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On 16 Apr 2026 we spoke with members of Gout to trace how this Glasgow outfit came together and how their new EP, Actual Bastard, reflects a deliberately abrasive yet melodic aesthetic. The group formed when musicians from established acts including Lucia & The Best Boys and The Ninth Wave decided to try a heavier direction in 2026, and what began as a short rehearsal set quickly found a place on the bill at the city’s core. festival. That early leap of faith shaped a band determined to keep things visceral, unpredictable and direct.
The music on Actual Bastard takes cues from several heavy traditions while carving its own identity. The quartet blends elements of sludgy doom-metal, early nu-metal touches and hardcore urgency into compact, forceful songs. Influences are present — bands like Crowbar, Eyehategod and Thou are part of the palette — but the band deliberately avoided cataloguing their references during writing so each track could develop its own personality. The result moves beyond pastiche: riffs, dissonant textures and unexpected hooks combine to create something that sounds recognizably like Gout.
How the band writes and what shapes the lyrics
Song construction in Gout tends to be collaborative and immediate. Ideas usually start in the room with someone presenting a riff or a rhythmic fragment and the rest of the group working it into shape together. Vocals arrive as part of that process: Ally Scott brings word-first lines that often emerge spontaneously rather than from long, laboured drafting. That approach produces what the band describes as unpolished vocal performances that lean into vulnerability and blunt honesty, which fits the music’s confrontational tone.
Lyric approach and influences
Ally draws inspiration from songwriters whose language feels lived-in and rough around the edges; names like Leonard Cohen and Elliott Smith were mentioned as examples of lyricists who can sound handwritten and raw. Rather than dressing ideas in decorative phrasing, she prefers to capture the first, naked instinct and trust that it will read as sincere. This spontaneous method also made sense in the studio: the band recorded most parts together, minimizing the opportunity to rework vocal lines and keeping the performances immediate and exposed.
Recording choices and the decision to keep it live
The band intentionally tracked the EP in a hands-on, low-fi way. Preferring the energy of group performance over meticulous overdubbing, they set up in a cramped rehearsal space with their own microphones and a few borrowed drum mics to capture a set of takes across two intense days. That setup — harsh lighting, close quarters and limited time — was embraced as part of the record’s atmosphere rather than an obstacle. Only minimal guitar overdubs were added, and mixing was kept intentionally restrained to avoid polishing away the rawness that defines the songs.
Why the rawness matters
For Gout, the decision to preserve rough edges was aesthetic and pragmatic. The band felt that live recording conserved the force of their performances and avoided diluting the emotional content of the lyrics. By resisting the impulse to refine every detail, they made a record that sounds claustrophobic, cathartic and immediate — qualities they wanted to carry into their live shows and physical releases.
Release plans, the launch and what comes next
Actual Bastard is released on 17 Apr and the band will mark the occasion with a headline performance at The Flying Duck in Glasgow on the same night. The launch will feature opening sets from K.yalo and Mrs Frighthouse, and the band have pressed 100 vinyl copies with the new EP on the A-side and their debut Born Rotting on the B-side — their first tangible, independent physical release. Expect a loud, cathartic live set that aims to translate the record’s raw energy to a room of listeners.
Looking ahead, the group aim to return to the studio with plans to record a full-length album over the summer, though they remain cautious with that timeline and call it a hopeful target. Meanwhile more live dates are booked and the quartet plan to keep refining their sound in performance. Fans can follow the band on Instagram at @__gout for updates, show announcements and details about the limited vinyl run.