Based in Glasgow, Scotland, indie rock quartet Glasvegas comprises cousins James Allan (singer and principal songwriter) and Rab Allan on guitar, bassist Paul Donoghue, and the drummer Jonna Lofgren. Although they deftly fused a love of doo wop and classic, Spector-produced pop with a nod to some of the more intense and inventive guitar acts of the '80s, perhaps the band's defining attribute was in James Allan's earnest lyricism. Former Creation boss Alan McGee and ex-Libertines guitarist Carl Barat were so struck by a 2006 hometown performance by the band that each went on to ensure that more people witnessed their powerful live sets. Their third single, "Daddy's Gone", was ranked as the second best track of 2007 by NME and even led to the band striking up a friendship with Lisa Marie Presley after the song came to her attention. Next, their platinum-selling debut album, Glasvegas, received widespread praise following its release on Columbia in September 2008, reaching no. 2 in the UK charts and also being nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2009. Less than three months after the release of their debut, the Transylvania-recorded, Christmas-themed EP A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like a Kiss) was issued, bringing further critical acclaim.
The band's sophomore full-length, Euphoric /// Heartbreak \, was written, demoed, and tracked at a beach house in Santa Monica, California during 2010 before undergoing final production under the direction of Flood in London. Before any recording had taken place, it was announced that original drummer Caroline McKay had left the band. Her replacement, swedish music student Jonna Lofgren, joined Glasvegas after recording for the album had been completed. On its release in April 2011, Euphoric /// Heartbreak \ reached No. 10 on the U.K. album chart and also hit the No. 1 spot in Sweden. To promote the album, the band embarked on a second world tour, which incorporated their biggest European headline gigs to date as well as successful trips to both Australia and Japan. Lauded for their unique sound and powerful lyrical content Glasvegas have a fervent and loyal fan base around the globe and to date the band have toured the world twice including a trip to China and they have toured North America several times.
2014 heralds the return of Glasvegas to North America with their critically acclaimed self-produced third studio album, Later...When the TV Turns to Static, released through BMG. The album was recorded in the band's home town of Glasgow at Gorbals Sound and produced by lead singer and songwriter James Allan. Featuring the singles "I'd Rather Be Dead (Than Be With You)", "If", and the title track "Later...When the TV Turns to Static". The album is a staggeringly emotive 45 minute sojourn through broken relationships and "the mad energy" of the world, a scorching soundscape marking a new chapter for one of the UK's most fervently supported bands, reclaiming their independence and returning to their roots to deliver a record that chimes with the heartfelt social realism they have made their own. Glasvegas have come home, turned their eyes from the scorching light back into the shadows, where reality lies.
