Glasvegas

Glasvegas are a Scottish indie rock group formed in Dalmarnock, United Kingdom, and active since 2005. The line-up includes James Allan, Rab Allan, Paul Donoghue, Jonna Löfgren and Caroline McKay. The band’s sound is associated with alternative rock, indie rock, pop rock, psychedelic rock, rock and shoegaze.

Career

The band comes from Glasgow and first gains wider attention with its debut album, Glasvegas. The album appears in September 2008, reaches No. 2 in the UK Album Charts, and later goes Platinum in the UK and Gold in Sweden. It also brings a Mercury Music Prize nomination in 2009.

After the debut, Glasvegas tour widely in North America, with the band completing six tours there between October 2008 and September 2009. In interviews, they speak about trying to break through in the USA and Canada.

On 14 December 2010, the group announces Jonna Löfgren as its new drummer. Its second album, /// Euphoric Heartbreak \\\, appears in 2011 and reaches No. 10 in the UK and No. 1 in Sweden. The band then plays its biggest European headline tour to that point, including a sold-out show at Globens Annex in Stockholm in May 2011.

Glasvegas later undertake a seventh US tour, make their first visit to Australia in July and August 2011, and are asked by U2 to cover “Acrobat” for the 20th anniversary of Achtung Baby. Their version appears on the compilation AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered, issued by Q magazine. The band also makes its first trip to China in 2012 and announces plans for a third album on its own label.

Recognition

Glasvegas receives critical attention for its debut album. NME describes the band as one that may define the end of the decade and beyond, alongside earlier landmark acts of the 2000s.