Uchechi Adeboye

My name is Uchechi, and I am a 21 year old law student from the north of Scotland. Outside of my studies, I am an avid concert goer and music enthusiast. Photography has also been my passion for as long as I can remember, so getting to combine my two passions through concert photography has been great. When I’m not with my camera or typing with my keyboard, I am enjoying nature with my friends.

I recently sat down with the members of Logan’s Close after their performance at St James Quarter in Edinburgh. Originally from Dunbar, Scotland, the band shared how their upbringing influenced their music, discussed the Scottish music scene, and reflected on their recent European tour.

When asked about how they were feeling to be performing at SJQ the band were excited but initially disappointed by the move indoors due to weather but quickly found the silver lining. “Yeah, it should be cool. I mean, initially, we were meant to be on the roof,” they said. But in true Scottish fashion, they concede that the chilly weather made the indoor venue more comfortable, joking that “Scott’s armpits would have been more ventilated upstairs, but there’s always a give and take with these things.”

The origin of their band’s name is rooted in their hometown of Dunbar. “Me and Scott are from Dunbar in East Lothian, and we both lived on the same street, right across from each other,” one of them explained. “When we were heading up to the high street, there was this shortcut through a close called Logan’s Close. Naming a band is always a bit of a problem, so we just adopted the name.” They went on to share that Logan was once a local figure, possibly a smuggler, although the details are a bit murky. “It’s not really impressing anyone, but that’s where it came from,” they joked, adding that someone even traveled to see Logan’s Close recently.

When asked about how growing up in Dunbar and Scotland influenced their music, they described Dunbar as a small town with not much to do. “There’s kind of like, the NED or the alternative divide—you’re on one side or the other. If you weren’t a NED, you’d go for music and skating, those sorts of things.” They admitted that while some of them still skate, it’s usually just for fun when they’re drunk. “I’m still able to land, if it’s on a carpet,” they laughed, but confessed that concrete might be a different story.

We also talked about the Scottish music scene and how it’s often overlooked. “If you’re not in the Scottish scene, you might just think of Scotland as Trad music, The Proclaimers, and the Bay City Rollers,” they said. “But there’s so much more going on. “Some bands really play into their Scottish identity, but there’s a lot of diversity.”

As the conversation shifted to dream venues, they mentioned that performing at The Sphere in Las Vegas would be amazing. Reflecting on their recent European tour, they highlighted Prague and Paris as two of the best stops. “Prague was great because we had no expectations, but it ended up being an awesome show with a local band. “Paris was iconic because we got to support Kula Shaker at an old theater in the city center.”

When I asked about creating music during the pandemic, they shared that the lockdown actually sparked more creativity. “I wrote way more during the first lockdown. It was a time to sit back and assess where we wanted to take the band,” they explained. “After lockdown, we started releasing stuff that was very different from our previous music, but that’s the direction we wanted to go.”

Finally, I asked them about their 60s music influences and who they’d want to open for if they could go back in time. They mentioned Frank Sinatra and Jimi Hendrixwith a cameo from Tom Jones as a fun addition.