We spent a rainy afternoon with Twin Atlantic frontman, Sam Mctrusty for an exclusive Wonderland shoot in collaboration with the band’s signature practical, colourful outwear brand, RAINS.
How did the collaboration with RAINS first begin?
It’s been a fairly natural relationship to be honest. I developed this idea of starting shows wearing long jackets with the hood up, boxer mode, fight ready! When I started buying a jacket or two I found Rains and they became my choice of jacket for on stage. Since then they’ve been really positive about it all and thrown a few ideas and jackets our way.
Do you have any key / staples pieces from the brand that you favour?
It depends on the occasion. I can be a bit of a showoff at times so the bolder the better. I wore the long white rains onstage for our last UK tour. Day to day though it makes sense for me to wear a darker jacket. Living in Glasgow it’s a blessing to have a waterproof jacket that actually carries style and fits with the rest of my wardrobe.
Do you wear a different colour RAINS jacket, depending on your mood / City you’re playing in?
Usually I’ll pick one for a full tour. I like things to be steady and constant at my end and allow the audience to dictate the mood of a show. That’s what keeps it fresh. Festivals tend to bring out a more colourful side.
What are your wardrobe essentials? Any key items that you couldn’t live without?
Life on the road dictates some fashion restrictions but my Dr. Martens have been an everyday choice for the last couple of years. Also, black Levis are a main staple too. To live up to the cliche of rock and roll music and sunglasses I’d add my Ray Bans or Tens to this too.
Are you fairly fashion-savvy? Do you have any favourite designers or places / cities to shop?
I think I might be? I definitely see myself as a fan of clothes and the whole aesthetic matters to me. Whether it’s the cut or tone of an outfit? I do pay attention to some brands like The Kooples but I was directed there by a good friend Harris Elliot. Shopping in London is quite hard to beat! I have been spoiled though with touring in America and Canada. LA, New York and Toronto. Glasgow is always on the pulse with its own spin on fashion and style trends too. It’s always been a city that has a strong identity and wide range of shopping.
What have you boys been up too since ‘Great Divide’ was released? Can we expect any new material this year? We’re loving ‘Oceans’
Thanks! We’ve been round Europe a couple of times and North America. We are going to Australia for the first time in February which is a big deal for us. The same day and stage at a Soundwave Festival as Marilyn Manson so we might channel our inner goths! And yes, we are looking to do one final single from the record to align with our UK headline tour in May.
Do you have any personal favourite tracks that you love to perform?
It can all be a bit of a blur most of the time to be honest but right now the dynamic in a song called ‘Brothers and Sisters’ is really enjoyable to mess around with. Either that or ‘Oceans’. I don’t really sing like that on any other track.
What are the highlights of 2014? Both personal as well as career / band wise?
We toured with the Kings of Leon in the UK. That was a pretty big deal. They’ve always been a band we’ve looked up to and respected and never imagined that our bands would be on the same bill so when they asked us to play in stadiums with them we were elated.
You’ve just announced the Spring tour – what can we expect from the new live dates?
We are looking to try and raise the bar like we always do when we go back to a city again. We almost pride ourselves on really putting on the best show possible for the venue. We are still so grateful that people come and watch us live so we try to give as much back as we can. One of the shows will be our first arena headline show but we will be taking nearly the same production into a couple of the smaller venues so it could be spectacular!
Is there anywhere in the world that you would still love to play a gig?
We still haven’t been to South America, the Far East and, strangely, Spain so they are next on our list. Japan has always been a goal of ours too. So many iconic stories and visuals in relation to touring rock bands happen at shows in Japan. The culture differences is what really attracts me. It’s addictive getting to travel to new places and be out of your comfort zone. It’s one of the big bonuses of being a musician with a record deal. Hopefully 2015 sees us crossing them off the list for the first time.
Catch Twin Atlantic live throughout May:
05 – Albert Hall – Manchester
07 – O2 Academy Brixton – London
08 – O2 Academy – Birmingham
09 – SSE Hydro – Glasgow
See more from RAINS here.
Words: Shane Hawkins
Photography: Edward T Cooke – http://edward-cooke.co.uk/
Assistant: Rose Wootton.