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Prog Crime writers are frustrated rock stars so we tend to write about music a lot. I’m drawn to the dark, the theatrical, the proggy, and Scottish music. Writing On The Wall were one of the first Scots bands I liked – lots of 70s Hammond – then and now , Errors, Remember Remember and Boards Of Canada.

This is the music I listen to as I write - music for thinking, to shut out the world. I grew up in a little town in Fife with no record shop. We’d go to Bruce’s in Kirkcaldy – a great, grungey shop.



I sent my mum in once to buy me a album when I was about 11 and she felt like she had to have a bath after; it was full of long-hairs smelling of patchouli. would be my music paper of choice because you got a free poster. I would sit very proudly in my bedroom with posters of bands I’d yet to hear like , and Then my mate Robert Findlay had access to really transgressive stuff like early – is my favourite Zappa album to this day – also and .

There were no gigs in my town, and when I did start going it was a big deal. I’d have to stay over with friends in another town and we'd get the 10pm train back from Edinburgh, so we’d always miss the encore. My parents hardly ever listened to music, so l had free range.

I had a little Sanyo cassette deck and Id make them listen to , , and while we played Scrabble. Four tapes. Poor buggers.

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