The Strange World of... Arab Strap
MM: Aidan was going out in Glasgow more, and I'd be in the studio waiting for him to turn up. I wouldn't know who'd be coming in that day because whoever he met in the pub the night before would have been roped in to coming and playing violin, cello, piano.
AM: There's a sense of humour in most of our stuff. There's no point writing miserable songs. Nobody wants to wallow in misery, you have to temper it a bit with the occasional joke. I mean, it's a song about an AIDS test – it's not a happy subject! I'd like to think it's got a couple of amusing moments in it. Dark humour is in Scotland's blood, you know, it's something that we're all into here – and also making fun of yourself. I'm always the dick in the songs, I am always the worst person in the situation, the worst person in the room. I think that's important too.
With their excellent comeback album As Days Get Dark arriving this week, I give you a guided tour through the high points of Arab Strap’s siungular career – aided by Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton themselves, of course. Head to The Quietus to dig in to this very amusing interview.
