In the spotlight – Transmission Suite

In the spotlight – Transmission Suite are a four-piece indie / electronic band from Scotland, comprising of Ronnie Marshall (lyrics, drum machine and keyboards), Lewis Mcmillan (guitar), Alan Aitchison (bass guitar) and Andrew Rainey (keyboards and drum machine). They released their debut single ‘Fade Away’ earlier this month.

What was the vision for the project?

“I think originally the concept for this particular band came from a late night chat during Sasha at the Sub Club in Glasgow. It would be different from any other bands that we have been in. There would be no drummer for a start and we would look to mix electronic and guitar together.”

“It took us a while to get used to the workflow of using electronic equipment and to find our sound but I think we are capable of writing songs in the style that we originally imagined.”

Were you in any other bands before forming Transmission Suite?

“We have been in various bands together, but have also been friends for a long time.”

What do you admire most about each other as people and as musicians?

“I think our communication is very good with each other. Everyone is honest. For example, if someone doesn’t like a part of a song or for suggesting changes no one will shy away from speaking their mind. But when we are jamming together we create a synergy that can be very productive at times!”

What music inspired you guys growing up? How does that compare to what you’ve been inspired by lately?

“Growing up with bands such as New Order, Stone Roses, Depeche Mode, Simple Minds, Happy Mondays, Underworld, Primal Scream and The Verve has certainly shaped a lot of our musical journey over the years.”

“Later bands such as The Sunshine Underground, The Music, Rain Band, Cut Copy, The Rapture, The Arctic Monkeys, The Horrors, Soulwax, Interpol, The Strokes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Humanzi all had an influence also.”

“More recently bands such as Drab Majesty, W.H. Lung, The KVB, Molchat Doma, Tycho and Nation of Language have been big inspirations in what we are trying to do. But every member of the band also has many influences from acid and progressive house, rock, metal, punk, disco, breakbeats and ambient.”

Tell us a little bit about how you ended up with Transmission Suite as a band name and what other name options (if any) you also had in mind?

“It is very hard to get an original name that hasn’t been used before! We tried lots of names but didn’t have too much joy. But eventually we came across an album that we liked by 808 state called ‘Transmission Suite’ and it just seemed to fit the music and vibe that we are going for in this project.”

Do you have a songwriting process and routine that you follow?

“We don’t have a set process, each song starts differently. Some we have a drum beat and jam along. Other times it’s a bassline or a synth part. The common theme is that there is a lot of improvisation when we are in the studio together.”

How much do you bounce around ideas with each other?

“We all will try to write songs away from the studio and we will often send each other the initial idea via a phone recording. This gives the rest of the band a little time to think over what they would play before we get to the studio and jam the idea together.”

You released your debut single ‘Fade Away’ recently. How are you feeling about it being out in the world? Did you celebrate the release in any way?

“Feeling really good about it finally being out! The response has been very positive which is always good! We were in the studio the night of the release and managed to finish a new song so it has been a good week so far.”

Are there any more releases coming up, like singles or videos? What releases can we expect and can you give us a hint of what it would be?

“At the time of recording ‘Fade Away’ we also recorded two other songs ‘Part Of The Problem’ and ‘Electric Town’. We are just in the process of having the mixes finished so we will be looking to release one of them in April/May with the following one after that. If you like our first release we think you might like these also!”

If you could choose one person to produce your next single and one person to direct your next video, who would they be and why?

“Would have loved to work with someone like Martin Hannett or Andrew Weatherall on a record would be interesting to see what direction he would take us.”

“Producers and engineers that have worked on some of our favourite records might be cool would be Jim Abyss, John Leckie, Flood, James Ford etc.”

“We don’t have a favourite video producer but love some of the the visuals behind guys such as Tycho, Cut Copy, Bedrock Records, Factory Records and shows/movies such as Stranger Things, Twin Peaks, Mandy, Blade Runner and Aliens etc.”

What is your goal as a band, both short term and long term?

“Short term, look to finish off some of our existing ideas and record them very soon. Long term, we would love to be in a position where we can finish an album and release it on vinyl. Digital is great but it would be fantastic to have something physical.”

If a record label approaches you now about putting out your debut album, would you consider it?

“We would certainly embrace it! Whether a record deal happens or not we are still going to create and release music. One of the great things about the music industry just now is you don’t need a record label to get your music out there.

What does the rest of 2023 look like for you? Are you planning any liveshows?

“We have just been confirmed for our first live show Saturday 22nd July in Glasgow so we are very excited to play that! Hopefully we can play more shows throughout the year.”

“We are hoping to record another three or four songs early summer which will give us a solid release schedule throughout the year. We are also in the process of getting a few remixes of ‘Fade Away’ to be released later on in the year.”

What’s your favourite song from the Cool Top 20 and why?

“‘Making History’ by the Utopiates is a very cool track, probably the closest in vibe to what we are doing!”

What song would you like to add as a bonus track and why?

“W.H. Lung – ‘Showstopper’. We went to see them late last year and were just blown away by the overall sound. Their live performance was incredible and the energy in the crowd when they played this song was electric.”