An impeccable new edition to Glasgow’s independent music scene, Mallet Space makes absurdity as cool as it can be.
If you’ve never heard of Mallet Space, don’t worry – but do prepare yourself. Although they don’t yet have anything out on streaming services, and currently have under 300 followers on Instagram, this eight-piece (don’t worry, I didn’t miscount) band deserve a secure spot in the Glasgow music scene and possibly beyond. Composed of three guitarists, a bassist and a drummer, lead singer, bongo drummer and violinist, Mallet Space’s sound could well be messy and overcrowded. However, they manage to nail it – giving each instrument and player their individual time to shine and then coalescing to create an incredible and unique sound.
Talking to the members, I immediately got the sense of fun that later on became an infectious and appealing part of their stage presence. It is clear that they don’t take themselves too seriously, although one remarked, “we take the music almost too seriously, but the lyrics have to be ridiculous” and then reminisced about writing the lyrics for one song on ChatGPT. Mallet Space formed after a drunken performance at a blues bar, with all the members being GSA students and friends beforehand. When I asked where the name came from, I was told it was their term for the moment in a cartoon where a character pulls a (previously invisible and unknown to the viewer) mallet out of thin air. The influence from all members being illustration or animation students is clear here, but that also penetrates into the music, which definitely had moments inspired by cartoon sound effects.
Although the band cited albums like Paul McCartney’s Ram as influences, it is very hard to describe their sound if you’ve not been to one of their shows. Most of the songs lasted over five minutes and had different sections to them, sometimes stripping away almost all of the instruments save one rhythm or beat and then building it back up again. Every song was written by the band, and to have a group putting out original songs of this quality having only played a handful of shows strikes me as incredibly unique. Mallet Space joked about their dreams for the future, like having a Christmas No.1 and doing a stadium tour, but then, more seriously, they said that they do have enough material for an album and would love to get it recorded and released soon. Personally, I would love to have a studio version of their songs, but until then, everyone should get themselves down to the next Mallet Space gig as soon as possible to experience the wonderful, silly world of their music for themselves.
