'Music keeps knocking on the door' – Jamie Pollock kicks off 2020 with double single release

The spectre of nerves has started to creep in and he is still reeling from his split from Vida only ten days before.

This was a gig that all five were to play, instead he is about to walk on and play a full show on his own for the very first time.

The moment arises and he makes his way out before a sold-out crowd. He remains confident in his own ability; he knows in his bones this will be a great night for everyone. But it is still bittersweet. His bandmates – his brothers – are not up there with him.

Today, the memory of that night is crucial to Pollock. It serves as a personal reminder that he can stand on his own. Indeed, it was cathartic in that it has pushed him past any lingering resentment and bitterness that had afflicted him.

The loss of Vida was a huge blow. The whole affair was an untimely end for what had been an exciting and successful six years together.

It just keeps creeping back; it's fate almost. Music keeps knocking on the door."

But there is a great resilience in the man – he has released his first solo single, These Times, announced his first three-date tour, and is planning for a lot more this year.

He came off the stage in Manchester with a smile on his face, something he, perhaps, did not quite expect. The expression was coupled with a sense of determination. He had been unsure whether he would ever be back on stage – never mind so soon – but after striking his final chord that evening, he hasn't looked back.

"That was the catalyst," he tells The Weekender. "At that point, I didn't know what I was going to do. I was taking a break, maybe thinking about doing something in 2020.

"I got a phone call from the promoter and he said they had all these tickets sold and they didn't want to issue a refund and asked if I would do it myself. He just said I could play the gig and there was me thinking there are these fans buzzing for a show, so I went for it.

"I think it's likely that I would have come back to music at some point, but that gig in Manchester was really what got me back on track so quickly. Again, I really wasn't sure, I was just taking some time, and thought I would just play the gig and then go have another think about it.

"But it was really soon after the band broke up – and it felt really soon. And it was the first gig I had ever played myself. I knew I had a lot of support there on the night, but I was nervous because it was the first time I'd be up there playing without having my mates around me.

"I played Switch it Off, which was one of Vida's heavier songs that we'd play at the end of a set and we'd get a wee bounce. I played it acoustic and it got some reaction – the whole place was bouncing.

"That gig was the catalyst; it made realise that I can do this. I was worried beforehand, thinking: 'Is it going to be the same? Am I going to get the same reaction as Vida?'

"After Manchester was the support slot for Tom Clarke at Firewater and so I done that as well. I just didn't want to cancel anything. I was feeling a little better about it and then Kyle Falconer got in touch to see if I would support him at PJ Molly's and in Paisley – obviously, I was going to say aye to that...he's been a massive influence for me. And then it, sort of, felt right to be out there again.

"Then I wrote These Times and recorded it and I thought it sounded great. It just keeps creeping back; it's fate almost. Music keeps knocking on the door."

Still, even now, it has only been a few months since Vida and Pollock parted ways.

The singer admits he went through a raft of emotions at the time and had considered leaving music altogether, moving down south to be with his family.

...It had crossed my mind that I could just leave it all, maybe move down to Newcastle to be with my family – just disappear.  But then I woke up."

He feels he is in a better place now than, say, late last year and discusses a hope of being able to reconnect with his former bandmates in the near future.

"It's difficult," he reflects. "I'm sure the guys are feeling much the same. We had all put so much into it that it was just a real shame that it fell flat like that.

"The first two weeks [after the split] were hard. It was like losing a long-term relationship. There some days where I felt like packing it in. I didn't touch the guitar; I didn't listen to music very much. I had done six or seven years [with Vida] and it had crossed my mind that I could just leave it all, maybe move down to Newcastle to be with my family – just disappear.

"But then I woke up. I love music – writing songs and playing live. That's pretty much it and nothing is going to stop me doing that."

Pollock adds: "I loved Vida and I still do. It was a great thing and I am still really proud of what we achieved and the music that we created. We made the hometown proud.

"It was a great time; I done some amazing things that some guys would only dream of doing, like playing all the gigs we played up and down the country...it was just amazing. It is always going to be a great thing to look back on.

"And we weren't just friends – we were brothers. We all wanted the same thing. But there were clashes and it can all get too much in the end. But these things happen in bands. I don't look back now with any malice.

"Maybe, one day, we'll all sit down, get a wee pint and say: "That was good, man." I wish them all the best in whatever they decided to do next."

When asked what he'd say if he saw his former bandmates at one of his gigs, he replies: "Oh, I'd probably ask them to come up and have a jam… 'Have you got your guitar with you? 'Mon up!"

In January, Pollock released his first single These Times, which has been streamed 10,000 times already in Spotify

ON JANUARY 31st, Pollock released his first solo single These Times and announced three shows: two south of the border and one in Glasgow. He will play at The Finsbury in London on March 6 and the Pink Room at Yes Manchester the following night. He is also making a return to King Tut's hallowed stage on March 28 – having previously played a sold-out show with Vida.

His first single has picked up a few thousand plays in the first two weeks and the Clacks man released a re-recording of When the Sun (Like a Rainbow) just last night.

He looks back: "These Times was a song that I had written – or had started to write it – a couple of years ago. But I was messing around one night and basically re-wrote it.

"The best songs always seem to come to me. Once I finished it, I showed my dad and we started recording it. That was the point when I really did start to get the bug back again – I'm writing songs that are sounding good with choruses that I can imagine people singing along with.

"I don't know why I thought to re-work that chorus that night, but I just did. It was natural. Sometimes you've got to just start again.

"I think people will say it sounds like a Vida song. I can't really get away from that – it's my voice and it's how I write. And I was never unhappy with the way Vida sounded; it's not as though I wanted to get away and write something completely different. That's how things will probably continue to sound, but there will be some tracks down the line where I will experiment on."

I would never dodge the opportunity to play at King Tut's – it is the best venue in Glasgow. As soon as you are offered the chance to play, you do it."

Pollock is aware of the task ahead if he is to emulate the success he found with the band. Still, he is not putting too much pressure on himself and is keen to ensure his love of writing and performing is the main focus, and not commercial gain. He has taken some sage advice from the likes of Nick Mercer and Kyle Falconer who have made the switch from band to solo shows.

The singer says: "Nick went through a similar thing when Sergeant broke up. In fact, he had messaged me not long after [Vida split] to say that if I was going to come back to music that I should just do it for the enjoyment of it.

"I've spoken with Kyle a wee bit about going it alone and he said the same thing as Nick. Kyle's the same as me: he has a daughter, and just said 'enjoy this' but to bear in mind I have another life there as well – the family life. And that's where I am at the minute; I am enjoying it."

"It's exciting," He adds: "I'm just looking at the positive side of it all. There are parts of it that are daunting. I reckon I feel it especially in the lead up to the Tut's gig; there won't be anyone else to bounce off of and talk to about it. But I've played there six times before, there shouldn't be any pressure.

"Obviously, we sold out Tut's and so I am not too worried about [ticket sales]. I did it before and I've got the bottle of whisky. But I love the venue and if I sell 100 tickets then I'll be happy. It's going to be a good night, regardless, it's just a great place to play.

"Of course, the gig is important and after the gig I know I am going to feel great. I know it's going to push me on to other things. I would never dodge the opportunity to play at King Tut's – it is the best venue in Glasgow. As soon as you are offered the chance to play, you do it."

Pollock will play at King Tut's in Glasgow on March 28

While These Times and When the Sun are dead certs to make the setlists for London, Manchester and Tut's, Pollock is likely to include a few "fan favourites" from Vida when he takes to the stage, with Fade Away on the list.

Pollock says: "When you consider Liam Gallagher and Richard Ashcroft, the vast majority of people going to those gigs are there to hear Oasis songs or The Verve songs. I know myself, a lot of those coming to see me will be wanting to hear some Vida songs and I won't take that away from them.

"It's maybe something that will fade out over time, and I'll play fewer from the old days, but I don't think I'll get to a point where I'll play a set without a Vida song because I need to respect that. If I didn't play any, I think it would be quite ignorant to my past. The songs are fantastic, so I'll keep playing them and keep the fans singing along."

As the year rolls on for Pollock, there is hope that a new single will be released every two or three months or so. The idea of putting a backing band together – to help push on his live sets – is another prospect that could come his way in the near future, but that is likely to be something a little further down the line. He also has an eye on some festival appearances, while looking into the possibility of "ticking off" a few things he hadn't managed to do while in Vida.

"It's not always about quantity, it's quality," he says. "I want to play some really good festivals. Playing one great festival is as valuable as playing ten smaller ones. Just getting your name on the poster can attract so much attention. But I do want to make time for my family in the summer. That's really important to me, because I won't get that time back.

"Also, I really want to play in Ireland; it's one place we hadn't played before. Obviously, I'd have to start off small and play a wee pub or something, but I'd love to go over. It's a great place; I love the vibe. I'd love to venture out that far and to tick off a few other things as well."

• Catch Jamie Pollock at King Tut's in Glasgow on March 28, following dates in London on March 6 and Manchester on March 7.