Twin Atlantic: From Glasgow bars to world class entertainment

“We were, from day one, hyper aware that nothing’s going to get handed to us.”

“We are the underdogs, we need to work twice or three times as hard as other bands down south.”

Sam used his experience of working in bars across the city to prepare the group for gigs in the early days.

The band played their first gig, a “dummy run” at Bloc+ where Sam worked ahead of a show at the Buff Club.

When success came calling and the band were signed by an American record label, McTrusty stayed true to his roots, singing in his now trademark Glaswegian accent.

“The accent thing, it’s always been like 50/50,” he said.

“Like anybody else growing up, I used to sing with the kind of faux American accent.

“When I started writing my own songs, I felt really embarrassed doing that accent.

“But then, when we started getting played on the radio or getting some record sales, they tried to convince me to like tame it to be more mainstream.”

The decision paid off though with the band going on to support Biffy Clyro, Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance.

The trio went on to see recognition when their 2014 single ‘Heart and Soul’ was premiered by Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1 as the hottest record in the world.

The band continue to feature as a mainstay of the Scottish music festival scene, playing this summer at the Belladrum festival’s 20th anniversary.