The Xcerts

The Xcerts are a group from Aberdeen, Scotland, active since 2001. The lineup named in the group’s description is Murray Macleod on lead vocals and guitar, Jordan Smith on backing vocals and bass, and Tom Heron on backing vocals and drums. The band describes its music as “distorted pop”, and its work is associated with indie rock, alternative rock, pop punk and classic pop and rock.

Early releases and sound

The band’s debut album, In The Cold Wind We Smile, is recorded in Wales with Dave Eringa, who is also known for work with Idlewild. The record leads to support slots with Funeral For A Friend, My Vitriol, Fightstar, Feeder and Idlewild, and it is received by both indie-pop listeners and heavier rock audiences. The album includes the song “Aberdeen 1987”, which shows the group’s quieter side.

Second album

The Xcerts’ second album is developed over around nine months and recorded in a basement studio in Beth Page, New Jersey, while the band stays in a dorm-like hotel room with a kitchenette. The group learns only a few weeks before recording that it works with producer Mike Sapone, whose credits include Brand New, Taking Back Sunday and Public Enemy. Sapone is described by the band as an important creative presence, helping shape the album’s experimentation and contributing ideas that would not otherwise have appeared.

The band says the second album is written mostly during a six-week break between tours and is more cohesive than its debut. Its influences include Nirvana’s In Utero, Weezer’s Pinkerton, Elliott Smith’s Either/Or, Brand New’s The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska and Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago. The result is described as heavier and more intense, with vocal strain severe enough to force the cancellation of scheduled shows after the studio sessions. Songs mentioned from this period include “Slackerpop” and “Belane”.

Reception and label

In The Cold Wind We Smile is released on Xtra Mile Recordings. Press responses quoted alongside the album describe it as combining melody, distortion and youthful energy, and place it among the band’s defining early work.