Based in Fife, Scotland, indie-pop duo, Club Beirut’s debut single, Something New, could scarcely have been hatched further away. Written over 8,000 miles away from Fife in the Falkland Islands where Craig was then deployed with the Royal Air Force, the joyous, gleeful bounce of the resulting track was actually a period which saw him dealing with incredibly fraught circumstances. The cathartic nature of creating music and the building of a crack team of musicians and an attack plan upon his return home is testament to both the tenacity of Craig and musical partner Fraser and to the irresistible power of catchy melodies to clear the mind and trigger a sonic boom of positivity.

Having already developed a taste for the music industry with previous bands, supporting the likes of Catfish and the Bottlemen, We Are Scientists, Pigeon Detectives and Lewis Capaldi at his first ever gig (!), the union of Craig and Fraser as Club Beirut looks to build upon these successes and bring their injection of pop euphoria to an even wider audience. Having spent most of his musical career at the back of the stage behind a drumkit, the new project offered Fraser a ticket to the full glare of the spotlight, swapping sticks for strings and enjoying a new lease of life. Craig’s desire to produce such uplifting, hooky tracks was forged in the Falkland Islands, as he recalls:

“I was an at all-time low in a remote area with no WiFi connection or even the capability to use a phone. I decided to make the use of the time and wrote this song about struggling with the aftermath of a breakdown of a relationship and family. I received counselling and I struggled to get out of bed in the morning until I decided one day, why am I living like this, and thought fuck it, I'm going to start a music project and make good music to share my story and tunes with. I decided to keep writing and have a full set of songs. I returned from the Falkland Islands, splashed out on recording equipment and recorded demos. I sent the demo to producer Bruce Rintoul in Glasgow and he wanted to get involved and work with us. He turned my demo into the finished article it is today and it's set the bar on the quality of the music that we will be putting out in 2020”

Produced by Bruce Rintoul in Glasgow, Something New is your first taste of Club Beirut who are putting together the final pieces in the jigsaw of a UK tour commencing in April.