Interesting name for a band, isn’t it? Gets you wondering what it is “we already know”.

So let’s take stock. What do we “already know”. Well, the band are from Glasgow. They’re a four piece consisting of guitarists Keith Thorburn and Allan Swan, drummer Duncan Sweeny and Stef Lach on bass. They play a brand of thrashy instrumental rock far removed from the glacial post rock associated with vocal-free guitar music.

Like And So I Watch You From Afar murdering Helmet songs, the likes of the charmingly named Let’s Fuck are full of raw coruscating riffs that twist and turn with time changes aplenty. When they do take their foot off the gas a little, they produce the likes of Meatshield* which more resembles the loud/quiet/loud template of other instrumental bands – but compares very well to them.

First album Stop Whispering found plenty of acclaim a few years back and second album Petrol Money has just been released - 11 tracks we love but couldn’t quite squeeze in an album of the week. But we’re more than happy to recommend it – it’s great, trust us, and you can sample Meatshield below if you’re sceptical. And then you’ll buy it.

Right, so apparently we “already know” quite a lot. But let’s find out a bit more about one of the most promising rock bands Tidal Wave has stumbled upon this. In the usual cheery fashion, of course…

So who the hell are you?

We’re four jakeys from Glasgow who like making noises and flailing about a bit.

Describe your sound in ten words or less!

Flaming car tumbling off a cliff, you’re in the trunk**.


Tell me how you got together as a band.

We’d been playing in bands separately for years and crossed paths a lot on ‘the scene’, then decided to get something going together. There were vocals originally, and we put out an EP early on with vocals on, but just through jamming a lot, things just organically went in an instrumental direction, which was when we really became the You Already Know we are today.
 
Stop Whispering clearly had some success. Any pressure for the follow-up?

A little, but the way we work makes for a pretty chilled experience. We recorded it again upstairs from Avalanche Records (now Love Music) so we had this nest where all our gear was sitting there and we could just stroll in and jam and hit record if something was feeling good. That makes for a pretty comfortable situation and I reckon recording things live like that has made for a punchier album. I feel a little pressure when I see people at gigs who I know loved the first record, I’d be gutted if they weren’t into this one to be honest, but so far people seem to be loving it so it’s all good.
 
You’re a little different to a lot of other instrumental bands out there – what influences have you drawn in – if any?

Ooooft, tough to say! We’re all into pretty different stuff, which becomes apparent when trying to choose what to listen to in the van. Where it all converges is in a love for bands like Tool and Soundgarden, so a lot of that probably comes through. I think the main reason we’re different though is because we started out with vocals, and Allan and myself were both singers and songwriters in bands before this so that songwriting background gives it a slightly different focus. I adore all the great instrumental bands around like Mogwai and Vessels, but I reckon we’re attacking the post-rock thing from a different angle.
 
Petrol Money…. ummmmm… a reflection of being out on tour and cadging lifts from folk?

Kind of! Allan said it as a joke I think and we all liked it. I think the only times we ever butted heads during the Stop Whispering days, it was never about music, it was always about how the hell we were going to afford to actually play the songs to anyone. If we sell enough of this album that we can jump in a van again and share this stuff with as many people as possible, we’ll be very happy. I’m sure in the current financial climate even U2 have arguments about who’s turn it is to fuel up the jet.
 
I assume we can expect some gigs in the coming months?

Yes! Main focus right now is the launch party/gig (this was at the Cathouse in Glasgow on April 22nd and involved What The Blood Revealed and Bloodlunch on support duties). Once that’s done and dusted it’ll be everywhere and anywhere that will have us.

So what is it exactly that we ‘already know’???

Aye, it’s a fairly confusing band name I suppose, and I could give one of our stock comedy answers. It actually came from a David Lynch quote though. We’re big fans and Allan had read that when he was asked by a journalist what Mulholland Drive was about Lynch answered ‘you already know’. We loved that, because with Lynch just because you don’t quite get what it was about, if you get that gut emotional response from it then you still understood it, because that is what it’s about. I think it fits pretty well with instrumental music, there aren’t lyrics to hold your hand and tell you how you should feel about a song, so it’s just you and the music and whatever response that draws from you. Mainly though it’s just so when people ask what the band’s called and we tell them they can say ‘No I don’t’ and feel a bit clever for cracking a funny. We’re a very giving band like that.

*We’re not sure what a meatshield is but it’s probably a bit rude.

**Probably the best answer to this question we’ve ever had!

Petrol Money is out now – from the band’s Bandcamp page among other places. Here’s Meatshield: