THERE will always be a place for albums in the Scottish music industry, especially when considering the breadth of talent emerging across the country.

Singles are, of course, vital in terms of gaining the exposure that can help propel acts to greater levels of exposure. But planning out and recording a deliberate, measured, free-flowing album is a very different thing, altogether.

Next month, Mt. Doubt will release their latest record Doubtlands – their first since 2016. And while its supporting singles have picked up some interest on their own, they are but one piece of a larger body of work. Not a compilation of songs, but an album with artistic substance and inherent value.

Doubtlands will be the third album from the collective and will likely remain their preferred format for the foreseeable future. Indeed, for frontman Leo Bargery, the importance of albums has never waned and will forever be the goal to aspire to.

He told The Weekender: "I've always really liked albums – for as long as I've been in touch, I've always appreciated listening to records. I used to go out and buy random albums based on the artwork and just sit and listen to it.

"What I'd like is for people to sit and listen to Doubtlands in that way, though I realise that with streaming these days it is maybe unlikely that people will do that.

"We've built it up so much that people will look at Spotify numbers as being the be all and end all. These days, you could have one single added to a playlist and it will end up getting 50,000 streams.

"But I'd much rather have like two people in Inverness really, really love the album, and have it mean something to them, than have a bunch of Spotify plays that don't really mean anything to the listener.

"If there are some people who listen to it and develop a really good connection to the album – that's all we can really ask for."

Mt. Doubt is not a project known for dropping catchy singles that garner thousands of streams and commercial airplay, but its stirring nature offers something that simply deserves attention. Over the last few years, singles or even EPs have become commonplace – whether for financial reasons or by choice. But Bargery is single-minded in his work.

He said: "A lot of bands release singles every few months and then eventually turn into an album – I understand why they do that, and I respect that. But, for me, that's not what I wanted to do; I want to write records and create something cohesive across a body of work.

"I suppose it depends on what you are trying to do because if you view your work as more of an artistic pursuit then it makes more sense to go for longer play. But if the aim is to write some fun music for people then singles might be better.

"We all get excited when we hear that a band we like are releasing an album – people still love albums."

He added: "I don't think any of the songs on Doubtlands could be described as 'bangers' – they are all slow-burners. So, I guess there is an element of fear that people might not give it the time to get into, which I understand, but hopefully they will."

Doubtlands will be released via Last Night From Glasgow on Friday, September 18.