WHEN indie rockers Spector discuss their second album Moth Boys, they mention finding their own identity on it.

And part of that discovery came in a freezing cold Glasgow flat. After a successful debut record in 2013 the London group lost a band member and were trying to figure out their future when singer Fred MacPherson headed to Scotland for a few days.

“We’ve had loads of good nights out up on Sauchiehall Street, and I actually wrote part of the album in our old manager’s flat just off there,” recalls Fred, ahead of a show at Stereo on Monday, May 30.

“I was there for three days, but his boiler went down so I was freezing to death trying to write songs there. It was a fun, but solitary experience – I’ve always had a good bond with Glasgow since then!

“I think the verses to Stay High came there, and a lot of Strong Look, which ended up as a b-side. Oh, and a song called Difficult Phone Call too. It was a funny time – I was listening to Don’t Give Up by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush loads, and getting really cold and disenchanted. I do like it as a city though.”

Things are brighter and more optimistic for the band now. Although debut album Enjoy It While It Lasts did well, Fred reckons it was an album where the band threw too many things into it. After it was released guitarist Christopher Burman departed the group, while a cynical sense of humour saw the group accused of being too glib.

Yet out of that unpromising situation they recorded Moth Boys, an album both melancholy and humorous, with some massive pop songs in it, from All The Sad Men’s swelling synths to the 1980s dancefloor flavour of Decade Of Decay.   

“With the second album we developed a bit more of a lyrical identity and that made us more confident to continue,” explains Fred.

“At points we didn’t know if there actually would be a second album, so once we got songs like All The Sad Men out they felt like they were worth playing to people and that there was a message that was worth spreading.”

One of those messages is a downbeat one about the role of social media in modern life. A recurring lyrical theme of Fred’s is that while people have far more ways of keeping in contact with friends, it’s easy to feel alienated.
“I really hope the next generation uses social media less than this one,” says Fred.

“It’s become over-saturated and too much a part of people’s lives. It alienates people and I know a lot of my friendships are less close with people, despite communicating with them more than ever.

“One of the negatives is that everything becomes commodified, and everyone becomes their own corporate brand, where you’re tallying up everything – how many friends you have, how many things you like etc.

“I think we’ll continue to write about that for the next album, but hopefully with a more positive spin and show how real relationships are more important than however many people are following you.”

Although Moth Boys was only released last year, the band are already working on new songs, and they might debut a few at Stereo later this month. The show’s part of their Tenner Tour, with all shows priced at, yes, £10.

“With everything getting more expensive across the UK, we wanted to do something that was as accessible as it could be,” says Fred.

“We’re not really making much profit on the tour because of that, but we’re not really promoting the album – we wanted to do something with 
no ulterior motive other than touring.”

Despite the wistfulness and irony that can appear in Spector’s songs, pop music is something the foursome retain a warm-hearted passion for. Fred truly believes it can have a huge impact on a person’s life.

“We are cynical people, but we love pop music and I do believe it’s got transformative qualities,” he says.

“It’s about delivering the music that made us feel like we did when we were teenagers, and writing songs from a cynical perspective doesn’t make the songs themselves cynical. 

“They’re the only point where we’re telling the truth – when you stand up and play a song you can forget the annoying, horrible things around you and create three minutes where everyone gets along…”

lSpector, Stereo, May 30, 
£10, 8pm.

JONATHAN GEDDES