Edinburgh’s Silver Dollar Room fuse 90s grunge and thought-provoking lyrics with the influence of ‘gritty’ Scottish weather in a powerful and engaging rock sound that they describe as “raw, introspective and dynamic.“
The band first formed in 2023 as a studio project between guitarist and producer Jamie Turnbull and drummer Douglas McDonald. It quickly flourished and developed into a fully-blown band as the duo were joined by vocalist John Keenan, before Jen Bain and Ryan Shearer took on rhythm guitar and bass duties from the original members Dan Colvin and Lisa Aird.
Describing the sound they’ve honed over the last couple of years, the band told us: “Cinematic, hard-hitting rock with haunting vocals and raw, emotional depth. Expect powerful, layered sounds that hit both the heart and soul.”
Our most recent taste of this is Monsters, which was released at the start of last month. It opens up with a lively guitar riff with driving drums, that drop into engaging vocals “Holly doesn’t care, What her mother says, She’s gonna wear her makeup, Dancing with the girls, Until the dead of night, Straight into the arms of monsters, Spoon-fed drinks by older men, This is the way of monsters.”
A looping guitar lick kicks in as the intensity builds and it flows into big cries of “Now you’re lost” separated by rolling drums and stabbing guitars. The pace slows again as a second verse starts with the lines “Holly doesn’t care what her mother says, She’s gonna keep her baby, Age 14 and all strung out, She’s gonna keep her baby,” before building up to another powerful chorus. That gives way to some cool stabbing guitars as a little guitar solo winds up with piercing notes and drops into a big final blast of the chorus supported by huge rolling drums to bring the track to a heavy conclusion.
On the track, the band said: “The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Reviews have praised the cinematic quality of our sound and the boldness of the lyrical themes, with certain reviews describing the track as a significant evolution for the band. Fans have also shown incredible support, sending heartfelt messages about the song’s emotional resonance and subject matter. For those who haven’t heard it yet, expect a powerful wall of layered sound, punctuated by haunting, emotive vocal hooks that demand attention. The song’s theme is deeply poignant and heartbreaking. We’re grateful to anyone who has taken the time to listen.”
Monsters and previous single Come Morning come from Silver Dollar Room’s second album It Can’t Rain All the Time, undoubtedly a nod to the aforementioned delightful Scottish climate, which is released next month. “The release of the album feels like both a culmination of our creative efforts and the beginning of a new chapter,” the band told us. “The songs on this record tell a powerful story, exploring themes such as male suicide, destructive relationships, class divide, addiction, poverty, wealth, and greed. We’re incredibly excited to share this music with a wider audience, and it will be fascinating to see how it’s received.”
To get a taste for that, check out the band’s debut album Gilded Echoes, which was released last year. The album includes great tracks like the lively opener Origins, the excellent Individuality, the more laid-back Mantle, a personal favourite in the moody, very 90s feeling Weaponised and the lively Fairytale. It’s also supported by a set of acoustic versions that includes an excellent cover of Manic Street Preachers’ If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next.
The Silver Dollar Room has been influenced by a vast range of artists, including the likes of Robert Johnson, Son & House, Prince, Smashing Pumpkins, Manic Street Preachers, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Catherine Wheel, Hundred Reasons, Headswim, Jimmy Chamberlin, Fyfe Ewing, Slash, Jerry Cantrell and Mike McCready.
And on what inspires them to write music, they explained: “From a musical perspective, composing allows you to express emotions and delve into personal experiences, such an amazing outlet. Lyrically, it’s a way to share feelings about life, history, experiences and current events to name but a few. Nothing quite like building a piece of music from scratch.”
Silver Dollar Room’s next single, Normal People, will be released on 5 September, before their second album, It Can’t Rain All the Time, comes out on 12 September. They’ll be playing live shows through next month to support the release, and will be dropping a bonus piano and vocals version of the album at the end of October. And they already have plans to release a brand new single that doesn’t feature on the album at the start of next year.
And they added: “Listen to the new singles and album when they are released. We are really excited to see the response and are truly grateful to anyone who takes the time to listen.”
You can follow Silver Dollar Room on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
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