The Royal We

The Royal We singer Jihae Simmons had an idealised image of Glasgow, mostly drawn from Orange Juice and Belle & Sebastian lyrics. She was looking forward to moving to a place which would be like an 'amazing tweeland' where everyone had a lot of respect for nature and buildings which they'd want to explain in cafes like in a Godard movie far from the scuzz of the LA music scene.

Meanwhile, Patrick Doyle was on his way to university and had stopped off in Glasgow. 'It seemed more promising than where I was supposed to be going. Sunderland.'

Roxanne Clifford had come to the city from Manchester to study art and because the music scene was strong. Other Royal We personnel, Graeme Ronald, Joan Sweeney and Colin Kearney were already there; on the fringes of things, with Colin already a member of Eska, and various other groups.

By the summer of 2006, The Royal We had become Glasgow's 'it' group. Everybody was talking about them - members were even turning up on Belle & Sebastian and Franz Ferdinand covers. The Royal We were the most fun in town; their shows had it down and they had great songs and a great sound. There's no doubt there's something pop about The Royal We but it's an older, odder kind of pop - the experimental pop of Orange Juice, ESG or even The Raincoats. In a way this is partly designed, the lyrics reference pop language, but mostly it's just exuberant brilliance which has carried The Royal We through.