Islet with a side order of scrambled eggs and toast

One of my favourite gigs last year was Islet at Sneaky Petes in Edinburgh, relatively unknown they were one of those bands that you accidentally go to see and just fall in love with. I'm beyond rubbish at describing music so not going to even attempt to do so (which is why there's a couple of video links below!)

Anyhow these kind of new discovery gigs always lead to mad personal claims on bands, hoping that you never go into WHSmith to pick up your weekly trash gossip magazine only to see your new and exclusive band relationship staring back at you from NME or Q.


Three Members of the Islet crew being very sporting with their new found fan!

Islet from what I could gather from the few and far between snippets about them found on the Internet seemed to be the perfect band for this 'I found them first' line of thought. They are pretty much set against creating a Myspace or Facebook as a means of promoting the band making them ever so slightly inaccessible to a larger audience. Their lack of commitment to mega touring also helps to keep them just under the radar. They do however have one rather lovely website where you can print off a postcard in order to request delivery of the Isness. A smashing wee fanzine full of collages, scribblings and illustrations by the band. This kind of promotion is very much reflective of their unique and creative music. Which you can take a gander at in these vids.

However I have a sneaking suspicion that the days of Islet acting like some rare and elusive creature are numbered. When I sat down in front of the box to my breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast this morning what should appear on the screen but a tourism ad for Wales, with the Cardiff based bands music used as a backing track. Hell everyone is going to know about them now! Who doesn't pay the utmost attention to tourist ads about Wales!? And with a new LP out January 23rd there is no doubt going to be more attention centred around the band.

 For Islet fans this can really be a good thing and will no doubt encourage a few more gigs which would obviously be fantastic! So here's hoping the group manage to navigate the success which 2012 looks likely to hold while still playing it by the rules that made the band so endearing in the first place. 

Follow the band at.

http://isletislet.com/

For a great interview with the band.

http://www.thestoolpigeon.co.uk/features/interview-islet.html