The Scottish Connection: The Birth of a Scene
How the land of bagpipes and haggis became one of the world's biggest exporters of indie pop.
Scotland. Land of bagpipes, kilts, haggis, whiskey, the Loch Ness Monster, and some of the most incomprehensible accents in the entire Anglosphere. Some of the more hip among y’all will also think of Irvine Welsh’s novels, most notably Trainspotting. And if you’re talking about Scottish music, most basic normies will think of Celtic folk tunes or bands like the Proclaimers. A few might even remember that several key members of AC/DC were born there before heading off to Australia.
But if you mention Scotland to most listeners, they likely won’t think of bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain. Or Teenage Fanclub. Or Belle and Sebastian. Or Shop Assistants. Or Orange Juice. Or Cocteau Twins. Or the Delgados. Or... never mind. You get the idea.
In truth, Scotland punches wildly above its weight when it comes to post-punk, indie rock, and especially indie pop -- and it’s been doing so from the start. Despite (or maybe because of) the fact that it’s as far away from London as anywhere in the UK, Scotland has produced some of the most inventive and influential bands of the past four decades. Some of them are much more well-known than others, but all of them deserve a mention here.
Orange Juice
These guys may or may not have a claim to being Scotland's first indie band, but "indie pop/rock" wasn't codified as a genre or a concept when they first formed in 1976 in the Glasgow suburb of Bearsden. Led by Edwyn Collins (who would later go on to a notable solo career), they took inspiration from then-contemporary punk bands like the Buzzcocks and Subway Sect, as well as '60s bands like the Byrds and the Velvet Underground. They released their music on the independent label Postcard Records, which was co-founded by Collins and adopted the motto "The Sound of Young Scotland."
"Rip It Up" (from Rip It Up, Polydor Records, 1982)
The Vaselines
Famously one of Kurt Cobain's favorite bands (he covered their song "Jesus Don't Want Me For a Sunbeam" on Nirvana's Unplugged album), this duo of Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee was formed in Glasgow in 1986. They specialized in short, sweet, and irreverent songs that combined jangly guitars with darkly funny, often absurdist lyrics. Their music was playful, rough around the edges, and full of hooks that seemed impossibly simple but stuck in your head for days.
Despite only releasing two EPs and one full-length album during their initial run, The Vaselines’ influence far outstripped their output. They embodied that distinctive Scottish indie pop ethos: DIY, melodic, witty, and utterly charming, proving you didn’t need flashy production to leave a lasting mark.
"Son of a Gun" (from Son of a Gun EP, 53rd & 3rd Records, 1987)
Cocteau Twins
While they may be more "dream pop" than "indie pop" on the surface, Cocteau Twins have nevertheless been just as influential to indie pop as anyone else. Formed in Grangemouth in 1979 and later based in Glasgow, Cocteau Twins created a sound that was dreamy, abstract, and almost completely untethered from conventional rock structures. Elizabeth Fraser’s vocals were famously less about lyrics and more about texture and emotion, floating over Robin Guthrie’s shimmering, effects-heavy guitar work.
They were closely associated with the 4AD label and became one of the defining bands of the ’80s dream pop and ethereal wave scenes, influencing everyone from My Bloody Valentine to Beach House. Even if they don’t fit neatly into the “jangly indie” box, modern indie pop would look very different without them.
"Lorelei" (from Treasure, 4AD Records, 1984)
APB
This power trio might be the most obscure out of all the bands on this list, and to be fair, they're also somewhat of an outlier here. While most of the bands here are more on the lo-fi/twee/jangly side, APB were a post-punk band which combined funk, punk and new wave, and they came from a small rural town called Ellon which is a three-hour drive from either Glasgow or Edinburgh. Oddly enough, they somehow found their way to New York's dance clubs and got a cult following in the Tri-State Area, getting airplay on Long Island's WLIR and playing clubs in Manhattan and Long Island. And they would be very influential to later bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Franz Ferdinand and the Rapture.
"Something To Believe In" (from Something to Believe In, Link Records, 1985)
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Jim and William Reid were brothers growing up in the "new town" (postwar planned community) of East Kilbride at a time when British pop charts were dominated by synth-pop. Culturally isolated in their suburban town, they decided to create their own idea of "the perfect band" -- one that would combine the sweet melodies of the Beach Boys and '60s girl groups with noisy, feedback-drenched guitars.
They were one of the first bands to successfully merge noise rock with classic pop, which would prove hugely influential on shoegaze and alternative rock. Their 1985 debut Psychocandy remains one of the most important albums of the decade, proving that you could bury perfect pop songs under walls of distortion and somehow make them even more powerful.
"Just Like Honey" (from Psychocandy, Blanco y Negro Records, 1985)
The Pastels
This band's "shambling" DIY twee pop has made them a cult favorite and one of the most influential bands in the indie pop genre. Imagine a British version of Beat Happening except with a relatively fuller lineup, and you'll get the idea. Formed in 1981 in Glasgow, this band was originally part of the same scene as Orange Juice, as one of its founding members Brian Taylor was a friend of Postcard Records founder Alan Horne, but for most of their existence they've been primarily led by singer/guitarist Stephen Pastel (aka McRobbie).
"Nothing To Be Done" (from Sittin' Pretty, Chapter 22 Records (UK) / Homestead Records (US), 1989)
Shop Assistants
This short-lived Edinburgh band were one of the purest expressions of jangly, fuzzed-out indie pop in the mid-’80s UK underground. Drawing from ’60s garage rock, girl-group pop, and DIY punk ethics, they specialized in fast, noisy, irresistibly catchy songs that felt both scrappy and sweet at the same time. If Orange Juice gave Scottish indie its swagger, Shop Assistants gave it its buzzsaw guitars.
They only had one proper full-length album and a handful of singles and EPs, but they became cult favorites and hugely influential on later indie pop and C86-style bands. Their influence far outweighs their relatively tiny discography.
"I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You" (from Shop Assistants, Chrysalis Records, 1986)