Further proving that Ayr isn't quite the cultural deadzone you might think it is, Out Of Samsara are yet another band to come creeping out of the woodwork with a sound that has grown far beyond futile plucking of your average local band. Mixing the ferocity and atmospheric heaviness of bands like Tool and Isis with a meticulous melodic focus, Out Of Samsara make for an intriguing listen indeed.

So far the band have been cutting their teeth on a number shows around Scotland, ironing out any possible creases and picking up a fair few fans in the process. However, all focus has now been turned to the release of the band's second EP, Carbon Copy City, which is due to drop in the coming months. As a precursor to this, Guitarist Dan Stevenson has kindly offered to answer a few questions in a bid to get you better acquainted with the band:

So, Dan, how did you all meet?
The way we met was through the Commercial Music Course at The University of the West of Scotland. Myself, Barry and Jamie had jammed a few times with other drummers but nothing concrete was happening. We were struggling to find a committed drummer for the band. We knew Jonny through different groups of friends around Ayr and Jamie phoned him one day and just levelled with him; we needed a drummer and if he wanted to give it ago that would be great. Jonny was honest with us; he had just joined The Darien Venture two weeks previous so he was busy, however he got stuck into the first practise and said he was in - this pleased us all immensely.

Have you been in bands before?
We have all been in bands before and Jonny and Barry are still currently in other bands. The backgrounds for our bands previous to this however have been very different. Jonny was in a metal band, I was in a mellow rock band, Jamie was in a Classic Rock band and Barry has always been in the math-defying Reginald.

What attracted you to playing this kind of music - do you share similar tastes or inspirations?
I think the thing that attracted us to playing this kind of music is that it can be bone crushingly heavy at some points but also have the strung out ambient sections that appeal to the post rock in us all. It lets us express the areas of music that we all love. In terms of tastes and inspirations we have a lot of similarities, however we are all from different musical backgrounds so sometimes we don't agree on the same things. We all have a collective love for Tool, Incubus, Isis, Sigur Ros etc.

If you were pushed, how would you describe your sound?
Describing our sound isn't the easiest thing to do. We like to accommodate for people who enjoy progressive or experimental music but don't like it to be over the top. It is suited to people who like dynamics, instrumental sections and long songs. We've been told we have a likeness to bands like Tool, and Thrice.

How would you rate Glasgow in terms of it's musical community?
I think Glasgow's musical community is great just now. It's thriving with brilliant bands who are constantly progressing in their field. It's really encouraging to see our friends like Trapped in Kansas, The Darien Venture, The Whisky Works etc doing so well just now.

How have you found playing there so far?
Playing around Glasgow can be amazing sometimes, at the same time it can also be a bit awful. It's a bit hit or miss really. It's usually down to the other bands playing. We find that the best gigs we do in Glasgow are with bands we really enjoy. Our shows have been getting busier which is a good sign. Hopefully we're making some kind of dent.

Are there any particular places you love to play or hate to play?
We find that when we head up to Aberdeen we always play really well. I think it's might be to do with us not really knowing anyone so we have nothing to lose and give the best impression we can.

What would say has been your favourite and least favourite show so far?
I think our best show to date could of been the last one in Aberdeen a few weeks ago. The crowd wasn't huge and the sound wasn't amazing but we were all just in the right mood to rip it up. The best support we've probably played might have been with Maybeshewill; it was incredible just playing with that band, they have a big influence on us all.

If you could play one song to give people the best idea of what you're all about, what would it be?
Probably 'Carbon Copy City' from the new E.P. It has the heavy yet melodic parts and the instrumental and ambient sections we pride ourselves on.

What are your plans for the rest of the year, do you have any releases in the works?
Our plans for the rest of the year are just to get the E.P pressed and released. No doubt have some kind of launch night to sell physical copies. We'll keep you updated about that.

Where would you like to see the band in the next few years?
In the next few years we would ideally be playing much bigger shows, maybe a few headline ones and get some extensive touring done. It's difficult to say with all of us doing different things all the time; other bands, uni etc. We would love to still be playing and making great music in the years to come.

www.myspace.com/outofsamsara