Aberdeen psych quartet General Winston are set to release a new single this week and are working on a debut album.
Vicar Syrup will be released on Thursday September 1 and is the second release from the Granite City’s hottest new band.
To promote the release General Winston will play the Tooth and Claw in Inverness on Saturday.
Formed in 2020 the band, with influences ranging from Thee Oh Sees to Frank Zappa, are beginning to make waves in the Aberdeen scene.
The imminent new release will surely bring more attention to a band forging a unique voice and sound.
Singer/guitarist Scott Robertson said: “The single Vicar Syrup is from an album we are recording.
“We released our debut single (Warwick Sloss) in May this year and the reaction to it was good.
“Our first Glasgow gig came out of that single release.
“We played the 13th Note in Glasgow which is underground, has just a 100 capacity and no stage.
“It is sweaty and hot which suits us right down to the ground.
“The long-term plan for us is to try to move to another city in about two years.
“Another city where there is possibly more opportunity to grow as a band.”
The origins of General Winston
General Winston are Scott, 20, (vocals/guitar), Aaron Leggat, 20, (guitar), Logan Rorie, 23, (bass), and Ally Moggach, 21, (drums).
The band’s debut concert was in October last year supporting Shambolics.
They played The Blue Lamp in Aberdeen at the weekend on a bill with fellow Aberdeen psych band Vapour Trails.
Scott explains the origin of the General Winston name.
He said: “Myself, guitarist Aaron and drummer Ally started studying music at college in 2019.
“During that time we decided we were going to try something.
“Ally had previously played with bassist Logan in another band so we asked him to join us.
“We had to pick a band name in college and listening to everyone else’s they were just so generic.
“They were all acronyms of their names.
“So we thought it would be funny to pick the longest band name we could possibly imagine.
“It was around 25 words – but started with General Winston. Eventually, we just stuck with that.”
The power of music as an escape
General Winston are also set to perform at Krakatoa, Aberdeen, on Friday September 23 to promote the new single.
Scott said: “It is good to get an escape with music that is massively different to your life.
“The other day we wrote a tune that was pretty complex with all these bizarre words.
“I looked around our flat then said to Aaron you wouldn’t think these scruffy looking boys who live here would be writing tunes like this.”
From Frank Zappa to absurd comedy
The band’s debut single Warwick Sloss received positive reviews.
It was also played by Scottish DJ legend Jim Gellatly on his Amazing Radio show.
Scott said the band’s influences range from the psych of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard to the absurd comedy of Monty Python.
He said: “The main musical influences would be bands like Thee Oh Sees, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Frank Zappa.
“Guitarist Aaron and myself are into that music.
“Ally the drummer is into a lot of prog stuff such as Rush, Yes and Zappa.
“Our bass player Logan is into everything and has such varied music taste.
“You can be playing something with different time signatures or key changes and he just walks into it as if he has seen it all before.
“Outside of music lyrical influences would be absurd comedy such as The League of Gentlemen and Monty Python.
“That is where our weird themes come from.”
Set to appear on a compilation album
General Winston’s music has also been picked up outside Scotland.
They are set to appear on a compilation album released later this year.
Scott explained: “There is someone who runs a record label in Wales who is featuring our single on a compilation coming out in November.
“He works with a lot of established bands and next year is putting on a festival where The Bevis Frond are playing.”
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