Edinburgh indie band, Wrest, is playing a much-anticipated gig at Peel Centenary Centre on Saturday evening.

Wrest have been touring Europe for the last years and, with sold-out shows across Scotland and England, as well as Berlin, Hamburg and Dusseldorf, the band has an international underground following that is unheard of for an unsigned band with no industry support or label backing. In this Q&A, band member, Stewart Douglas, tells us about Wrest and their music.

Who is in the band?

The line-up is myself, Stewart Douglas, on vocals and guitar; Stephen Whipp on lead guitar; Craig Robertson on bass, and Jonny Tait on drums.

How you would describe your music?

The sound is like Frightened Rabbit meets Snow Patrol, like early Coldplay meets Biffy Clyro via The National - heartfelt Scottish poetic indie rock from Edinburgh.

What are your most popular tracks?

Most popular tracks are Human, Second Wind, Adventurers, Bold, and The End of the World.

Are you currently promoting a new album?

We are coming to the Isle of Man off the back of two years of touring across Europe, including France, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Scotland and England, in support of our self-released second album ‘End All The Days’.

A new album is imminent, and we are currently in the studio ahead of our biggest show so far - a headline at the iconic 2,000 capacity Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow on Saturday August 31.

After sell out shows at Edinburgh’s 900 capacity Queens Hall and Glasgow’s 850-capacity Garage in 2023, we are looking ahead to our biggest year so far across the UK and Europe.

What is the Scottish music scene like and is it easy for a band to get the breaks there?

The Scottish music scene is absolutely brimming with talent, with so many bands doing cool stuff. It’s not a particularly easy scene to break through, very tightly controlled by one or two major promoters.

As a totally independent band, without industry support in Scotland, we’ve connected directly with people who like our music, rather than working through the traditional channels.

Opportunities like headlining Barrowlands simply would not be available to us if we were relying on promoters and industry backing. By going fully DIY and taking our music to the world, without asking for permission first, we’ve made our own luck in Scotland and beyond.

We’re buzzing to play ever-growing venues across Scotland and England, as well as seeing amazing support in Germany, France and Denmark.

l Wrest’s gig at Peel Centenary Centre is on Saturday starting at 7pm with support act, Jamie Blackburn. A few tickets still available at wrest.band/gigs.

You can also see Stewart performing an acoustic set at Sound Records in Douglas at 11am on Saturday morning and there will be a chance to win a pair of tickets for the evening’s show.