Pretty Good Year: Stina Tweeddale on Honeyblood's SAY nomination

Musicians are seldom known for their modesty or for praising bands other than their own. But Stina Tweeddale is as happy to talk about the other groups shortlisted for the 2015 SAY Award as she is Honeyblood. An obvious fan of many of the LPs nominated, she has a firm favourite to pick up the title – despite her original pick not progressing from the longlist. “I would probably have to go with The Amazing Snakeheads – even though they technically don't exist anymore,” explains the singer and guitarist.

“I think their album is worthy of the award. It was my boyfriend that introduced me to them – long before most people had sniffed them out, he told me they were the best band in Glasgow. I was playing The Great Escape festival two years ago, and they were on as the secret act. It was incredible to watch. So many people in the industry were asking: 'what the fuck is this?' The album is a bit different – I like the aggression and the glitzy, dirty glamour. It's a sad thing they have broken up, but if they did win it would give it some closure.”

“All the albums are worthy of inclusion,” she continues. “It'll be exciting whatever happens. My favourite was The Twilight Sad, and they didn't make it! That was a big shock to me. It's strange for us to be on that list and not them – but obviously I'm going to take it and be thankful that we are." Tweeddale might not admit it, but her group’s eponymous debut is also a strong candidate to be named the best Scottish album of the past 12 months. Recorded at Peter Katis' residential studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in an intensive 10-day period in autumn 2013, Honeyblood was rightly lauded by critics and led to several headline tours on both sides of the pond.

"The more I've lived with the album, the more I’ve got over the initial shock of releasing it. It's probably one of the scariest things I ever did" – Stina Tweeddale

“At the time we felt like we didn't know what we were doing at all,” she recalls of a period that must already feel like half a lifetime ago. “It's like anything in life – the first time you do it, you're unsure if it's the right path to take. But the more I've lived with the album, the more I’ve got over the initial shock of releasing it. It's probably one of the scariest things I ever did. I had been living with those songs – my personal soundtrack – for years. I had written them for just me and my friends to listen to, and then let the whole world hear them! It was a positive response, so it was the best way it could have gone, really.”

Tweeddale’s sweet-sounding vocals betray some often stinging lyrics in songs like Super Rat, while the moody alt-rock of Choker earned favourable comparisons to the likes of PJ Harvey. While friendly and good-humoured in person, her determination for Honeyblood to succeed was obvious when The Skinny last caught up with her just before the turn of 2014. She accepted the need to make regular trips to London in order to court industry attention, but is happy to be nominated for an award that celebrates the best music her homeland has to offer.

“Since Honeyblood started we've spent a lot of time in London, as that's where people say you have to go and do shows to be successful. At the time I said 'OK, I'll do this because I want the band to succeed,' but also I don't think it's right. I know a lot of Scottish bands who are doing quite well – anything we can do to bring the spotlight back to our home is worth it, I think.”

From the start, Honeyblood operated strictly as a two-piece. With Tweeddale on guitars and vocals, the drums on their debut album were handled by Shona McVicar, an old pal from university in Glasgow. She would leave in September 2014, and was replaced by Cat Myers. Honeyblood Mk II wasted no time in growing their reputation as a thrilling live act with even more touring, but are currently back in Scotland to write material for their second album, with studio time pencilled in for later in the year. “Cat is a different kind of drummer,” adds Tweeddale. “The songs have become a bit heavier, and I guess I'm growing as a songwriter. I've been playing those other songs for such a long time now and I’ve earned a lot from the process. I'm happy with what we have so far. I think they're probably the best songs we've ever had.”

The SAY Awards are far from the only date circled in Honeyblood’s diary this month. They also have the small matter of a gig at Murrayfield Stadium on 23 June to look forward to when they support Dave Grohl’s rock titans Foo Fighters. “Both me and Cat are massive fans,” enthuses Tweeddale, who is understandably a wee bit excited at the prospect of playing to a 60,000-strong crowd for the first time. “The Foos were the first ever rock show I ever went to, and they are Cat's favourite ever band, so it's a big deal for us. Cat also lives maybe like five minutes away in Edinburgh, it’s big hometown show for her.

“I think it's just a luck thing that we were asked to play. There are so many small connections that worked their way together. I'm sure we'll bump into Dave at catering or something and be like 'Hey Dave! How's it going?’ We're going to try and keep our set up-tempo and get people going. It's pretty epic – we're excited about it!”