Launching their new album with a New Year’s Eve gig would suggest that Axis Of see 2015 as the year to kick things on.

Their last record, Finding St Kilda, was an arresting blend of travelogue and confessional that established the three-piece as one of the most original bands in the North. And thankfully its follow-up, The Mid Brae Inn, finds their vision broadened and their focus more refined. It’s a noisy triumph. Ewan and Niall have kindly given us a run-down on a terrific way to welcome in the New Year:
All My Bones - (N) The chorus “All My Bones, Go to Bed” had been kicking around for ages and we were struggling to fit a song around it. Stripping everything back and giving the vocals a lot of room to breathe around the crashing drums really gave the chorus the impact we hoped for initially. It introduces the maritime themes of the album along with the joy, satisfaction and troubles of travel. 
Wetsuit - (E) My first memory of Wetsuit was a basic recording Niall emailed to me that he’d done on his laptop. I was extremely impressed. That original demo had a really loud computer tambourine! I thought an interesting idea for the lyric would be to contrast the fizzing, joyful music with a story of loss and mourning. 
The Grey Man’s Path at Night - (N) Strangely I came up with the riff that forms the main bulk of the this song while sound-checking my guitar onstage at Glasgowbury. Structurally this song is a bit of a departure from normal Axis Of, but I think the pacing and gradual rise makes it one of our most experimental songs. 
Super Resurgence - (E) Super Resurgence existed a long time without that last pounding chorus. The minute we decided to add on one more chorus it sounded so much more like a “song”. It’s funny how 24 seconds can completely alter the feel of something. 
Munro Bagger - (N) Possibly the most over-indulgent guitar playing there has ever been on an Axis Of song. We tried both chorus lines individually, but it really clicked when we tried them simultaneously. 
Beach Combing - (E) A song about a sea storm (amongst other things), recorded on a phone, during a sea storm on the North Coast. It’s, perhaps, the epitome of The Mid Brae Inn. 
Marconi’s Place - (N) Ewen and I both had an idea we loved, but the songs we were writing around them just weren’t working. We combined the two and in order to make them work together, we had to tune our guitars down to our lowest yet. One of the most emotional and personal songs lyrically, with themes of loss and nostalgia strong throughout. 
Quarrel Reef - (E) As a child growing up the Shipping Forecast sounded like poetry, those words and places were so lyrical and thought-provoking. It’s a nursery rhyme of the sea and it required that very simplistic driving rhythm. 
Oh Calusco! – (N) As straight up a song as you’ll get with Axis Of, to the point where we weren’t sure if it should go on the album. I think it turned out really well. We all love pop and indie music, so it was fun to write a song that was simple and catchy. 
The Harsh Winds of Rathlin - (E) Packed with loads of musical and lyrical ideas. Written the way the earlier Axis Of songs were written – unapologetically greedily. Extremely fun to play! 
Sunfinder – (N) This song was originally meant to be Part 1 of a double A side with All My Bones. We decided that bumping them together was a bit of disservice to both of them. It features one of our biggest and most anthemic choruses.
Returnee’s Lament - (E) The setting for the Returnee’s Lament is the bunk in the back of our van, in the middle of the night in Germany. When finishing tours I often found myself there, reflecting. It’s the sound of the end of a long journey.