Scotland has contributed some amazing post-punk indie music  in last couple of decades. From The Jesus And Mary Chain to Momus to Close Lobsters to Primal Scream, Scotland’s music has been as eclectic as it has been entertaining. Ballboy is Scotland’s newest export and their fan base is consistently increasing. Signed to SL Records in the U.K. and Manifesto Records in the U.S., Ballboy consists of 3 boys and 1 girl from Edinburgh. Formed in 1999, Ballboy has continued to make witty and astute music that is also quite poignant at the same time. Lead singer and songwriter Gordon Mcintyre is famous for his tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. (His songs also have longer titles than any Morrissey song ever made.) This is evident in songs like “All The Records On The Radio Are Shite” and “I Wonder If You Are Drunk Enough To Sleep With Me Tonight”. Releasing EP after EP, Ballboy’s following continued to grow. Finally, their debut LP “A Guide For Daylight Hours” has been released. This LP has songs with astute wit like “You Can’t Spend Your Whole Life Hanging Around With Arseholes” and “Sex Is Boring” but it also has touching and emotional songs like "Where Do The Nights Of Sleep Go When They Do Not Come To Me" and "A Europewide Search For Love". With weird and wild accompanying artwork by the Scottish-based artist David Shrigley, “A Guide For Daylight Hours” is a fun, entertaining and emotional experierence. The respect for Ballboy has been growing too. They have recorded 2 Peel Sessions and have had 3 entries in 2 John Peel Festive 50 Charts. Brainhole, an Edinburgh based production company, have made films to accompany 2 Ballboy tracks ("I’ve Got Pictures Of You In Your Underwear” & “I Hate Scotland”), which were entered in the Mirrorball Showcase at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. With influences ranging from Jesus And Mary Chain to Galaxie 500 to Johnny Cash to Bruce Springstein, Gordon Mcintyre may be Europe’s newest prolific songwriter. While their music does have a strong Scottish feel due to the melodies and Mcintyre’s accent, there is an accessible sound to their music as well as themes and lyrics that anyone can relate to. I had an in-depth conversation with Gordon Mcintyre of Ballboy. He is an honest and humble man who simply loves music. The band lives in Edinburgh, Scotland and when he is not touring or making music, Gordon is a primary school teacher. Ballboy are the future and their sharp wit and touching lyrics make their music fascinating. You either get it or you do not… but when you get it, it is a wonderful thing.

T.JONES: “What goes on?”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  "....In your mind, I think that I am falling down…"

T.JONES: “Your new album is called ‘A Guide For The Daylight Hours’. Tell us about it. How long did it take to record?”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “The actual recording itself was quite quick. It only took about a week and then we had two further sessions to tweak tracks and redo some vocals and then 2 or 3 mixing sessions.”

T.JONES: “What is the meaning behind the title?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Katie Ballboy gave me a notebook which I used for my lyrics and written in small print on the back, was the phrase. I just liked the idea of a book, or notes, or a record being something to help you through the day. I also like what I call ‘found’ titles.  I use them a lot, things I see in a different context that work well for songs.”

T.JONES: “What song took you the longest to do? The shortest?”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “The song ‘A Europewide Search For Love’ took longest because there are lots of string parts to build up the layers of sound in the song, so our two string players had to do a lot of overdubs. The shortest was ‘I Lost You But I Found Country Music’ just because it's so short.”

T.JONES: “Do you have a favorite song on the album?”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “I've always had a soft-spot for ‘I Lost You But I Found Country Music’, but my favorite one to listen to is ‘Meet Me At The Shooting Range’ because I love the cello in it. My favorite loud one is ‘Nights Of Sleep’.”

T.JONES: “How and why did you hook up with Manifesto Records?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “They contacted us about the possibility of putting out the albums. They seemed to have a definite plan of action and good ideas and that appealed to us. Also, we were attracted to the size of the company and the fact that they were run by people who are enthusiastic about music.”

T.JONES: “Were there any songs that did not make it on the album? What were they? Why didn’t they make it?”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “Only one that I remember. It's called ‘Give Me Love Or Give Me Death’ and it didn't make it because it was still quite new and hadn't really found a finished form yet. As it turns out, it still hasn't, so I think we were right to leave it off.”

T.JONES: “You have a song called ‘I Lost You But I Found Country Music’. Do you truly love country music? If so, which artists?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “I do! Other people's parents were cooler than mine when I was growing up. They were all listening to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen while  I was listening to country music. I love Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson and even Dolly Parton at times. More recently, Will Oldham rules the country school. Laura Cantrell is also amazing. I hate new, poppy country like Garth Brooks!  Shoot the man!”

T.JONES: “What are your favorite country music songs?”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “‘25 Minutes To Go’ by Johnny Cash. ‘Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town’ by Kenny Rogers. ‘The Ohio River Boat Song’ by Palace Music.”

T.JONES: “You grew up in Scotland? Which part? What was it like? What was your childhood like?”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “I grew up in Edinburgh, which is one of the world's most beautiful cities. I think my childhood was pretty happy. I was into football much more than music. I mean proper football, not your kind where hardly anyone kicks the ball (Laughs). Nowadays, it's the other way around.”

T.JONES: “How did Ballboy form?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “I started the band with Nick the bassist and Viv who sang the songs. She quit unexpectedly on the day of a show and I had to take over. It went okay so we wrote a whole new set of songs and went on from there. We found Katie at a drunken party and we found Gary hiding behind a drum kit in Nick's house.”

T.JONES: “How did you get the name Ballboy? What does it mean?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Strangely enough, I've had to answer this question a lot recently and I've hardly ever had to answer it before. We had been through millions of names and then, someone suggested ‘Dollboy’. It was from a painting. We misheard and thought she said ‘Ballboy’ and it just stuck. I am aware that this is probably the most boring band name story you have ever heard and I apologize for that.  I'm thinking of making one up for the future.”

T.JONES: “Who are some of your major influences?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “They are different for different people in the band. For me, personally, I think that the following bands directly influence the way I approach making music:  The Jesus and Mary Chain, Stereolab, The Velvet Underground, Johnny Cash, and Bruce Springstein.”

T.JONES: “What do you think of Close Lobsters?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “I have never heard a Close Lobsters song.  I know nothing about them apart from the name. Sorry!”

T.JONES: “By having a female member in the group, how is the chemistry different than a group of the same sex?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “This is a great question.  Having a girl in the group changes things so much. It just gives a whole new dimension, especially in the rehearsal room, when things are being worked on.  Also, I think girls are brilliant, so it makes life more interesting than an all male band. Bands that just have guys always say ‘Oh, it's like a gang’.  I prefer it to be something different and better than that.”

T.JONES: “What other bands were you in?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “None, ever. Same goes for everyone else in the band. I'm not hiding some dodgy heavy metal past, honest. This band and only this band and that's how I like it.”

T.JONES: “You have a song called ‘Sex Is Boring’. What does excite you? What are your turn-ons? What do you do to make sure sex is not boring?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: ‘Well, I didn't say it was boring for me, just with me.  I think the best thing anyone can do to avoid having boring sex is to avoid doing it with me.”

T.JONES: “How was Scotland affected by the September 11th terrorist attack on the U.S.?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “It's hard to say. I think most people felt a huge wave of sympathy towards victims and families, but maybe there was a lot of anger too and a sense that this was something that had been inevitable given the USA's role in the world. This is not by any means an attempt to justify the act. People in Scotland are fairly well versed in world affairs. I think they separated the human and the political aspects of the attack and formed opinions which were not based on pro or anti US rhetoric.”

T.JONES: “Abortion? Pro-life or Pro-choice?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “I'm pro-choice, I guess. I think that it's a big decision, which should not be taken lightly, but I believe that the vast majority of people treat it that way. I have some sympathy with pro-life sentiments, but not some of the campaigning methods I read about. I am certainly no expert on the matter.”

T.JONES: “Death penalty- for or against?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “I'm against.  I do think that there are some crimes though which warrant a permanent jail sentence.”

T.JONES: “Word association. I am going to say the name of a group or artist and you say the first word that pops in your head. So, if I said
‘Beatles’, you may say ‘Apple’ or ‘revolution’. Okay?”

T.JONES: “Momus.”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “Don't know him or her or them.”

T.JONES: “Jasmine Minks”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “Ditto.”

T.JONES: “Close Lobsters”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “Ditto.”

T.JONES: “Jesus And Mary Chain.”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “‘Sometimes I walk sideways, to avoid you, when I've annoyed you’..... genius!”

T.JONES: “The Auteurs”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “Again, I don't know their music, although I have heard some Black Box Recorder and I liked that.”

T.JONES: “Cinerama”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “I remember mooning at Terry and Kari in Kansas.”

T.JONES: “The Wedding Present”
GORDON MCINTYRE: "‘Oh why do you, catch my eye then turn away....ding ding de ding de ding ding’."

T.JONES: “The Beatles”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Over-rated pish. I think they should have sacked Paul McCartney and not Pete Best.”

T.JONES: “The Rolling Stones”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “You Can't Always Get What You Want.”

T.JONES: “The Strokes”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Over-hyped, but still pretty good. I've heard a lot worse.”

T.JONES: “The Roots”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Don't know him or her or them.”

T.JONES: “Severed Heads”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Don't know him or her or them.”

T.JONES: “Willie Nelson”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “King of the Hill. The episode with the golf-cart.”

T.JONES: “Johnny Cash”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “R.I.P. and Thanks.”

T.JONES: “Gil-Scott Heron”
GORDON MCINTYRE:  “Erm... I feel I should make something up because I'm vaguely aware that he is very cool, but I'm not and don't know much about him so I can't.”

T.JONES: “George Bush”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “What a fud.”

T.JONES: “What is the biggest misconception of Ballboy?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “That we are shy, that we were good at math at school, that you could take us in a fight.”

T.JONES: “Beatles or The Stones?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “The Stones. No contest. First round knockout.”

T.JONES: “Are you married? Involved?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “I have a lovely Swedish girlfriend who, to my continued amusement and bemusement, seems happy to be with me.”

T.JONES: “Has touring affected your relationship?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Well, yes, because I met her when we were touring Sweden so it has been a real bonus. I guess this is the reverse of most people's stories.”

T.JONES: “Do you have a songwriting process? Do you write the music first or the lyrics?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “It can happen either way. I think the most important part of my songwriting process is to avoid trying to write. It never works. I just note lyrics down when they come and record interesting melodies when they come too. Sometimes, the lyric leads you straight to the melody and sometimes vice-versa. I have some lyrics that I really like and that I've had for ages but they haven't found the right tune. It works the other way too. The best thing is just to wait until the mood takes you. You can feel it and you have to act on it when it comes. All of the lyrics mean something to me though.  I never just fit words in to get a song finished. I'd rather wait for the right words.”

T.JONES: “Will any of you ever do a solo album?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Well, the latest Ballboy album over here, ‘The Sash My Father Wore And Other Stories’, is an acoustic album. It's mainly just me, my guitar, and some strings, but I don't count it as a solo album because the songs are not a radical departure from the Ballboy sound.”

T.JONES: “As musicians, how have you matured?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “We are better at getting the results we want in the studio. Our confidence has grown and our live work is much tighter. The tour around the USA last year helped this immensely.”

T.JONES: “When you began to pursue music as a career, were your parents supportive?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Yes they were. Especially when they could see physical results like records, reviews, and tours.”

T.JONES: “What is your favorite part of your live show?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “I love it all. Playing live is the best thing about being in a band. I love the moments in songs where everyone is in it together, band and crowd. I also love the occasions where I'm playing a song on my own and the crowd are so still that you can tell.”

T.JONES: “How has your live show changed?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Well when we get the chance, it is longer now. I think we have something like 40 plus recorded songs, so we have to play a bit longer to play all the ones that we or others want to hear. I hate it when we have a time restriction.”

T.JONES: “Do you do any cover songs? If so, what do you do?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “On the new album ‘The Sash...’, there are three cover versions. ‘Tell Me’ by Galaxie 500, ‘Dutch Trance’ by Khaya. They are now defunct label mates of ours. We also do ‘Born In The USA’ by Mr. Springstein.  Other songs we have covered live include, ‘Indian Summer’ by The Beat Happening, ‘Time Enough for Rocking’ by The Magnetic Fields, and ‘I wish I Never Saw The Sunshine’ by Beth Orton.”

T.JONES: “What song would you like to cover that you haven’t done yet?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “We almost covered ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ once, but we weren't drunk enough or brave enough. I'm not sure what we'll do next. Maybe, we will do ‘Sk8r Boy’.”

T.JONES: “What does music need these days?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Less formula and more adventure.”

T.JONES: “What are you most proud of?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Band wise? Having written songs that I like. I also like when people tell me that the songs meant something to them or helped them when they were down or tired or bored, etc.”

T.JONES: “What is in the future for Ballboy?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “In the U.K., an acoustic album out next week, shows in England and Scotland, John Peel's Christmas Party at Peel Acres and a new album ‘The Royal Theatre’ to be recorded early next year. Abroad? Berlin in December. Albums released in Japan this month. Touring in Europe, U.S.A., and Japan next year if we can fit it all in.”

T.JONES: “Do you want to be buried or cremated?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Not bothered at all, when you are gone, you are gone.”

T.JONES: “What do you want on your epitaph (your gravestone)?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “I don't know. Maybe, a nice poem for passerbys to read? Maybe a cartoon.”

T.JONES: “Any final words for the people who will be reading this?”
GORDON MCINTYRE: “Thanks for reading and or listening and we hope to be in the U.S.A. to play for you all next year.”
 
 

Ballboy’s US Record Label:
Manifesto Records: www.manifesto.com

Ballboys UK Record Label:
SL Records: www.slrecords.net