Former Champ are fresh contenders, a veritable Venn diagram of Glasgow indie movers and shakers comprising past and present members of Savage Mansion, Catholic Action, Secret Motorbikes and one actual Martha Ffion (though for this outing you can call her by her birth name, Claire McKay). She and husband Craig Angus are the songwriters of the operation, while drummer Ryan Clark, guitarist Andrew Macpherson and bassist Paul McGinness go back to teenage schooldays. ‘So it’s been tested before,’ says Clark. ‘We’ve been friends for so long and spoke about doing this project, and over the last year it’s actually happened.’

Lockdown was the catalyst, as McKay and Angus found a home for a batch of material which didn’t quite fit with Martha Ffion and Savage Mansion. To date, they have released three tracks (‘Grenade’, ‘Beginner’s Luck’ and ‘Motherwell’) with more primed and on the way. Unsurprisingly, given their pedigree, they have already been welcomed at a number of Scottish festivals, including Hidden Door, Tenement Trail and Connect, with an appearance at The Great Western to come.

Clark, McKay and Angus are prepared to tolerate the suggestion that Former Champ is a Glasgow indie supergroup. ‘It feels we’re all bringing a bit of maturity and experience so that’s our supergroup superpower,’ says McKay. ‘Everybody’s there for the right reasons; we’re not 21, thinking that we’re going to be on Top Of The Pops.’

They might bring collective experience but Former Champ is still new territory for its members. ‘I’ve never been in a band before; it’s always been my solo project with friends or session musicians helping out,’ says McKay. ‘But this is an outright democracy. There’s a real sense of equal partnership in everything, and that includes the unsexy jobs like doing admin and booking transport.’

Angus, meanwhile, is relinquishing vocal duties for the first time and embracing a poppier cut and thrust than previously, with particular inspiration taken from a certain classic Minneapolis punk-pop outfit. ‘We’re always trying to think about how to make these things as sharp and brief and to the point as possible,’ he says.

‘The rule is everything has to have meaning, so none of the song lyrics are throwaway,’ adds McKay, ‘but we’re trying to use plain English and not get too flowery with the language.’

‘The Replacements are the gold standard in that regard,’ reckons Angus. ‘The great Replacements songs are heartbreaking and powerful and evocative and specific, but also packed a proper anthemic punch. I think if you can do both you are on to something.’

Former Champ are already taking it international with a slot at Rotterdam’s Left Of The Dial festival, appropriately named after a Replacements song. But what of Former Champ’s own favourite supergroups? Clark plumps for ‘that one with Johnny Depp in it’ [Hollywood Vampires] while McKay ventures ‘my cool answer is The Travelling Wilburys . . . ’ ‘That’s my answer as well,’ chimes Angus as his wife continues ‘ . . . but my real answer is McBusted.’

Former Champ play The Great Western, Glasgow, Saturday 4 November.