WHAT happens when you put together a Glaswegian, two Americans, a Frenchman and two brothers from York?

The answer is Glasgow’s dancefloor filling party band Golden Teacher.

The sextet have been well known in the city’s local music scene for a few years, being championed by Optimo just before the famed club night closed its doors.

And after a period of inactivity the international collective are today releasing their debut album, No Luscious Life, a breathless blend of dance, electronica and a desire to have a good time.

“I was from New York via Boston, and Rich was from New Jersey, so we came over to study in Glasgow and ended up falling in love with the underground scene,” explains Sam Bellacosa, who’s listed as the band’s electronics and noise player.

“Cassie is from Glasgow, Charlie is by way of France and Oliver and Laurie are from York, so it’s an international affair. A lot of us came out of the Art School but we are by no means an art school band…”

They are certainly a party band though, and although they might reject the art school idea there’s an eagerness to experiment in their work, perhaps a result of being a six-strong group, all with their own ideas and influences.

The group first came together when some of the band met at Glasgow’s Green Door Studios, studying music production as part of a training course for job seekers. As part of the course, they were encouraged to try different techniques and methods, and eventually Golden Teacher started to form.

“I’d already been working with Rich on various music,” adds Sam, referring to the band’s keyboards and sequencing player.

“He’s one of the mad geniuses in the band and had been in this programme with Oliver. Olly’s brother then joined, so did Cassie, who was on the course too, and then me and Charlie.

“It was very spontaneous, out of a need to get this band together, and I don’t think we really thought it would have legs. It was something that we were enjoying so much that it became a bit more formal, although we’ve never had a manager!”

A boost arrived quickly in their career, when they were asked to play at Optimo. Sam believes that’s when the group realised they were onto something with their music.

“When Keith (McIvor, aka JD Twitch) from Optimo said they were putting us on a Sunday night we realised things were going well,” he recalls.

“At that point I think they’d announced Optimo was winding down, and obviously it has a huge importance locally. They asked us if we had a band name and we realised we had something with bones. They’re the best kind of people to support you, because it was genuine.”

Sam also believes the band benefitted from being based in Glasgow.

“There is such a plurality and mixture of acts,” he says.

“You see bands like Spinning Coin just now that might be associated with a traditional Glasgow sound, like rock n’ roll or indie, but then there’s electronic music and rap and hip hop too.

“It’s quite dizzying, and that’s always exciting. I think not having a mainstay club like Optimo has actually helped in a way, because there’s space for newer approaches to come in. It’s not rock n’ roll but it doesn’t have to be to come to Glasgow.”

Although the group have released various EPs and vinyl releases since those early days bring championed by Optimo, it has taken them until now to release a full length record (a compilation of their EP’s, imaginatively titled First 3 E.P’s, came out in 2015).

As an album it’s hard to define, moving easily between styles.

“That goes back to the music that we enjoy as a group, or would listen to in the van while touring,” explains Sam.

“I remember a tour where we didn’t have CDs for the van so we leaned heavily on this Studio One disco compilation (Studio One was a famous Hollywood nightclub), and you had these artists seeing commercial potential and chasing it. It was marvellous and we’re just trying to put things together that we like.

“I guess you could call it a punk spirit or an adventurous spirit, and we like that. We’re all excited about seeing the new film about Grace Jones just to soak up more of that attitude – that’s what music should be about.”

No Luscious Life is released today.

Jonathan Geddes