The distinct worlds of indie rock and musical theatre have moved closer together in recent years thanks to the rise of gig theatre productions, with musicians taking a prominent role on stage. But The View frontman Kyle Falconer, last seen in Scotland playing guitar until his fingers bled at the TRNSMT festival, was ahead of the curve, professing a love of stage musicals ever since his older sisters introduced him to the joys of Calamity Jane, Oklahoma and his particular obsession, Jesus Christ Superstar.

“I went to a Catholic school and I remember thinking ‘Judas is the good guy? I thought Judas was bad because he was the betrayer,’” he says. “It was more intriguing to me and I became obsessed with wanting to be a performer. I wanted to be Judas.” So much so, in fact, that he auditioned for the role in earnest back in the late 2000s at a time when his band were riding high in the charts. “I went disguised with a hat on, trying to do it in my own right,” he says, “but I didn’t get the part - even after I revealed who I was!’

Falconer may not have aced rock opera but he has now written his own piece of gig theatre, collaborating with his wife, Laura Wilde, on a dark but redemptive show called No Love Songs, which is based on the couple’s own experience of post-natal depression following the birth of their second child.

Kyle Falconer and Laura Wilde, creators of new music No Love Songs.

At the time, Falconer was on a work writing trip to Los Angeles, feeling homesick and lonely, unaware that Wilde was struggling at home. “I don’t think she even knew herself at the time that she had post-natal depression,” he says. “It was a pretty hard time because I didn’t know what it was and how to deal with it.”

In the end, the couple dealt with it together by writing, with Falconer providing the songs and Wilde the book for what would eventually be No Love Songs. Playwright and musicals maven Johnny McKnight and director Andrew Panton came on board to shape the show which previewed at Dundee Rep in May ahead of a full Fringe run at the Traverse.

Falconer and Wilde’s experience is mirrored in the story of Lana and Jesse, played by Dawn Sievewright and John McLarnon. Falconer’s songs, originally released in 2021 as his solo album No Love Songs For Laura, have been stripped back to their original piano/guitar form for this intimate yet universal piece.

“When we were rehearsing, everyone in the room knew someone who had suffered post-natal depression,” says Falconer. “A song like Mother has got so many meanings to it. When Dawns sings it, it takes on a whole new lease of life and it’s hard for me to watch. When I was writing it, I was just writing it as a song. I didn’t realise at the time I was expressing what I was feeling about what was happening with Laura. I wasn’t even sure what I was writing about but when I hear Dawn singing it, I can’t believe how those words came out. Dawn and John are astonishing together, they have got a chemistry that’s class.”

Falconer and Wilde plan to attend the Fringe run when they can but Falconer has also returned to this day job in The View, who release their first new album in eight years in August. The title Exorcism of Youth is partly a playful reference to their hippie producer Youth and partly a putting away of childish things…to some degree.

“While we were making that album, there definitely wasn’t any growing up going on,” admits Falconer, who is nevertheless keen to scotch the band’s image “as a rock’n’roll ruckus, taking drugs and getting smashed and fighting. Even though we do that sometimes, it’s not what we are. We enjoy the sweeter things in life. If you speak to me for more than an hour, you’ll know that I love pop music and musicals.” And he’s still resolved to get that part in Jesus Christ Superstar. “I can sing it better than any Judas you’ve ever seen,” he says. “You’ll see it one day, it’s just a matter of time.”

No Love Songs, Traverse Theatre, 3-27 August, various times. www.traverse.co.uk

Kyle Falconer: The View frontman addresses post-natal depression in new Fringe musical