Many fine Edinburgh bands have some connection to Edinburgh College of Art, and Colvin Cruickshank – manager of its union, the Wee Red Bar – has seen them all come and go. This project, an artsy combination of The Fall, The Durutti Column and Happy Mondays, is an opportunity for him to get back into doing it himself. He’s on vocals and synth alongside Hugo de Verteuil (bass, guitar) and Luke Cooke-Yarborough (drums).

When did you start the band?
It was about two years ago now, we all met through the art college. Working in the Wee Red I see bands every other day and some of them are … not as good as the others. It made me think I should be doing it again, I needed the catharsis of getting the ideas out my head. Plus my old band Non-Stop Camels reformed for the Art School Dance video [see below] and that gave me a taste for it. The rest of that band are all off with jobs and families, though, so it had to be a new group.

You used to manage (Mogwai and Beta Band-supporting Edinburgh art-rockers) The Magnificents. Didn’t you want to get back into music then?
A little bit. I’ve always tinkered with electronic music, and in a past band I supported Autechre and Boards of Canada. It isn’t set in stone what this is, though; it can be post-punk one minute or disco funk the next, it’s still evolving. We’re going to record our album next soon, so we’ll have a clearer idea then.

Snide Rhythms are playing The Store, Edinburgh, Sun 3 Apr, as part of Haddow fest, various venues, Edinburgh, Sat 2–Sun 3 Apr.

Art School Dance Trailer