Make Model

Entering 2008, Make Model find themselves in an enviable position. At the tender age of six months, they were snapped up by a major record label. Before putting the finishing touches to their debut album (being mixed by Rich Costey - Franz Ferdinand, Foo Fighters, Jurassic 5 - and pencilled in for release in the summer of this year), they spent the tail end of 2007 warming up for Malcolm Middleton on his major UK city tour. The Skinny caught up with the Glasgow sextet in a Mexican restaurant to see what all the fuss was about.

If it was starry-eyed pillow talk we were hoping for, we had another thing coming. The British media's obligatory annual search for 'the New This' and 'the Next Big That' has been kind to Make Model. Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire are two names that have been bandied about almost habitually. Humbling stuff indeed, but do such comparisons come with a certain level of pressure?

"It's flattering," Lewis Gale admits. "I understand where the comparisons come from, but I don't think we sound like them. Broken Social Scene are a huge influence on us, as are a lot of bands on the Arts and Crafts label. There are a lot of us on stage, and like a lot of the Canadian bands, there's a lot of emotional content we're getting at. But I don't think our songs are like theirs. There's even more of a nod to dance music in our stuff, more of an electronic influence."

A stage hosting Make Model - which perhaps reflects the true nature of those comparisons - is guaranteed to be packed with three things: bodies, passion and atmosphere. The very audible presence of female vocalist Aimi Gold only adds to the aesthetic correlation, but they ain't no tribute band. Make Model have carved out an exciting sound of their own, which may explain the shotgun signature of the band to EMI.

"We think they are probably one of the more bohemian labels, if you could describe one as that," Gale explains between mouthfuls. "Of course they want to see a return on their investment, but they haven't been putting massive pressure on us to get the album out in a rush."

The creative traps of being signed to a major label are well documented, but there is no denying the huge benefit, especially in the infancy stages of a music career. Having spoken to many of their peers over the past year or two, a lack of investment is often cited as the biggest drawback and there is a difference between selling your soul and making a living, as Make Model are well aware.

"Lots of bands starting out find it difficult to fund themselves, so in that sense we're definitely lucky. We've gone from working shitty jobs in places like call centres to being able to throw ourselves fully into this."

Of course, core to the success of any band is a loyal fanbase and Make Model have certainly been drawing their following from all over the country, but what of the transatlantic precedent set by The Twilight Sad (who Make Model hope to be doing some local shows with shortly) last year?

"We're more focussed on gaining a strong following over in Scotland and the UK before we start looking to America, although obviously breaking the States is an ambition."

Backed up with nothing, ambition can be a desperate thing. In Make Model's corner, however, there is substance galore, and there just might be the makings of something big.