TWO of the Scottish music scenes most iconic stars have stepped up to confess their 7 Deadly Tunes.

Mark Sharp, known for fronting Mark Sharp and the Bicycle Thieves, and Matt Hickman, who leads Brownbear, both give a little insight into what makes them tick.

Here, they unburden their souls to The Weekender...

 

SLOTH – What tune makes you want to sit back and do nothing forever?


Mark: Apocalypse – Cigarettes After Sex… If I even need some time to zone out and clear my head I always turn to this song in particular. A simple drumbeat with heartbeat bass notes and soft delicate vocals, love it! To be honest most songs by them will chill you right out.

Matt: Kitti – Downlow... A great laid-back jazz feel to accompany a brilliantly-crafted pop song (no bias here, I swear). Really though, this is a great song, great production and it allows space for Kitti’s magnificent vocals. What a tune to chill out to.

 

WRATH – What tune makes you want to absolutely wreck the hoose?


Mark: Fire – Kasabian… The reason I say this is because when this song was just released, I saw Kasabian support Oasis in Manchester at Heaton Park. When the chorus went off, I’d never seen anything like it... Absolute chaos! Bodies everywhere! I think the kids are calling it “limbs” these days…

Matt: Everything is Easy – Dead Pony... What a band and what a sound. This song is an absolute belter of a face melter. They have only gone from strength to strength since. This song just makes you want to jump around and get in the pit.

 

LUST – What tune do you NEED in your life right now?
 

Mark: Everywhere – Paolo Nutini… I took a bit of a break from music recently and struggled to find the time to even listen to new music, but I heard this song and for the first time in a long time the song really blew me away. I actually had a lump in my throat listening to the sheer emotion in passion crying out from Paolo’s voice and I just love the way the song builds from the acoustic guitar to such a powerful ending. For me, it’s the perfect song.

Matt: Moonshine – Mark Sharp & The Bicycle Thieves... I love this song. I love Mark. I love the gang. I mean pick any song, they are all belters and you can’t get enough MS&TBT in your life, let’s be honest. Even better live. Feel for anyone who didn’t get tickets to Tut's in January, but I am guessing there are even bigger things to come from Mark next year.

 

GLUTTONY – What tune can you not get enough of?
 

Mark: Smoking Out The Window – Silk Sonic… I’ve been a big fan of Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak for a while now so the fact they’ve brought out an album together is unbelievable to me! Unreal album but this song especially I just can’t get enough of it. Love everything about what they’re doing at the moment and, hopefully, we hear loads more from them. Best duo since Jack and Victor.

Matt: I Don’t Care – Spyres... It’s a slice of pop-punk perfection. I grew up a skateboard/Tony Hawk, rock and punk fan. Let’s face it, we all had a soft spot for the pop-punk bands that made up the soundtrack to that scene. This feels like it would fit perfectly on a Tony Hawk soundtrack or Kerrang! in the day. An amazing band. Talented beyond belief and only more big things to come from them I am sure.

 

GREED – What tune makes you want to hear more and more from that band?
 

Mark: Walk On The Water – Tempesst… Absolutely love this band! As soon as I hear any of their songs I need to put on their album Must Be a Dream. No skips on this album, just flawless from start to finish. Great guys as well. Would highly recommend the readers check them out!

Matt: Lost in You – Logan’s Close... F' me, those harmonies. The whole sound. Vintage psychedelic rock with a modern indie tinge. Honestly, I’m not sure how you could hear this and not be intrigued to hear more.

 

PRIDE – What tune are you most proud to have written?
 

Mark: Today. Tomorrow. Forever.... It’s the first song I wrote after my dad past away. I was struggling to write anything at that time and one day this song just came out of nowhere and the lyrics fell on the page. So, this one really means a great deal to me. Although the lyrics have a personal meaning to me, it was great to discover people can relate to them in their own way. It’s important to me that people can relate to the words and can take something from the songs. There’s no better feeling than when you can connect that way with the audience and they all sing your words back to you and you can just see on their face what it means. Cannae beat it! Plus, it’s great fun to play live.

Matt: Close Call... It’s the first real upbeat offering from the journey toward an indie soul sound for Brownbear. Those horns are delicious. The lyrics are strong. It’s riff-tastic. It’s got a festival singalong middle eight and an anthemic singalong chorus. I’m proud of this one. Hope folks like it!

 

ENVY – What tune/chorus/verse/solo/lyric do you wish you had written?
 

Mark: Do Me A Favour – Arctic Monkeys… Again, the perfect song for me. It just keeps building and building for a massive explosive ending. The music takes you on a journey, while the lyrics paint a vivid picture of the story being told. Some of Turner's best work, in my opinion; relatable words that can make you feel like you’re the main character.

Matt: Careless – False Friends... “It seems careless to care these days, so why do I even bother” – A beautifully-honest song. I saw the band play a stripped-back version of this at a headline show last year. My jaw was on the floor. It’s a proper lighters-on, arena-anthem song. A great band with a bright future ahead. This song is on my list of favourite songs of all time.