Aberdeen’s finest the Xcerts are back with a new record – and they’re aiming bigger than ever before.

The trio have released a couple of tasters for their next album in the shape of Feels Like Falling In Love and Daydream.

The songs sound huge, ramping up their energetic pop-rock.

“We’ve shot for the stars with this record,” claims their frontman Murray McLeod, who’ll bring the new songs to Saint Lukes on October 3.

“I actually envisioned playing Feels Like Falling In Love on the main stage of Reading and Leeds when I was writing it, and lo and behold it happened. These new songs are suited for big venues and this is actually our most polished record.

“I think the influence of playing bigger venues as our career has gone on has dictated the sound, because you find out what songs are working and what ones aren’t in those places.”

The band – Murray, bassist Jordan Smith and drummer Tom Heron – have never hidden their poppy side, whether on excitable debut In The Cold Wind We Smile, the harder sound of second album Scatterbrain or their emotive last record There Is Only You, which detailed Murray’s thoughts as a relationship fell apart.

However talk of polish and massive venues will always spark comments that they’re selling out, and trying to write hits rather than from the heart.

“That was our one big worry, that people would say that Feels Like Falling In Love was too pop, that we’d sold out and were trying too hard to achieve mainstream success,” says Murray.

“Fortunately for us, the reaction was brilliant, the best we’ve ever had for a single release. But we’re absolutely prepared for people to say that, because it is poppier – the album is a pop record. Of course there’s going to be people saying we’ve done this as a money making scheme, which is funny to us because we’ve done this (music) for half of our lives now.

“We wrote a record we are so proud of and if someone truly believes we’ve sold out then let them believe it. I don’t believe in that as a term, really, unless you’re a band like Fugazi and you suddenly sell your music for a McDonalds advert. That would be selling out, but other than that I don’t think it really exists.”

The still untitled album, due out later this year, will also be different from There Is Only You in another significant way. While the last album had a bleak outlook, this time around the group sound raring to go and full of enthusiasm. That wasn’t always the case, though.

“For two years I really went through some heavy stuff, and when I started writing for this album the songs were miserable, and I’d go into the studio feeling miserable, and then leave it feeling equally miserable,” explains Murray.

“After a while I was thought ‘this isn’t right, I need to use the band in a positive way’. I wanted to go into the studio feeling bad but come out feeling great, and that’s what we did. I know these are trying times for a lot of people, because the world seems pretty suicidal, so I wanted to escape all my problems in the music.”

Something that helped get the band on the right track was recording at Rockfield Studios in Wales. The studio has famously hosted the likes of Queen and Oasis over the years, so for Murray it was like stepping into rock heaven.

“They’ve still got the pianos used on both Bohemian Rhapsody and Don’t Look Back In Anger there,” he says.

“I romanticise rock n’ roll like a freak when I think about it, so for me it felt like there was a real life magic about the place. It’s not flash or anything like that, it’s a beat up place but I think that makes for a special feeling.”

Now the band will start playing the new songs live, including at Saint Luke’s at the start of October, as the band, who’ve been together since their school days, return to Glasgow.

“We’ve always been fortunate that Glasgow treats us as if we’re their own,” adds Murray.

“Even going back to the first album, I remember playing King Tut’s for the first time and there was about 30 people there. The next time we sold it out, so the support Glasgow has given us over the years is nothing short of incredible.”

The Xcerts, Saint Lukes, Tuesday, October 3, £10, 7pm

JONATHAN GEDDES