To those who loved them, Glasgow, Scotland’s Delgados were the near-perfect blend of churning, indie-rock edginess and stirring, girl/boy vocals, wrapped in gasp-inducing orchestral arrangements that made time stand still. A tough act for vocalist/guitarist Emma Pollock to follow, you might think, when the band split amicably in 2006. And yet, Pollock’s ’07 solo debut, Watch The Fireworks, wasted no time in identifying how crucial she had been to the unique sound of the Delgados. Three years later, the former physics major returns with The Law Of Large Numbers (Chemikal Underground), which goes down like a couple of dry martinis after a savory meal, welcoming you to Pollock’s expanding universe of sound. Pollock will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with her.
Pollock: This dish is obviously synonymous with all things Scottish, but unlike the other famous “Scottish” items—kilts (my husband, a Scot, refuses to wear one unless threatened), shortbread (overrated, and certainly not something I would buy during the weekly shop), tartan (the last time I wore tartan, my father-in-law said I looked like I was in the Bay City Rollers)—I really do like haggis, neeps and tatties and eat it quite often. Just to clarify: Haggis is haggis (you don’t really want any more detailed explanation than that), neeps are turnips, and tatties are potatoes. It makes a really lovely meal, and we often invite bands recording at Chem19 around to the house to have some with us. We often serve them the vegetarian version, though, as some find the real thing a little scary. Video after the jump.
One reply on “In Emma Pollock’s Loop: Haggis, Neeps And Tatties”
What’s the veg alternative to haggis? I enjoyed haggis when I went to Scotland, but later went veg.