Scottish band The Tempilstiks offer up a fusion of rock, metal and punk energy in a “genre-fluid” sound that they describe as “dynamic, energetic and raw.”
The band started out when the members were working away together and sparked up a drunken jam session in a small hotel. Vocalist Andy Robertson, from Wick in the Highlands but now living in Aberdeen, was singing along with a room full of people as Ross Johnston played the guitar, which sparked the idea of starting a band. A year or so later, Ross reached out to his fellow Aberdeen natives David Booth (bass) and Keith Hobbs (drums) to get together and jam over a few beers.
That quickly became a routine on weekends, and eventually snowballed into creating their own music and playing their first gig just over a year ago. As Andy says: “Now we’re gigging, releasing music and having a blast doing it! Just four average dudes doing what they love to do, make noise!”
On the sound they’ve crafted since, Andy told us: “Genre is a playground, not a box. We feel we bend sound through waves of rock, reggae, metal and punk energy. Loud, heavy, atmospheric and a little unhinged. Every track is an experiment in emotion, chaos, and connection.”
Our latest taste of this is their second single Number 1, which was released in November. It opens up with a little bassline joined by light drums and a chunky guitar riff that develops into drawn-out notes. That feeds into an opening verse led by Andy’s engaging vocals supported by chugging guitars and driving drums, flowing into a big singalong chorus. The intensity ramps up after the second chorus with a little growl ushering in big chugging guitars and heavy drums, before more melodic guitars and plenty of cowbell hits take us into a laid-back guitar solo and a final chorus.
On the track, Andy said: “The reception has been very positive all round really, we’re just excited to be getting our sound out there, expressing ourselves and showing everyone what we’ve got! Number 1 is an anthem for all the people who are tired of people-pleasing. It’s for the people who need to make a stand and start putting themselves first!”
That follows on from the band’s debut single Over and Over, which was released in October. It starts out more calmly, with a light guitar lick that picks up pace and develops into a heavier riff as drums and bass join in. A cool little stabbing riff loops into a catchy verse and a lively chorus, which second time around gives way to heavier guitars before dropping back into the light guitar. Chunky guitars come in and develop into a cool little solo, before a heavy outro.
On the track, Andy said: “Over and Over is about being caught in a loop of having the same conversations/arguments ‘over and over again,’ knowing that things are never really going to change. But you should never be expected to change to fit someone else’s idea of what you should be. I’m sure there are many people that can resonate with that.”
The Tempilstiks draw influence from a wide range artists and genres as a collective, and on what inspires them to write music, Andy explains: “When it comes to writing, we just feel out a vibe and go with it. We love getting creative and toying around with different sounds and seeing what sticks. Some lyrics can be resonated with; some are telling a story. We feel all can be related to in one way or another. We have a few other songs in the chamber ready to fire off early (this) year, and all have very different messages. We feel it’s a varied contrast of sound, and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it all.”
There’s plenty more to come from The Tempilstiks, who are gearing up to release their debut EP in the next few months. They also have a few gigs in Scotland pencilled in and are in the early stages of discussions for a first tour.
And Andy added: “Only other thing we have to say is ‘Howdy howdy, let’s get rowdy! Bring on 2026.'”
You can follow The Tempilstiks on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
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