one go and the rest of the track shortly followed. Signing to Electric Honey was a steep learning curve for us. It was really difficult to hand over so much responsibility that we were so used to taking ourselves. After the single came out through them, we figured out that we weren't really ready to lose that control over our music yet so we're back to doing it ourselves. We made tons of amazing connections through EH though, including our new drummer, Arran Black. 

What is your creative process when creating music? Do you have a specific technique for writing/composing or is it freestyle?  

For me, I have two ways of going about writing a song. Either riffs or lyrics. With riffs I find it a lot easier to figure out how I want to structure the song and develop the melodic ideas that I've started with. Lyrics on the other hand, are more hit or miss for me. I'll either write nothing for a month or finish off three songs in a couple hours. I much prefer the freestyle approach, it means I'm not held back by a set of rules that I've made for myself. 

What was your favourite show you played/went to last year?   

Favourite show we played has got to either be our first headline at Sleazys with Scottish Music Collective and our mates Wishbone, or getting to headline King Tuts with San Jose, Brat Coven, and The Runaway Models. I saw my very first gig at King Tuts so getting to headline with the best bunch of support acts I've ever seen was really special. Best show I went to either has to be The Prodigy at The Hydro or San Jose's first headline at Audio. The crowds were both absolutely nuts. 

Tell us your three desert island albums.   

Collection II by Misfits

Dummy by Portishead

Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing by Discharge

If you could collaborate with anyone on future music, who would it be?  

Out of anyone it'd have to be Dave Grohl, that man is an absolute machine and he shaped my entire music taste when I was younger. On a more realistic level though, I'd love to start collaborating with some local punk bands, I think the local music scene is really missing that right now so I'd love to explore it. 

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are looking to establish themselves in the Scottish music industry?  

Do it for yourself. A lot of what held me back when I started creating was this fear that no one would want to listen to it, but now it doesn't really matter to me as much. I definitely started off caring so much about streams and followers and now after having done it for a couple years, it's so much fun just getting to make music without getting caught up on stuff like that. 

Lastly, what can we expect to see from Wine Moms in 2024?

Well we have our new single, Dogma, coming out on February 2nd and the day after we'll be co-headlining Audio with One Nine Eight. We're really excited to get this new era for us on the move. We're gonna be sending off some old favourites at that show in preparation for a lot of new music. And for the rest of the year, we've got our third EP fully recorded and ready to drop whenever so keep an eye out, and a couple surprises that I don't think people will expect.

To pre-save Dogma and keep up to date with all things Wine Moms, click here.

Q&A: KRYPTIK

“It’s a relief to know I’m doing something right.”

Flying the flag for Scotland; Paisley-raised microphone mangler, Kryptik, kicks off 2024 with his latest single, “Roses N Daisies”. Well known for his mischievous demeanour, Kryptik steps out of his comfort zone in this track, instead using it as a canvas to paint a more reflective and vulnerable piece. Reeling back the sands of time to portray personal tales of turmoil, family dynamics and poverty; “Roses N Daisies” serves as a window into Kryptik’s formative years and perspective on life.The sweeping soundscape, produced by Louis Seivwright, (Warner, The Rap Game UK), provides the perfect backdrop for this heartfelt anthem, and is beautifully complimented by the vivid visuals, captured by Andrew MacKenzie (IRN BRZ). Raw and emotive, this hard-hitting track has already seen support from BBC Introducing in Scotland and playlisting from British Airways “Next Big Thing”.

Tell us about your new single 'Roses N Daisies'. You mention your formative years and perspective on life, what inspired you to write such a personal track? 

 For this one, the instrumental was actually named Roses N Daisies. I always try my best to follow the name but hadn’t given it much thought until I hit the studio. If memory serves I was trying to write to another beat, that one happened to come on and it all just poured out of me. I’d been going through a lot of stuff with my mum who’d been scammed out of her life savings. It had been weighing heavy on me for about 2 years but for legal reasons I wasn’t able to speak about it. We’d just reached a conclusion that day so everything was fresh and emotions were high so it was quite cathartic to finally put it into words.

How does it feel seeing 'Roses N Daisies' featured on BBC Introducing in Scotland and playlisting in British Airways “Next Big Thing”, before the official release? 

 It’s reassuring to know that it’s landing right, especially with how personal this one is. Having that industry support as an independent artist is very encouraging. I always worry how it’s going to be received, pre-release so yeah, it’s a relief to know I’m doing something right.

What was your favourite show of 2023? 

 I had a couple of belters but my favourite was probably a Gaza fundraiser in November. It was packed out, the crowd were amazing, had my first ever mosh pit and it was my first show since becoming a dad so it was good to blow the cobwebs off in style!

Tell us your three desert island albums. 

 Ocean Wisdom - Wizville 

Non-Phixion - The Future is Now

The Prodigy - Their Law The Singles

If you could collaborate with anyone on future music, who would it be?

 Dizzee Rascal - he’s cold with it since day dot and got a similar sense of humour. It would be a certified banger for sure!

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are looking to establish themselves in the Scottish music industry, and even locally in Paisley?

 Carve your own lane and your own sound. Make the music you like and try not to be sidetracked with what other people are up to. Social media is great for networking but also bad for comparing and perhaps feeling inadequate that you’re not doing as well as the next person. It’s not a race, it’s an art form. Although it’s highly competitive, it’s not about them, your music is meant to be about you and your story, so try and stay true to that. It’ll resonate with the right people at the right time, just enjoy the journey. 

Lastly, what can we expect to see from Kryptik in 2024?

My main focus is writing new material. I’m just wrapping up an album with Louis Seivwright. That’ll be 8 tracks and possibly a couple bonus ones. Will see how I feel once those 8 are locked in. I’m also dipping my toe back into producing drum n bass, so might be a couple side missions along the way. Obviously be doing some shows in the UK but nothing confirmed at the moment. Apart from that, just embracing dad/family life. Shouts to my baby daughter Penny and her absolute trooper of a mum, Paula. 

For more KRYPTIK and to keep updated on upcoming shows and releases, click here.