big in japan

the big issue

by iain s. bruce
august 30, 1996 - september 11, 1996 (issue #84)

Sometimes life just ain't fair. If it was, the Trash Can Sinatras would be celebrating their eighth year in the business with a hugely hyped third album and a global sell out tour. Even as you read this, they'd be sipping margaritas around a sun-kissed pool big enough to hold a couple of dozen Rolls Royces.

But then life is rarely just, which helps us explain why the Trash Cans are currently crammed into their studio in the less than exotic town of Irvine with not much more than a muddy puddle to ride their bikes through.

Not that it seems to bother guitarist John Douglas much. One of the band's founding members, he maintains a philosopical outlook on their lack of commercial success to date; "We just do our thing and hope that people like it. It'd be nice to start selling masses of records and all that but we're not that bothered really, we'll keep on doing what we do because there's not many other options. This isn't really a career for us, it's more of a vocation."

Scottish bands are prone to much wailing and gnashing of teeth when it comes to explaining away their failure to crack the market south of the border, citing London ignorance of the scene north of the border as the main barrier twixt themselves and enormous success. Given that the Trash Cans have stadfastly refused to move from their bases in Kilmarnock and Irvine you'd expect more of the same, but Douglas scorns such paltry excuses: "At worst we've been overlooked," he says, "but I'm not into conspiracy theories and paranoia so I reckon its just one of those things. We have tended to be a wee bit unlucky with our timing though - we brought out a poppy album just as grunge made it big so maybe that explains it."

"If I had any complaints then it's that we don't get any radio play, " Douglas continues. "When people hear us they seem to like it but don't get the chance. I don't know why we don't get any airtime; we're fairly melodic and aren't particulary offensive to the ear or anything."

Still, never disheartened, the lads continue to plough on with their diverse range of projects. Their 15-minute film "Spooktime" continues to play at cinemas across Scotland and they are currently working on the soundtrack to the forthcoming stage production of Marabou Stork Nightmares. Never afraid of trying something new, they are about to fly off to Japan where, bizzarely, they already enjoy a modest success that threatens to rival their performance in the UK.

"We've already sold quite well on a sort of cult level in Japan," reports a bemused Douglas. "They seem to really like Scots bands over there for some strange reason - to the extent that there seems to be a wee bit of a Scottish music scene developing. I think that's great, because it got us over there to check the place out, but it is very, very strange."

The Trash Can Sinatras' new album A Happy Pocket is out on Sept 2.

//// The article was accompanied by a picture of the band in front of what boasts itself as being the oldest pub in Glasgow)////

Originally appeared in the Big Issue (Scotland).