The five albums that made The Vaselines: “Where Scottish indie rock begins”
Masters of underdog indie, and archetypes of the alternative age, The Vaselines might have started out life as a DIY duo in Glasgow, but their music stretched far and wide across the globe, impacting everyone from Kurt Cobain to Stuart Murdoch.
There must be something in that delicious Scottish tap water which breeds artistic innovation; from beautiful traditional folk songs to the birth of modern indie rock, old Alba has always boasted a rich and captivating music scene, and The Vaselines were a key part of that scene during the late 1980s. Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee are the songwriting minds behind the outfit, but they never set out to become cult heroes.
Reportedly, in fact, the original intention of the pair was simply to release a fanzine back in 1986, presumably focusing on the incredible indie scene blossoming in Glasgow around that time, spurred on by Postcard Records and the likes of Orange Juice and Aztec Camera. As it turned out, though, their talents lay within songwriting. Armed with a drum machine, a staunchly DIY ethos, and a litany of indie rock masterpieces, the band soon became a cornerstone of Scotland’s indie underground.
The duo’s songs still feel fresh today, with generation after generation picking up on their DIY outsider spirit. Of course, that kind of songwriting doesn’t just appear out of thin air. Right from the start, The Vaselines were pulling from a massive pool of influences, artists which ranged from the polished pop of the 1960s to the raw indie sounds of the 1980s.
Shedding light on these influences, Eugene Kelly once highlighted five essential records which inspired The Vaselines during their early years. Speaking to New York’s WFUV back in 2014, the songwriter selected some all-time classics, including The Velvet Underground & Nico, for which virtually every rock, alternative, and indie artist of the past 50 years is heavily indebted. “You can’t be in a rock band and not like this album. It’s not allowed,” he declared, and we’re inclined to agree.
Another seminal record which changed underground rock forever was Suicide’s 1977 self-titled record, which also features on Kelly’s list. “Their pulsating, primitive music and edgy, scary and repetitive vocals scared me on first listen,” he shared. “Then drew me in until I loved them and never let them leave me.”
Not everything on the duo’s list of influences was quite so abrasive or subversive, though, with Kelly also picking out the 1968 collaborative record Nancy & Lee. “What do you file this under?” he asked. Indeed, the strangely gothic romanticism of the record doesn’t appear to fit with the pop-centric tendencies of Nancy Sinatra, or the country sound of Lee Hazlewood – but then it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that The Vaselines’ had a penchant for the strange sounds of that unlikely duo.
Scotland’s incredible indie scene was the ultimate trigger for The Vaselines’ formation, and Kelly highlights both Orange Juice and the Jesus and Mary Chain to reflect that influence. “Orange Juice is where Scottish ‘indie’ rock begins,” he said of the 1982 masterpiece You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever, and you can certainly hear the distant hallmarks of Edwyn Collins’ indie revolution during the early recordings of The Vaselines; the trailblazing power of Orange Juice cannot be overstated.
In turn, The Vaselines themselves were a core influence on countless later indie, alternative, and DIY outfits – not least Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, whose outspoken adoration for the duo afforded them something of a resurgence during the mid-1990s. Thankfully for all, the pair reunited in 2008, and continue to act as a beacon of indie mastery to this day.
Five albums that inspired The Vaselines:
- The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
- Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood – Nancy & Lee (1968)
- Orange Juice – You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever (1982)
- Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy (1985)
- Suicide – Suicide (1977)
