Southpaw: Their Latest Single "Lavender Skyline", and the Future of the Scottish Independent Music Scene
An interview with Nina Murphy and Charles Evans discuss their latest single "Lavender Skyline," their unique visual identity, and the thriving Scottish independent music scene
There is a distinct, restless energy that defines the space where Charles and Nina operate. It is not just the meeting of two individuals, but a collision of two separate musical timelines: Charles’ obsession with the intricate, high-flying precision of modern technical guitar, and Nina’s devotion to the raw, unpolished heartbeat of classic garage rock.
Southpaw doesn’t attempt to smooth over these jagged edges. They sit right in the middle of that tension, using it as the primary engine for their sound. With their latest single, “Lavender Skyline,” the duo isn’t just releasing a song - they are re-claiming their own history.
We have watched the pair evolve from their high school beginnings, where a simple Instagram DM turned into a permanent creative partnership. It wasn’t an immediate fit, but a process of constant calibration. “I feel the tension and ‘sparring partners’ aspect is more evident in practice than during studio time,” Charles notes. It is a necessary friction. In the rehearsal room, the discipline is total; in the studio, the guard drops, allowing them to stop “sparring” and start pulling their disparate influences into one coherent shape.
The Boxing Identity
The name isn’t a coincidence, and it’s certainly not a gentle nod. It is a direct allegiance to the bruising, melancholic weight of Morrissey’s Southpaw Grammar. “That album has been incredibly influential to my style of playing and has played a big part in my life,” Nina explains. “It is an absolute masterpiece, and I urge everyone reading this to listen to it.”
That record is the foundation for Nina, whose drumming is less about technical perfection and more about capturing the spirit of the Heartbreakers and the Velvet Underground. “As a duo, we both share mutual interests, but we also have completely opposite interests, which mix together to create a sound full of style,” Nina says. “One of the first artists I ever became interested in was Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers. I’d never heard anything like it before, and I immediately wanted more. The drums throughout their work have been incredibly influential to my style of playing.”
For Nina, the anchor remains singular. “An album I cannot stay away from, even if it were somehow to kill me, is The Velvet Underground’s self-titled album. This record is quite literally perfect for any mood, especially at night when I’m having some downtime on my own. Tracks like ‘I’m Set Free,’ ‘What Goes On,’ and ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ have a very firm grip on my soul, and they always will. There never has been, and there never will be, another Lou Reed.”
The Archive as Art
Perhaps the most telling choice Southpaw has made is their rejection of the digital trend. Instead, they dig through Nina’s family archives. “These old images we use are actually family photos from Nina’s side of the family, and they were taken at recognisable Scottish locations,” Charles explains.
“Lavender Skyline,” for instance, is built around a grainy photograph taken at the Forth Rail Bridge. It gives the music a context that feels lived-in and real. “I’ve never seen it used to the extent that we use it,” Charles notes. “It’s heavily inspired by artwork from Belle and Sebastian and The Smiths, and it gives these beautiful images a chance to live on with us.”
The Road Ahead
Their success so far - winning the King Tut’s Support Act competition on a whim while sitting in the back of a car - was a flash of luck that they are now backing up with actual, unrelenting work. They admit that their early material felt so personal they struggled to judge its merit, but they remain fiercely protective of the Scottish scene that fostered them. “The Scottish music scene is absolutely brilliant,” the band states. “There’s nothing that comes remotely close, in my opinion. This place is full of musical talent, and we’re honoured to be surrounded by it.”
Now, with a steady stream of new music on the horizon and eyes fixed on stages far beyond their home borders, the “sparring” is over. “Lavender Skyline” is a statement of where they have been and an invitation to see where they are going. They are only just starting to move, and they are doing it entirely on their own terms.
“Lavender Skyline” is available on all platforms.
-Shelley D. Schwartz