Ahead of the release of their highly anticipated debut album ‘Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams’ this Friday, Shambolics, the indie rock quintet from Fife, is giving fans a taste of what’s to come with their latest music video for the single ‘Universal Credit’, inspired by the iconic film ‘Trainspotting’.
In the video, co-frontmen Darren Forbes and Lewis McDonald put their own spin on a memorable scene from the movie, drawing from their own life experiences. McDonald portrays a frustrated benefits officer, while Forbes declares his unwavering commitment to the band, refusing to conform to the demands of the universal credit system before the track’s soaring hook defiantly declares “I don’t need no money, I want to be happier than you.” And when in real life the band regularly enjoys “Up the Shams!” chants at gigs, it’s hard to deny that their attitude is the wrong one.
Commenting on the genesis behind the sing, Forbes explains: “Two of us were on the dole when we were in the middle of making the about. They started putting us on a full-time course on how to get a job and build a CV, and we would beg them, just give us a bit of time, we’re nearly there with the band. So eventually we got chucked off it!
This song is a storyline of the meetings we’d have in these dole offices during the making of the album. We wrote it as a complete pisstake one night and took it into the studio the next day. We thought it would be a funny bonus track, but decided let’s just release it for a laugh. We’ve accepted we’re not exactly the industry standard. As long as we keep cracking on and folk are digging the tunes and turning up to the gigs then that’s all that matters.”
Choose Shambolics. Choose ‘Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams’. Choose to pre-order the album here today. Choose red ned vinyl. Choose a CD. Choose a cassette. Choose a football shirt / album bundle and benefit the Kirkcaldy Foodbank while you’re at it.
Shambolics will be celebrating the release of the album with three intimate shows in Scotland which all sold-out within a day as well as an in-store tour with Assai Records. They will then play Glasgow in March as special guests to Cast ahead of a tour in England in April and they are also confirmed to hit The Great Escape in May. Their upcoming dates are below, please see here for remaining tickets.
FEBRUARY
16th – Glasgow, Assai Records (6pm)
17th – Dunfermline, PJ Molloys (SOLD OUT)
18th – Dundee, Assai Records (1pm)
18th – Edinburgh, Assai Records (5pm)
19th – Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s (SOLD OUT)
22nd – Glasgow, McChuills (SOLD OUT)
MARCH
11th – Glasgow, SWG3 (special guests to Cast)
APRIL
11th – Manchester, Lion’s Den
12th – Sheffield, Sidney & Matilda (basement)
13th – Liverpool, Future Yard
18th – Leeds, Lending Room
19th – London, Two Palms
20th – Newcastle, Xerox
