The only independent band at TRNSMT, The Rooks discuss their music and tease surprise announcement

Our interviewer Kelsey was out at TRNSMT last month interviewing some of the lineup. Here’s her interview with The Rooks, where they expressed their gratitude for support from BBC Introducing, and teased a surprise announcement on stage.

KELSEY MCANDREW

Today I’m here with The Rooks at TRNSMT Festival! How are you all today?!

THE ROOKS

Amazing! The sun is out. The beers are flowing for some of us.

KELSEY MCANDREW

You’re the only independent band on the lineup. That’s a really big thing… how does that feel?

THE ROOKS

Indeed, we are. It’s a big deal to be here without any kind of official backing, but we’ve done it for a good couple of years now, playing at all the bowling clubs, all the pubs, and doing all the promo ourselves and obviously, funding it all ourselves too, so it’s nice to have that validated. We know how good we are ourselves, but actually to have that appreciated on a national scale – Scotland’s biggest festival, in the sun – it’s great.

KELSEY MCANDREW

You’re performing on the BBC Introducing stage today, and you were BBC Introducing Scotland’s featured artist in late June. What was your reaction to finding out the news?

THE ROOKS

Good. It’s nice knowing that, like obviously we all grew up in Scotland and stick the radio and you hear whoever’s on, so it’s nice that that’s us! it’s good to to kind of get in with the guys Stephanie and Phoebe at BBC Scotland. They’re good at promoting new music and to be part of that is a good feeling.

KELSEY MCANDREW

So many achievements! You also just announced that you’re playing Tenement Trail in October. How excited are you for that?

THE ROOKS

Tenement Trail is always great. We played it the year before last. So that was good for us, it was a smaller stage. So hopefully a bigger crowd this year and we’ll get people in to see us. Glasgow’s always been good – this is our sort of home city for shows. We played everywhere and to get here… especially today, is magic, but Tenement Trail is always good fun. We’ll be in the Barras for that!

KELSEY MCANDREW

Brilliant! So what song are you most excited to play today?

THE ROOKS

I think our first single, Lay Me Down. I think I speak for the speak for the boys when I say that, aye, buzzing for it!

KELSEY MCANDREW

And what about any new music on the way? Any hints?

THE ROOKS

We’ve been working. We were actually in (the studio) mixing on Tuesday. So there’s stuff to come and there’s an announcement on stage today of a headline. So will all be in due course.

KELSEY MCANDREW

Perfect! Well, it was great chatting to you and I’ll definitely be catching your set later on!

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