Something that we love seeing at Gigape are bands that are clearly hard workers. Twin Atlantic are such a band and seeing them work truly is an incredible sight. Sam McTrusty (Vocals/Guitars), Barry McKenna (Guitar/Cello/Backing Vocals), Ross McNae (Bass/Piano/Backing Vocals), and Craig Kneale (Drums) make up Twin Atlantic, a tough as nails rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. After touring with the likes of Biffy Clyro, Blink-182, The subways and many other bands the Glasgow four-piece are once again making their rounds here in the states.

Touring with AWOLNATION last autumn and the success of the bands single Free has certainly gained them fans stateside and the announcement that they’ll be playing Warped Tour this summer could only bolster that excitement. After reviewing the bands show with You Me At Six (which you can read here:    http://kenami.gigape.com/user/2012/01/30/we-are-the-ocean-twin-atlantic-the-swellers-and-you-me-at-six-feed-new-york-crowd-with-guitars/) I got to sit down with front-man Sam McTrusy and talk about the bands new record Free, what it was like to work with Gil Norton, and what it’s like to be touring the US.

Gigape: Thank you for taking the time out of your day to chat with me Sam. Where are you and the guys today? 

Sam McTrusty: We’re on our way to Philadelphia. We’re currently driving through New Jersey I think.

Gigape: Which gig on this tour has been a favorite so far?

Sam McTrusty: Honestly all of them. We haven’t been able to play the states in a way like this before so playing to crowds who are taking in who we are as a band has been the best thing about this tour so far.

Gigape: So with all the bands you’ve gotten to tour with so far which tour has been a stand out for you?

Sam McTrusty: It’s quite hard to pick which we enjoyed the most because we’ve taken in so much from each tour.

Gigape: When it comes to touring what are some differences you’ve experienced when it comes to touring the US and touring Europe?

Sam McTrusty: The only main differences we tend to notice are the distances between shows. Like one show to another in the UK might only be an hour and a half drive, but here in the states it can be an eighteen hour drive or even a whole days worth. As far as the crowds go though they’re quite similar on the way they react to our music.

Gigape: I noticed that quite a bit at the Webster Hall show that it seemed that everyone there just wanted to have a good time.

Sam McTrusty: Yeah, yeah that was a very great thing to see.

Gigape: Were you guys mates with some of the bands before the tour and how have you guys been getting along with them?

Sam McTrusty: We all kind of know the You Me At Six and We Are The Ocean guys from bumping into them on tours in the UK and Europe. They’re all really nice guys. It’s really awesome having the chance to play these basement-type venues with them.

Gigape: I remember reading how before you guys even had the chance to tour you had a really big local following and presence. What was that like forming the band and finding people who clicked with what you guys were doing right away?

Sam McTrusty: I think it was just that we’ve always tried to approach music as just four normal guys playing music rather then trying to be gimmicky or something else. We felt it was always important to both concentrate on our music but to always remember that when we go out to play shows that people were coming out to not only see us but to also have a good time.

It might sound a bit biased but I think what makes us a good act is the fact we concentrated on the important things. Our songs tend to be about something and be a reaction to something, which I think makes them really mean something to people.

Gigape: With that said you can definitely see how people would easily get behind you guys. Since you mentioned that most of the songs you’ve written really mean something to you my next question is what bought about most of the songs off of Free? What are most of the songs about to you and how did they come about to make the record what it is?

Sam McTrusty: It’s quite a hard question to answer because we did the album somewhat in three to four different fashions of writing. Because it was done that way I feel the record is a bit of a commentary on our age. When you’re like twenty one to twenty three you’re supposed to be experiencing these milestone moments in life and I think our style of playing really shows that we have a lot of passion about just being in a band. I would say that the record is pretty much about that, it is somewhat all over the place but it’s generally a piece of work that we ourselves as a band also wanted to be into.

Gigape: That’s definitely a great way to answer that question. I also remember reading that you guys recorded the record (Free) in Los Angeles. What was it like to record there and also what were some differences with recording Free and your debut album?

Sam McTrusty: I think the main difference between both records is our age and experience. Like the first one was our first time having a strict goal and way of recording to make sure that we were all on the same page the whole time.

In terms of being in California instead of Scotland it was mostly done because the label we’re on has a studio in California and it was really just a more practical choice. It was a great environment to be creative and since the label owned it we had a chance to not look at the clock every minute if you know what I mean. I think we could have recorded the album anywhere and made the same record though really.

Gigape: So of course I have to ask about Gil Norton..

Sam McTrusty: Hahaha yeah!

Gigape: Hahaha, he got to produce Free and that’s fucking huge.

Sam McTrusty: That was my reaction to it too hahaha.

Gigape: I bet. So when and how did that come about? Also a big thing about Free that came across when I was listening to it is that it never once felt like an indulgent “we have a big time producer” type of record. It came across as the album you guys clearly wanted to make. How did that come across as well when recording?

Sam McTrusty: Well we really loved the way he records with bands. He has a way of making a band sound polished yet still has an impact when it comes to their songs. He also tries to retain modesty in the sound and kind of keeps the band sounding open for people to make a connection with. Sometimes with other bands you get the sense that there was too much of a computer at place and sometimes songs sound a little too well recorded but with Gil he really captures the feel of just a guy and a guitar and a guy bashing the shit out of a drum really well. He worked with so many bands we loved (Foo Fighters and The Pixies) and we just had a big respect for the man.

Gigape: That’s incredible that you got to live out the dream like that!

Sam McTrusty: Yeah man we couldn’t believe it! Hahaha. We sent him a couple demos and just told him how we were really keen to work with him and he got back to us and said “yeah let’s do this” in a really straight forward way, very lucky.

Gigape: As we mentioned you guys are touring the states now and have a couple times before, what are some of the craziest things you’ve seen while out here in the states?

Sam McTrusty: Aside from really weird haircuts I remember when we toured with AWOLNATION last year we went to Colorado and I remember seeing this sort of real-life hardcore porno scene taking place on top of a balcony going on. Most people don’t look up and expect to see that kind of thing but ah well hahaha.

We had a guy the other day who was talking in the crowd and he was talking so loudly that you couldn’t really ignore him, and he was shouting out saying “Hey give a shout out to American Troops” and stuff like that. It was quite weird to see and to be honest there’s a time and a place for things like that. It made me a bit sad because you can tell he was a bit warped by all those things.

Gigape: I was looking over some of the festivals you guys have had the chance to play and that’s incredible you guys got to play T In The Park last year and now this year you’ll be doing the Warped Tour here the states. That festival is quite a monster in the way it works since it’s also a tour; how are you guys looking forward to playing an American Festival for the first time?

Sam McTrusty: Well we’ve been told how much of chaos it can be in the morning. We’ve heard stories as well about how it can be a bit like roulette whether or not you’ll make your set time on time with all the things you have to do during the morning/day hahaha. Dragging all your merch across the site in the scorching heat is something we’ve heard a lot about as well. A lot of the bands from the UK who have played the fest in the past have told us just how different it is and difficult it is compared to things back in the UK, especially how during the middle of the tour run you’ll find it impossible to function as a human and end up being a shadow of your former self hahaha.

Gigape: I’ve heard about that a lot about how exhausting it can be

Sam McTrusy: Hahaha yeah it kind of makes me think about boot camp or something. We do love playing our music in-front as many people as possible though so we’re willing to go through the trenches (sort of speak) to do that hahaha. A no pain no game kind of situation, but the Warped Tour is something people all over the world have heard about and we feel very honored to be a part of it, especially because It’s something we talked about even before we were in a band around the time of that pop-punk explosion happened when I was about 14. We feel very lucky to have the chance to play it.

Gigape: It’s funny you mention that pop-punk explosion because I’ve been to Warped Tour about three times or so and something you see a lot are the people who were into the genre when it started and people just getting into it now. It’s always a big contrast between twenty something’s and little kids. It’s a big thing people wait for when summer is on the horizon.

Sam McTrusty: The main difference between those people who were into it when it got started and just getting into it now is that it seems to be more about a fashion culture or something. Like back then it was kind of about making an impact because no one was making music like that so I think it’ll be interesting to see how many bands are there just to sell t-shirts as opposed to actually playing quality music.

Gigape: Yeah it’s a shame to see that sometimes because it’s always pretty blatant who’s there just to be there rather then enjoying themselves.

Sam McTrusty: Yeah but to each their own I suppose. Everyone’s different and that is what keeps life exciting. I’m sure we’ll learn a lot from the experience.

Gigape: Now that Free is out and people are listening to it, when you look back at that record to where you are now how do you feel Twin Atlantic has grown since you first started recording Free to where you guys are now?

Sam McTrusty: I suppose through the releasing of the record we’re in the position we want to be in which is something difficult for a young band to achieve. I think the more we play the songs live the more people are listening and that we do a great job of filling that void between music and passion. We also do it in a way where we don’t take ourselves too seriously. I feel there’s this great following of…well I don’t know how to put it better but a following of “real” rock music for “real” people, and I think we’re certainly a part of that.

Gigape:  Yeah I know what you mean; kind of just this music is what it is and really straight forward?

Sam McTrusty: Yeah like no gimmicks at all. Maybe here we seem a bit gimmicky because we have Scottish accents though hahaha but we really try to come across as honest as we can be.

Gigape: Hahaha well with your accents I don’t think that can really be helped much.

Sam McTrusty: Yeah that’s true we just are who we are hahaha. With most people it’s either they love us or hate us and I think that’s the type of reaction we wanted to induce when starting the band.

Gigape: So what track off of Free do you enjoy playing live the most and that you feel shows off who Twin Atlantic are?

Sam McTrusty: It’s between two, one is a song called “Yes, I Was Drunk” I feel like it has a great story in the song and I like the changes the song goes through in attitude. That song especially just shows the power of words to me and I love seeing how it can make everyone in a room think and feel the same thing.

But on the complete different side of the spectrum is a song called “The Ghost of Eddie” which is a bit of a grungy yet bouncy type of song hahaha. It’s just kind of a really fun song and I think if you look at both ends of the spectrum you can see what we’re about.

Gigape: I noticed that you guys have been in bands before Twin Atlantic and I was wondering when did you guys realize that Twin Atlantic was the band you guys were meant to be in as opposed to the bands you guys were in before you formed Twin Atlantic?

Sam McTrusty: Well at the risk of sounding cliché and cheesy it was kind of the first time all four of us played a song together. It just had this different feel and we had this connection. We all felt really inspired and excited about music again. We were really excited about the future and felt that anything was possible. As cliché as that might sound we really did feel something special once we started playing together.

Gigape: That doesn’t sound too cheesy to me though.

Sam McTrusty: Hahaha that’s because the sound of the piano in the background hasn’t come in yet hahaha.

Gigape: And the title “True life with Twin Atlantic” being said over the piano as well.

Sam McTrusty: Yeah totally dramatic hahaha.

Gigape: Thanks for talking to me today Sam. My last question is that since you guys are on tour now what are some records are you guys listening to on the bus and what do you think might even become inspiration for the next Twin Atlantic record?

Sam McTrusty: I think whatever might play an inspiration for the next album is a bit out of view for us right now but there are some bands we listen to that make us excited to be playing shows again and being on tour. Middle Class Rut is a band we toured with during the AWOLNATION tour and we really loved being around them and getting to know them, we really dig what that bands about and love listening to them.

Another band we love to listen to is one from Northern Ireland called And So I Watch You From Afar, they’re an incredible instrumental band that are downright heavy. We’re really big fans of those bands and just love what they’re about.