SCOTTISH EXPOSURE | MARK SHARP & THE BICYCLE THIEVES
We’re somewhere between Calvin Harris and Susan Boyle”.
That’s what singer/songwriter Mark Sharp told me when I asked him to describe how his band – Mark Sharp and The Bicycle Thieves (MS&TBT). An eclectic comparison, however, one which hints at the geographical position of this Scottish bands roots. Hailing from the small West Lothian town of Whitburn, Mark Sharp and The Bicycle Thieves are one of Scotland’s most exciting upcoming indie bands of the past few years and will release their debut album Unmask The Circus in August this year.
I had the privilege of chatting with Mark himself about the insane year the band have had so far and how a drunken encounter with Scotlands biggest selling artist led to being taken across Europe on tour with the actual Lewis Capaldi.
2023 so far
January 28th 2023. Starting the day bright and early with an unlikely CBBC Mash Up appearance, the lads would end the night with a sold out King Tuts headliner. Selling out in less than 48 hours, the show was part of the venues ‘New Year Revolution’ line up of gigs taking place through the long month of January. However, the show almost came to a halt before it even started with an untimely fire evacuation bringing the entire venue on to St Vincent’s freezing cold streets. A couple of fire engines later and the show was back on. Despite the chants outside of ‘Sharpy’s on fire’, Mark tells me that it was actually during the support act – Ben Walkers final song that the fire alarm rang out.
‘We actually came out to Kasabian’s fire -we were supposed to come out to something by Abba but after that we had to do it.’
With all the drama of the day, it shouldn’t be over looked that an earlier week announcement was made the bucket list opportunity that Mark and his bicycle thieves couldn’t turn down.
Europe
13th February 2023. Welcome to Warsaw. ‘Lewis and I have been friends for years playing on the same circuits – so when he drunkenly said he would take us on tour during a heavy night out, I didn’t expect it to come to much.’ Mark couldn’t quite believe when a couple weeks later Lewis was in touch to confirm their drunken agreement. ‘It was one of those once in a lifetime moments – we couldn’t turn it down’. A few weeks later, Mark Sharp and The Bicycle Thieves were playing to a crowd of thousands of people in Poland’s capital city and more across Europe on Lewis Capaldi’s official Broken by Desire To Be Heavenly Sent Tour.
A huge opportunity for a band like MS&TBT who suddenly had a platform to perform infront of thousands of eager fans. ‘It’s different in Europe. People really make an effort to come down early for the support – we actually have more listener’s across Europe than in Scotland now. It’s crazy’.
But was it one big party?? ‘Noo! Lewis doesn’t drink on tour to protect his voice, as did I. The rest of the lads had a great time though. We celebrated on a couple of occasions but the tour was cut short due to Lewis loosing his voice. We still have rescheduled dates to come so there will be a big celebration I’m sure.’
Unmask the circus
May 31st 2023. The first of the rescheduled dates in Milan coincides with the bands debut album announcement. To be released by Assai Records on August 25th, Unmask The Circus is a hugely anticipated moment for this West Lothian five piece who have been releasing music since 2019.
So what can fans expect? ‘It’s hard to define’ tells Mark. ‘We’re an indie band but influenced by so much more – there’s a bit of everything in there’.
Mark wasn’t kidding and the new single (All That) Northern Soul is a testament to that. A lively Northern Soul inspired anthem – the new single is an instant summer favourite. Like the previous singles Last Dance and Superman, this most recent track is characterised by Marks uniquely warming soulful gravelly vocals.
What’s the reception been like? ‘The response has been incredible. Even exceeding our own expectations. The guys at Assai came in the morning after the announcement and were like, what’s going on here?’ Fans have been snapping up the limited edition run of vinyl, cd and cassette pre-order bundles since the order book opened just 2 weeks ago. With some bundles already selling out, Unmask The Circus could easily become one of the biggest Scottish debut albums of 2023.
What I personally love and admire about Mark Sharp and The Bicycle Thieves is the underdog story angle. Mark himself has always been a passionate songwriter and musician and The Bicycle Thieves have gone through various formations over the years. They have witnessed many amazing bands rise above the local music scene to become some the biggest names in Scotland of the decade so far. Before they became the first Scottish band in 14 years to achieve a number 1 album, fellow Whitburn band The Snuts played pub nights arranged by Mark. ‘It just blows my mind that a wee town like Whitburn can achieve that kind of success’. The West Lothian music scene is at an all time high just now so when I asked Mark the dreaded question of naming a favourite, it wasn’t an easy task.
‘Don’t make me do that! It’s only gonna get me into trouble’ laughs Mark. He contemplates for a moment before decisively naming Dead Sea Souls as a favourite. ‘Since we’re bringing out our own album soon I’ve been making an effort to listen to full albums myself. Dead Sea Souls new album is amazing.’
So now the cliché question, what’s next? Well obviously there’s a European tour to finish off and a debut album on the cards, but MS&TBT just can’t wait to get back on the road at home. The band will play 2 back to back Scottish tour dates in September this year but I have a sneaky feeling there’s a lot more causing a stir to come.
By Anne kelly
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