Broken Records

The story of Edinburgh’s Broken Records is already becoming well worn; but for those still unfamiliar with the band, here are the basics.

There are seven of them. They use a variety of instruments—accordion, cello, fiddle, etc—which has inevitably left them labelled the "Scottish Arcade Fire".

After a couple of years endlessly gigging, and winning an army of fans in the process, the band finally signed to the established indie label 4AD, releasing debut album Until the Earth Begins to Part in June.

Despite the obvious quality of the songs, some critics have complained that the album fails to capture the intensity of the band’s live shows. But in fairness, there is no recording studio in the land that could fully capture the Broken Records live sound. These guys are at their best on the stage. Their homecoming show at the atmospheric Queen’s Hall promises to be one of the musical highlights of the festival.

August 17th, Queen’s Hall, Clerk Street