A hypnotically looping alt-pop song about “the call and response of co-existence, autonomy, and repair within relationships,” ‘Unconscious Rivals’ is the brand-new single by Glasgow and Berlin based five-piece Hairband. Released as part of Lost Map’s PostMap Club subscription service, as part of a double A-side single together with the song ‘Surfacing’, it’s taken from Hairband’s forthcoming debut album, Under the Plow, which is due for release on limited-edition cassette and on digital services on April 21, 2023. 

Something of a Glasgow underground supergroup – featuring members of previous/current much-loved bands including Spinning Coin, Breakfast Muff, The Yawns, Lush Purr, Rocky Lorelei, Kaputt and Tarantula – Hairband are Emma Smith (drums), Rowan Wright (guitar, vocals), Simone Wilson (guitar, bass, vocals), Sephi Lock (bass, guitar, vocals) and Rachel Taylor (guitar, vocals). With a trio of guitars, their music blends intricate, jangly riffs with danceable beats, hooky bass lines, sweet melodies and layered vocal harmonies. Sephi and Rachel are from Toronto, Canada, while Simone, Rowan and Emma are from Glasgow, Dundee and Stirlingshire respectively. They met and became friends by going to gigs and playing on bills together in previous bands, before deciding to get together in a shared rehearsal space which eventually became their practice home. Hairband formed in 2016. Following a relocation by Rachel to Berlin, the band has been operating long distance since 2019.

Hairband’s debut self-titled five-song EP was the debut release by renowned Glasgow record shop Monorail Music in October 2018, and received media support from the likes of Line of Best Fit, Clash, The Skinny, The National, Brooklyn Vegan and more. Other highlights that year for Hairband included their first UK tour, and supporting Sleaford Mods on two of their Scotland tour dates, including at the iconic Glasgow Barrowlands. A second tour followed in summer 2019, plus live sessions for BBC 6 Music’s Marc Riley and BBC Radio Scotland’s Nicola Meighan. Hairband have shared bills with bands such as The Raincoats, Brix and the Extricated, Terry and The Yummy Fur, and also played at festivals including Freakender and Doune the Rabbit Hole. They were nominated for Best Newcomer at The Scottish Alternative Music Awards 2017 and played the SAY Awards Ceremony 2018 at Paisley Town Hall. 

In March 2020, in the nick of time pre-lockdown, the band recorded their 10-track debut album, Under the Plow, with Ronan Fay at Green Door Studios in Glasgow. It was mixed by Jack Davis, mastered by Ross McGowan and features artwork by Alanna Hernandez

“These songs reflect a period the band will forever appreciate and be proud of,” writes Hairband’s Emma Smith, “having stumbled on a particular kind of musical chemistry none of us had really felt before, and having had to fight hard to keep going through times of unrest both personally and globally. You can hear the fun and joy in equal measure, alongside more complex, darker aspects that we hope speak to some of the wider experiences of women. The title Under the Plow tries to capture the growth we’ve helped each other achieve through music and friendship, despite various challenges along the way.”

TRACKLISTING

Side A

1. Unconscious Rivals
2. Varipapa
3. Crimson Wave
4. Paris
5. How Far

Side B

6. Lasso
7. Surfacing
8. Desserts
9. Sitting In Circles
10. Extremities