The Vaselines, Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen

When it comes to indie-pop, Scotland’s got an excellent pedigree; from Orange Juice to Belle and Sebastien, the Scots have the art of jangly introspection down to a tee. The Vaselines are a significant part of this tradition, but in a genre where it’s hard to stand out, they’re probably best known for having written ‘Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam’, made famous by Nirvana at their now-iconic Unplugged performance. 

In their early years, The Vaselines were a boyfriend-and-girlfriend duo comprising Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee. They were praised by Kurt Cobain for their song-writing, and it’s easy to see why; their earliest single ‘Son of A Gun’ is a charming and perfectly crafted pop song, complete with a sing-along chorus and deceptively simple lyricism. 

Over the course of their short 1980s career, the band only ever released one full-length album, and it’s fair to say that their musical progression was modest. There were moments of experimentation; the naïve surrealism of ‘The Day I Was a Horse’ and the meandering shoegaze of ‘No Hope’ stand out. For the most part, though, the band stuck to a winning formula: catchy pop hooks, nimble duets, and tongue-in-cheek lyrics.

Since breaking up in 1989, The Vaselines have spawned a slew of imitators; it’s hard to listen to bands like Veronica Falls or The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, and not to hear Kelly and McKee. Capitalising on and mocking this revivalism, The Vaselines returned in 2010 with their second studio album, whose lead single ‘I Hate the 80s’ mocks a generation nostalgic for a decade they never experienced; “what do you know?” the duo ask, “you weren’t there.”

The band are releasing their third album this year, and are due to play Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen on October 1. This is an essential gig for all fans of indie-pop, whether or not you were there in the ‘80s.