When none other than Shirley Manson describes you as the coolest band in town, then you know that you must have been doing something right. Forged in the cash-poor yet culturally wealthy environs of post-punk Edinburgh, Fini Tribe wrote songs that today would be labelled alternative pop, subversive dance or some other label which fails to get to the heart of the band’s deft blend of accessibility and musicianship, infectiousness and intellect, rule-breaking and sonic exploration.
Their music, in general, and “We’re Interested” in particular, was more than just a love letter to their city; it was a sonic essence of that place, and to anyone who has spent any time in the Scottish capital, this is a soundtrack to a time and a place and a feeling.
Ahead of the retrospective album The Sheer Action of Fini Tribe: 1982-1987, which drops on 10th October, this brace of singles acts as both a pertinent reminder of the band’s unique charms, for us old enough to remember, and a perfect introduction for those who aren’t.
“We’re Interested” brilliantly blends groove and grace, an air of melancholy and whistfulness, plaintive piano, and propulsive energy into a song that straddles the line between cult status and mainstream commerciality. “I Want More” showcases the more experimental side of their sound that they would go on to embrace. Almost an industrial/pop fusion running on strange blends of tribal groove and post-punk adventure and sounding like dance music made from instruments found in charity shops and city dumps, yet turned into something sublime, unique, and essential to the story of not just Edinburgh’s music but music in general.
Rising from a fledgling three-piece, the band grew to the six-piece of Chris Connelly, Simon McGlynn, Andy McGregor, Davie Miller, Philip Pinsky, and John Vick, but also suffered some losses along the way, most prominently that of singer Connelly joining The Revolting Cocks and relocating to Chicago.
However, this collection serves as a poignant reminder of who they were, what they accomplished, and the profound influence they had on the music scene, both near and far, during their golden age.
We’re Interested
I Want More
Spotify
The Sheer Action of Fini Tribe album order
Album pre-save
FiniTribe LinkTree
