They have released one of the albums of the year and recently rocked TRNSMT – but Glasgow group Medicine Men nearly threw in the towel last year.

The band released their superb debut album, Into The Light, in May, delivering a fizzing blend of Krautrock, pop and baggy.

Just getting the record released was an emotional moment for singer Ian Mackinnon, after he went through various band members leaving and had difficulties finding a label to release the album.

“We started to think that we should call it a day, which would have been a shame with the album the way it was,” he explains.

“We always felt that we were banging our heads against a brick wall trying to get people to listen. When there were members coming and going it felt like you were starting over again and again, so the last six months have been the best period we’ve ever had.

“When Last Night From Glasgow came onboard we decided to keep going and make sure we could get the right people in to do it justice. It’s really vindicated us to keep going.”

Originally Ian and bandmate Michael McGeoch were in the group Selective Service, but as that outfit shifted away from blues to using synths they decided a reboot was required, and Medicine Men was born, complete with a host of groove-ridden songs.

They quickly found themselves playing the T Break stage at T In The Park, but momentum stalled as line-up changes occurred. Then came Last Night From Glasgow, the crowd-funded label that releases a variety of music each year, before Marc MacCallum and Stephen Forbes completed the band’s new line-up.

The first time Ian saw the finished version of the album was in April, when the band played a special show to mark Last Night From Glasgow’s first birthday.

“It was massively emotional seeing the finished album,” he says.

“I got into vinyl when I was about 16, listening to Northern soul records because I was quite a mod then, and we always knew that if we did an album we had to do it properly, with a vinyl release. Seeing the album and the artwork was an amazing feeling, total bucket list stuff.”

Ian, who stays in the West End, is delighted at Last Night’s support. Having played in bands for several years he is aware of the many pitfalls and difficulties in keeping a group going, and believes labels like Last Night can present exciting opportunities for new talent.

“It's a complete breath of fresh air,” he raves.

“The model they have means there is a pot of money at the start of the year, so they are not worried about budgets and their priority is not making money. They’re not worrying about how many units need to be shifted, and Creative Scotland will hopefully recognise that – if I was Creative Scotland I’d be going to them and asking what they need to help them kick things on.”

The label and band seem a natural fit. Ian has been around music long enough to not get carried away, either, or start dreaming of chart success.

“We’ve not packed in the day jobs yet, but that’s not always a bad thing,” he says.

“That way you’re not looking for the band to make money immediately or get resentful if things aren’t going as well as you want. I know bands where they quit their jobs, then there’s no money coming in, and they end up breaking up because there’s nothing to sustain them.

“I’d be very hesitant if someone came along offering to make us millionaires overnight and to quit our jobs, because it can be the worst thing a band can do.”

Even without millions behind them, they are continuing to win over new fans. An appearance at the the TRNSMT festival saw the Jack Rocks tent packed, and several more festival appearances are booked for the rest of the summer, including Electric Fields near Dumfries.

Already the group are demoing tunes for a second album, which would be released on Last Night again.

“Out of the Light is a good example of where we’re going next,” he says, referring to a track on the debut album.

“When I listen to it, and think back to what we wanted this band to be when it started, this is pretty damn close. When you know you’ve made the album that you wanted to make, then you can have no regrets.”

Into The Light is out now through http://lastnightfromglasgow.bigcartel.com

JONATHAN GEDDES