DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY COUPLES ALBUM IS STANDING UP AGAINST THE GIANTS OF MUSIC INDUSTRY

Another great triumph for home-grown talent.
A home-produced album by a young Dumfries and Galloway couple is standing up amongst the giants of the Scottish music industry.
Aperò, the debut album of Happy Meals – the band name of Suzanne Rodden from Thornhill and Lewis Cook of Moffat – is amongst 20 of the most “outstanding Scottish albums” for the 2015 Scottish Album of the Year Awards, and stands in the midst of stellar acts such as Idlewild, Mogwai, King Creosote, Belle and Sebastian and Paolo Nutini.
“We’re still getting over the shock,” said 26-year-old Suzi who is currently a French teacher for a secondary school in Orkney.
“The nomination came as such a surprise to us and we still can’t quite believe it. It’s so exciting.
“To think that our first album is up for an award against such well established artists is mental. It’s amazing to be included in such a prestigious list.”
Although Lewis has been recording music since the age of 14, Suzi and he formed Happy Meals a few years ago. Their sound is described by Nick Herd of The List as “minimalist cosmic disco and sultry synthpop with a Gallic twist.”
It was only when Suzi joined a course at Glasgow’s Green Door that included a free recording session that the pair decided to put a track together.
“We made a track called Crystal Salutation,” Suzi explained. “We were really pleased with it, so decided to write and record more songs.
“The sessions provided a big confidence boost for me. I found my voice and we continued the recording sessions from a home studio in our house in Glasgow. This culminated in Aperò. We sent out demos to record labels and almost immediately got a response.”
The album was snapped up by Night School Records and went on general release in November last year. Since then it has received high acclaim from the music industry press and sent Suzi and Lewis half-way across the world to perform at venues in Moscow, Prague, Rotterdam, Brussels and London.
Aperò was album of the month in The List and has garnered support from the likes of The Skinny magazine and BBC Radio 6.
“Our influences for the album came from the 80s’ synth stuff like Depeche Mode, Brian Eno and Kraftwerk but we also give a nod to some of the fantastic electronic music that came out of France at that time,” said 25-year-old Lewis, who is an events organiser in Glasgow and member of two bands: The Cosmic Dead and Mother Ganga.
“Suzi has a degree in French and I have one in Philosophy, so our music goes a bit deeper than just pop. Suzi sings a lot of the numbers in French and that really works with our particular sound.
“We recorded a lot of the tracks around our home – trying out ideas in the bed, in the bath, in the kitchen – wherever we felt worked for us at any given time. The project was born out of a very abstract concept and developed intuitively. We didn’t have any pre-conceptions about it at the start, it just came together naturally.
“The reaction to Aperò and the support we have received from people in the music industry has just been humbling.
“It’s difficult to put into words how delighted we are at being considered for such a prestigious award. I have dedicated everything I do to music in its various formats and this is the icing on the cake. It’s thrilling.”
The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award is a prestigious arts prize developed by the Scottish Music Industry Association to celebrate, promote and reward the most outstanding albums released by Scottish artists in the awards year.
Chosen by 100 impartial invited nominators, the long-list of 20 albums will be whittled down by public vote to 10 in advance of the award ceremony on Wednesday, June 17 at the O2 ABC Glasgow, when the winner is announced.
The award carries a first prize of £20,000, with nine runner-up prizes of £1,000 and a Graduate Design Commission valued at £2,500.
For further information of all the nominees, including Happy Meals, and to find out how you can vote for your favourite, visit www.sayaward.com