Fife band Shambolics reveal release date for their debut album

While launching their latest single, Never Be Mine, the five piece revealed their album Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams will be released on February 16.

News of a debut album is the latest chapter in the band’s story and they are looking forward to sharing it with their fans.

The album draws on classic influences from the worlds of indie rock – such as The La’s, Arctic Monkeys and Sam Fender – and beyond – The Streets, Fleetwood Mac and MGMT. The lads have then shaped them into something fresh, invigorating and distinctively their own.

Their songs paint evocative pictures of small town life with stories that are inspired by vocalist/guitarist duo Darren Forbes and Lewis McDonald’s youth growing up in Kirkcaldy.

Darren explained: “We wanted the songs here to be quite uplifting, including the ones that deal with social issues. It’s like even though s*** happens, it’s going to be okay. It’s about trying to find some hope in the bleakest of times, about finding an escape from the terrible situation young people currently find themselves in.”

With tour dates on the horizon around the UK in the coming months with Little Man Tate and The View, Shambolics’ riotous rock n roll with an addictive pop edge, dreamy synth textures and punk-like intensity is continuing to go down well with audiences.

Alongside Darren and Lewis, Scott ‘Paws’ Williamson (keys/vocals), Ben Sharp (bass) and Robert Land (drums) complete the line-up.

Their single Never Be Mine is the tale of a couple whose relationship is simply a fleeting escape from the world around them.

Darren added: “It’s about a boy and a girl who meet each week, but they have no real ambitions to be in a relationship. They know they’re playing one another but don’t really want to say that out loud or admit it to one another – they’re in it for the moment.”

The rest of their album, produced by Chris Marshall (Gerry Cinnamon), hurtles from highlight-to-highlight, taking in a feature from The View’s Kyle Falconer on the sleek synth-pop of Attention, employing biting satire on Universal Credit or maximising their skyscraping, anthemic status with the uplifting Everything You Should’ve Done.

Shambolics were formed in 2018 and were cited by music mogul Alan Mcgee as ‘one of the great Scottish bands’.

He signed them to his Creation23 label in 2019 and they went on to release their debut single ‘Chasing a Disaster’ which went in at number two on the UK Official Vinyl Charts. Two more singles were released.

During the pandemic they showcased a series of classic cover versions online and released tracks under their own Eggman Records.

Last October the band signed a deal with Manchester indie label Scruff of the Neck Records.

They’ve enjoyed a steady rise, packing Glasgow headline shows at The Garage, SWG3 and King Tut’s, hitting festivals including the Isle of Wight and TRNSMT, as well as earning airplay at 6 Music, Radio X and Amazing Radio.

The album Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams is now available to pre-order. In addition to its digital release, physical formats include regular black vinyl, CD and cassette.