1990s frontman JACKIE MCKEOWN talks ROSALIND MCCLINTOCK through his fantasy.

As I wait to speak to Jackie McKeown, frontman of three piece Glaswegian pop-glam-rock band 1990s, I wonder what I’m in for. In other interviews McKeown is presented as a self-assured, slightly arrogant lad. I am therefore pleasantly surprised when my first question is met with the genuine response that the 1990s are ‘not a band that walks around thinking that everyone’s going to love us’.

The fact is 1990s have been hailed as the ‘next big British band’, their songs are fun, energetic and catchy.

As many were written by Michael McGaughrin and McKeown at parties and I can’t help wondering if key track Enjoying Myself is some sort of seedy pick up attempt? “Noooo,” McKeown assures me. “We were just having such good fun, and we just kept saying ‘I’m enjoying myself’.”

Fortunately, for us, there was another party across town and McKeown’s flat was on the way. He and McGaughrin swung past and recorded a version of the song. When they dug it out a few months later they thought ‘you know what? This is actually quite good!’.” McKeown has a revelation: “I might try and put it on the B-side of the next single or something. You can hear us, we were really drunk.”

 Unlike his previous band Yummy Fur, which was rule heavy, 1990s is about fun, it’s a fantasy band – anything goes. McKeown feels this is reflected in the album. Ultimately they wanted an album that you could play wherever you are, “a record that just sounds good, that you enjoy hearing.”

With Yummy Fur McKeown, tried to create something different to the “bland bands” of the day. I ask him if he thinks 1990s is original.  His response is candid, he doesn’t think “there is anything original about the band on any level,” but he does think they are “quite unique”.

They’re unique in their philosophy and solidarity. The dream is to play music and hang with friends. “When you start bouncing off each other you end up going down routes that you would never have envisaged,” McKeown enthuses. “If you make sure that those people are your friends, you’ve got it all in one go.” It is no coincidence that his band mates are two of his best friends. Although, he acknowledges that they’ve all got annoying traits, he stresses that they are “friends, first and foremost”. The warm dynamic within the group has been noted by other artists, such as Lovefoxxx from Brazilian band, CSS.

Bernard Butler, of Suede, produced their debut LP Cookies. They chose Butler for his pop knowledge. “I knew that he’d be able to record guitars really well and make them very rock, but I knew that he would have a pop edge,” McKeown said. The first nine songs are quite poppy. The last three songs are on the rockier side. Weed is McKeown’s favourite track, apart from See You At The Lights, which he thinks is “the nicest little pop song we’ve ever written.” 

1990s debut album Cookies is out now through Shock/Rough Trade

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