A set of identical Fife twins hope they’re “on their way” to success after launching their debut single.
Dunfermline duo Donald and Stuart Mackay have unleashed the cheeky drink-fuelled singalong Dive In after teaming up with The View’s former producer Robin Evans.
Comparisons with The Proclaimers — comprising lookalike brothers Craig and Charlie Reid who grew up in Auchtermuchty before becoming famous — are obvious, but the early indications are that the 32-year-old Mackays’ new band is an altogether different proposition.
Far removed from the Reids’ politicised country-folk stance, the five-piece TwinsTown go down the Gerry Cinnamon road on the deceptively ramshackle Dive In, which has the potential to be one of the summer’s surprise earworms.
Donald, whose nickname is The Hornet, and Stuart — aka Smackay — are known for their gigging exploits with their previous bands Wingnuts and Wölves.
They’re joined in TwinsTown by guitarist Harry Dixon, ex-Falcons drummer Wayne Robertson and classically trained keys man Mark Guyan, who, contrary to reports elsewhere, has never played with Suffolk glam metallers The Darkness. It turns out, in fact, that “The Darkness” is Mark’s band nickname.
Dive In’s infectious video could pass as an alternative advert for Perthshire Tourist Board, featuring as it does much sun-induced beer-swilling and wild swimming shot on location by Tongue Twisted Films’ Rory Cowieson at the Blue Pools former quarry near Powmill.
The blonde twins and their sidekicks have also been venturing deeper into rural Perthshire by working on their upcoming debut album Brankholm Brae — a name familiar to Rosyth residents — at Hats Off To The Buskers knob-twiddler Evans’ Tpot Studio at secluded Path of Condie.
TwinsTown describe themselves on their website as “a force of nature”, while claiming they have dozens of songs ready to go.
“A whirlwind of antics and nonsense with one or two catchy tunes thrown in,” they declare.
“Well, I say one or two, it’s 80 and counting. Twelve of the catchiest will soon appear on Brankholm Brae, the band’s stunning debut album.”
It brings a tear to my eye…
The lads also give a brief, tongue-firmly-in-cheeky insight into the album’s closing title track.
“Track 12 Brankholm Brae is unashamedly sweet and sentimental,” they write.
“Donald and Stuart issue an open invitation to visit and stay at Brankholm Brae, their home. It brings a tear to my eye thinking of the lonely twosome heartbroken, their kind invitation dashed on the rocks by Covid-19’s social distancing.”
Elsewhere this week, fellow Fife hopeful Mike Clerk has been attracting national radio play.
The Kirkcaldy troubadour, who self-released his debut album The Space Between My Ears in March, had his latest single The Air In Here given a spin on Ian Anderson’s eclectic Radio Scotland show on Monday night.
The former Lost Generation frontman has enjoyed airwave support from the likes of Undertones bassist Mickey Bradley on BBC Ulster, as well as his hometown’s K107 FM and Glasgow alternative station The Max, but reckons the proliferation of online channels has added to the unpredictability of getting plays.
Taking the hump
“It’s like throwing a handful of popcorn at an aeroplane,” says Mike.
“It might not go where you want it to but it’s going to go somewhere. I see a lot of people in bands taking the hump online because people aren’t playing their stuff, but I don’t think they’re doing it on purpose to annoy anybody.
“I’ve no hard feelings towards anybody who’s not going to play my stuff because who am I to tell them what to do?
“It’s been a bit weird in a way. I’ve been getting played in places like South Africa, Australia and Miami but often I’ve not got it five miles up the road.”