From 2006 to 2008 a wave of excitement and expectation rolled onto the shores of the UK's music press as a small Indie rock band from the musically remote Scottish east coast town of Rosyth astounded listeners with some of the best 'home grown' music of the decade. The Draymin were being billed as 'the one to watch' by all the main national newspapers as well as every main music site and magazine considered to be worth it's salt. They arose from Rosyth's shore as an heir to Scotlands musical throne to follow on along a long line of heirs whose sounds and roots were all unique to the nation. Matching somewhere between the sound of 80's Scottish rock heroes Big Country and the later, though perhaps lesser known, guitar laden rock of fellow 80's icon Midge Ure (who was first famed for the electronic Ultravox song 'Vienna' before teaming up with Bob Geldoff to feed the world prior to his 90's gradual pop to a more mature rock solo career), the Draymin's sound was a fast paced Scottish rock with sharp riffs, racing lead breaks and refrains - pitted with sharp thumping synths- super- tight rampant drums and an 'ultravocalist' of their own and they hit the UK's venues like a whirlwind to draw everyone they touched up into what seemed to be an unstoppable musical vortex.
Booking agents, managers and labels were making repeated offers to woo the band and Sony EMI even gave them some studio time in London to record and mix their second ep (the band had actualy converted their garden shed to record their very first tracks in Rosyth in 2006). 2007 saw an ep release, an American debut at SXSW , continued touring and festival appearances as well as a growing momentum in their fan base -especialy in the Scottish and English media and it all looked set to peek in the summer of 2007, where their live set at Scotlands main 'T in the Park' festival was due to be aired live throughout the UK. Unfortunately for the band, the wind was suddenly stolen from their sails when Al Gore decided to host his own worldwide, multi national, televised musical event to save the planet on the very same day . T in the Park was either dropped from the schedules or completely overshadowed by the events of the day and the deserved national recognition was cruely snatched from Scotlands finest in what should have been an hour of triumph. The band continued, unpurturbed by the failed promise of fame and continued to sell out every gig they played on Scottish soil untill December 2008 when Fraser, the bands 'ultravocalist' decided that perhaps the danger money of Scotlands off shore oil industry might just offer a little more stability and prove a little safer than life on the road in a rock and roll band. After carefull consideration the remaining members of the band came to the conclusion that as Frasers unique vocals and guitars were so central to the Draymin sound that they could no longer continue to tour or record as a band without him.
The Draymin were over. After a final farewell gig that month, Scotlands best independant band for a decade were no more, leaving their fans, Scotlands independant rock scene and the town of Rosyth in a state of continued mourning.
The mourning for the band very nearly turned into physical mourning for Fraser too in the opening months of 2009 when a series of accidents and two tragic helicopter crashes occuring within weeks of each other rocked the scottish oil industry. Luckily, Fraser was unscathed, but the event was enough to make him revalue the wisdom of his new career choice.
Throughout the summer of 2009 rumours began to circulate of a possible return of the Draymin -especialy when the bands websites promised news of an important announcement. A new video also suddenly appeared on the bands websites with some very familiar vocals by a band supposedly called 'the sneeks' who were playing in a very familiar looking garden shed. On the sixth of September 2009 The Draymin officialy announced their return to the Scottish music scene with more sell out concerts, a new ep called 2.1 being released on December 4th and a new addition to the original team being added in January in the form of keyboardist Cal Nicol.
This year a new ep called 'Heart Attack' is due out at the begining of May as well as a possible return to the stage at T in the Park via the 'Red Bull' public vote for Independant bands.The band have come full circle, but hopefully this time they will achieve the long overdue recognition they have been promised ever scince the very first garden shed demos of 2006.
The Draymin are Fraser Penman on Vocals/guitar
, Craig Penman on guitar and backing vocals
Greg Livingstone on Bass
Gary Louch on drums and Cal Nicol on keys
Expect to hear alot more about them throughout the States in the near future.
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