Under the Radar: SLIX

SLIX have enjoyed an impressive 12 months, with sell out shows at King Tut’s and festival slots at both Stag & Dagger and Tenement Trail. Hailing from Gourock, the four-piece have known each other since nursery school and their pacey indie guitar sound belies the fact that their ranks include a professional actor and a classically trained trumpeter who once toured Germany with an orchestra.

Lyrically their storytelling approach is reminiscent of Parliamo and The View, who they supported at Glasgow’s 02 Academy. This particularly connects on their last single Regular, which recounts the consequences of a drunken night out. Finding their video budget limited to £300, they decided to spend it on a night in the pub with their friends, which they filmed from beginning to end.

The band have picked up plays on Radio Scotland, Radio 1 and Amazing Radio, which bodes well for their next single, With You. It is released on 24 February, the day before their sell-out King Tut’s show with Irish band Basht. Already booked for TRSNMT, expect SLIX to build on their impressive rise as they connect with audiences further afield. www.slixuk.com

Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, www.borntobewide.co.uk Find them on Twitter @olafwide and @newfoundsound

Off Axis is an artist-to-artist, non-profit gig swap network, enabling bands and solo acts to build a nationwide fanbase by playing meaningful gigs throughout the UK. They offer a transparent touring model, where musicians keep 100 per cent of profits, showcase at festivals and benefit from expert mentoring. If you have a hometown fanbase, you can join, it’s free, supported by Creative Scotland register https://offaxistours.com