Heebie Jeebies on humour trail

Feb 21 2008 By Caireen Kelly

STRATHAVEN band, The Heebie Jeebies are hoping their humour will take them far in the music industry.

The four-piece band include vocalist Adam Struth (33), his brother Jamie, aged 30, electric guitar, Garrey Rice (29), keyboard and bass, and 23-year-old drummer Iain Thistlewait.

Adam and Jamie went to Holy Cross High in Hamilton, while Iain and Garrey went to Strathaven Academy.

Adam said: “We met each other at a Hallowe’en party. We were all dressed as pirates and we looked at each other and thought, let’s form a band.

“The band’s name came from an episode of Rab C Nesbit- the one with The Heebie Jeebie monster in it. We thought it was funny at the time.”

Three years later and the band are still going strong.

And although they are unsigned, they still enjoy making music and having a laugh.

Adam, Jamie and Garrey now share a flat together in Glasgow and Iain lives in the same street almost directly opposite which they say has been great for writing and “annoying the neighbours”.

Adam added: “Being in a band with my brother is great.

“When we first started out though, Garrey and Iain thought some of the conversations between myself and Jamie were arguments. They weren't, we get on great, we are just not very polite to each other sometimes.”

The band’s sound occasionally has an electronic feel when Garrey plays a classic 70’s synthesiser called a "Moog Prodidy".

In the past people have compared them to Joy Division, Depeche Mode and Gary Numan.

Adam said: “Being compared to Joy Division felt pretty good as they are one of our favourite bands. We do have our dark moments but we can't out-dark Joy Division.”

The band cite influences from jazz bands to Scottish acts like Arab Strap and The Vaseline’s.

Unlike other bands in the music industry, the Heebie Jeebies steer clear of slushy love songs and big ballads and concentrate instead on writing songs about "Laser guns", "Cool Trainers", "Art School Students" and embarrassing "Little Diseases".

They have recorded new tracks in Strathaven’s Old Mill Studios and cannot wait to release them as records.

However, they are hoping the new material will be as well received as their older tracks which won them the artist of the month in DF Concerts Your Sound competition.

They play Glasgow’s Nice n Sleazy's on April 11.

For further information check out the band’s website http://www.theheebiejeebies.co.uk

Their myspace address is http://www.myspace.com/theheebiejeebies.