Q&A: Former Champ

In this weeks Q&A, Former Champ members Claire and Craig share the story behind Former Champ’s latest EP VOL 2. They delve into the friendship and creative freedom that shape their sound, and the experiences of bringing their music to new audiences. From recording sessions in a tiny, sweltering studio to festival gigs and their plans for an upcoming album, the band talks about balancing fun with a fresh, unfiltered approach to making music.

Check out our Q&A below:

It sounds like Former Champ came together pretty naturally through friendships, shared gigs, and even some plastering work! How has knowing each other so well outside the band shaped the music you’re creating now?

Craig Angus: We are a tight group of homies.

Claire McKay: The fact we are so close and can be so open with each other really makes for a better creative process. We also have a lot of craic, which I think seeps into the energy of the music and the live shows.

CA: I have a creative partnership with Andy and Claire that goes back for years now, and the main benefit is that it gets easier to say “this isn’t for me” and also to take that sort of feedback on the chin. You have faith in the instincts of the collective, and that’s the only way the collective works. And then Ryan and Zack are both people I knew I wanted to be in a band with, at some point.

Each of you has come from different musical projects, so what’s been the biggest change coming together as Former Champ? Has anything about the way you work together surprised you?

CM: My writing style is to always go for the most immediate pop choices, but working with musicians who think outside the box has made things way more interesting.

CA: I’m used to being the vocalist in whatever I do, so I’ve adjusted to writing songs I have no intention of singing. And I’m adjusting to people actually liking the tunes. And all of these things being connected in some way.

The band started taking shape during lockdown. Do you think that time influenced the sound or feel of Former Champ? Do you think things would have been different if you’d formed that band at another time?

CA: I think it just gave us the space to talk about it, really.

CM: Having time to experiment and refine our sound and think through how we wanted to release music and connect with people was really valuable.

CA: The best stuff I did during lockdown was the stuff that was fresh, new challenges with new dynamics.

You recently played at Left of the Dial in Rotterdam. What was that experience like, bringing Former Champ to an international stage? Did the crowd react differently from audiences back home?

CM: As a performer, it’s always very freeing playing to a room of complete strangers in a different place—especially if they are into it (luckily they were).

CA: Those shows were actually over a year ago and were two of our earliest gigs. We were just grateful Left of the Dial liked the songs and were up for having us play. It’s such a good festival. I’m a bit of an evangelist for what they do.

The band are fresh from performing at Tenement Trail. Is there a different approach the band takes to performing in Scotland compared to abroad?

CA: Maybe more so the different approach is playing festivals like TT, where you have a tight changeover, can’t use the gear you normally use, and the vibe of the venue is often a mystery until you’re on stage and playing. My experience of playing abroad varies a lot too. A crowd in the Netherlands and the Nordic countries is totally different from a crowd in Spain. All good experiences—just really different cultures.

CM: I don’t think so. Every show requires a bit of thought in terms of ‘what set is going to work best,’ ‘will people be up for a quiet tune in the middle of a festival slot,’ but I think we really do always aim to play the absolute best show we can.

The next EP from the band, VOL 2, is set to be out in the world this Friday. Is there a specific story or anecdote from the recording sessions for VOL 2 that stands out to you? Something that captures the vibe of the project?

CM: Very hot August in tiny Green Door Studio, cold Modelos from GG Brothers, full band crammed in tracking live to tape, hit the Polish Club after a hard day’s graft.

CA: It was so hot. The vibe was quite shirtless, out of necessity really. I’d just bleached my hair for the first time. Andy bought me the Jaws cereal.

With VOL 2, what feels fresh or different in this EP compared to your previous EP? Is there anything you’re excited for listeners to pick up on?

CM: We recorded in a very similar way as we did for Vol. 1—live to tape at Green Door with Ronan Fay. But going back in a second time, we all knew what to expect and what we wanted to do better. We show a softer side on closing track “23.”

CA: We had always planned for the first couple of releases to have an aesthetic consistency; we just made a few subtle refinements, the sort of things that come from experience.

A couple of the tracks from the EP have already been released—like “Hold On.” The themes in Hold On—like slowing down and appreciating the moment—seem to resonate with a lot of listeners. Do you set out to write with a specific message, or do these ideas just come through in the process?

CM: Craig and I definitely consider lyrical themes and the overarching story when we’re working on songs and how they’ll all speak to each other as a set.

CA: If anything, I overthink themes and stuff like that. I’m trying to soften that approach a bit because not everything has to have, like… meaning as such. Sometimes stuff just feels right, sounds right. But the mission statement for this band in a writing sense was definitely like Paul Westerberg and all the pathos in the Replacements tunes. These are pop songs first and foremost—they are never going to be perfect short stories like Raymond Carver or whatever—but they do start from that place.

Now for the hard-hitting questions: who’s the best in the band at splitting the G in a pint of Guinness?

CA: I think this is me. I would fancy my chances in a contest. Clarky is the direct competition here, I think.

CM: Despite being the band’s only true Irishman, I suck at this challenge. A pint of Guinness is to be savoured. I vote Clarky, though.

Now that VOL 2 is out in the world, what’s next for Former Champ?

CM: Recording the album, more gigging, more trips to the Polish club.

CA: We are writing a lot, as always, and we’re going to Ireland to put a few more tracks down in January. I’m very excited about what we’re working on.

Q&A: Odd Luke

In this weeks Q&A, ODD LUKE opens up about his debut EP Surface Tension, sharing the ups and downs that inspired its themes of self-discovery and letting go of expectations. He talks about finding his own voice after years of working with other artists, the influence of life between Glasgow and London, and how he’s crafted a sound that’s refreshingly real and a little rough around the edges. From the story behind tracks like "Found Life" to what he hopes listeners will take away, this conversation is a look at an artist embracing the messy, unpredictable side of life and music.

Check out our Q&A below:

Your debut EP Surface Tension is almost here! What’s behind that title, and does it reflect something about where you’re at in your life right now?

Surface Tension wasn’t so much a lightbulb moment as it was a little nagging feeling that just wouldn't shut up. It’s this idea of skimming across things, but wanting to dive deeper. I’ve been in this place recently where I'm going between one day really thinking you've cracked it and having a blast, but the next could just be trying to stay afloat. It seems like a nice way to describe the music on the EP, life in general and I guess your hair when you've overdone it on the product!

"Found Life" is about breaking free from expectations and living on your own terms. Was there a moment that inspired this, or is it a theme that’s been building for you over time?

Found Life is one big "f*ck off" to the idea that life’s got to look a certain way. It's not defined by one moment; it’s more like a slow-motion montage. Every little odd decision or detour in life—the gigs in weird little bars, the moves from one city to another—the build up to this realisation that there’s no magic map to how you do things. There's also a dig at nepotism and how comparison to that life isn't healthy, but the less mentioned about that the better! I think we’re all told to have it all figured out, but honestly? I’m just here to take it sideways and see where it goes. I’d say that song’s about not waiting to be “ready" as that can take on so many different forms, and how does someone else get to make that decision for you y'know?

You’ve worked with some huges names, like Lewis Capaldi, and even played Glastonbury. What’s one lesson you’ve picked up from those experiences that you’re now bringing into your own project?

Working with people like Lewis, you see that there’s no perfect way to do things; you just have to find what makes you tick, and thereafter what people resonate with and go with it, and with him that's just him as a person, no smoke and mirrors. He's become a really close pal as I've seen him more than I have my own fiancé and family in the past 8 years I've been with him and watching him do his thing night after night and just never take himself too seriously is a joy to be around. Especially at times he's going through it, as he has done so publicly, he can always find the funny in something. And...well Glasto is Glasto isn't it?! Something you never ever think you'd go to as a punter never mind playing the Pyramid. Madness.

Magnus Skylstad produced "Found Life" with you—what was that collaboration like, and how did he help shape the final vibe of the track?

We knew we'd written a strong tune, but couldn't quite nail the production or mix on it to get it sounding as euphoric and uplifting as we wanted it, but also have the moodiness in the verses. Nick my manager let Magnus hear it and he sent a mix over the next day. It was perfect (of course it was!) He's written and produced some of my favourite music, so it was so cool to have him sprinkle his Scandi magic on one of mine.

You’ve called both Glasgow and London home now. How have these two places influenced your music and your outlook as an artist?

Glasgow’s I guess where I learned not to give a toss, and London’s where I learned to shape that into something people can actually listen to! It’s a mash-up of sounds and styles that I've discovered living in both, so I think that is where my kind of “anti-pop” sound comes from—a semi polished mess.

You’ve got a pretty eclectic set of influences, from Peter Gabriel to Mac Miller. How do you blend those styles into something that still feels true to you?

Honestly, I just kind of throw it all in the pot and see what happens. I love Gabriel’s way of telling stories that are larger than life and the sound matching that, and with Mac Miller, the ease his voice has of just relaxing you, but at the same time really making you listen to what he's saying is so so good. I guess his less is more is a big influence too.

After years on the road and working with other artists, what made you feel ready to finally step out as ODD LUKE and share your own voice?

I think it hit me one day a long time ago that I was the only person who hadn’t heard my own voice, you know? It’s one thing to back other people and hide behind that, but I had all these weird little stories building up that just needed out, if nothing else just for me! I've been writing for quite a long time now and I guess I eventually found a "sound" as Spinal Tap as that sounds. I made a lot of the ideas kind of make sense together finally, and had fun with production and writing.

When fans listen to Surface Tension, what do you hope they connect with? Is there a feeling or message you want them to take away?

I’d love for people to feel like it’s okay for things to be a bit wonky sometimes. To make things that don’t fit the mould, to lean into whatever tension or experiences they’re feeling (good or bad) and let it do them good and learn from it. Whether they connect with a lyric, a beat, or just the vibe of it not fitting in perfectly to a certain genre. I had really eclectic taste in music when I was younger and first getting into it, so I hope this resonates with those that do too.