aiming for the top
Gill Sherry
When Beverley Matujal moved from Malaysia to Scotland, she didn’t expect to form a band less than three months later. But, having met Darvel-born Lorna Johnson during an open mic night at Glasgow’s King Tut’s, and discovering she harboured similar musical ambitions, it was the perfect opportunity to form what subsequently became known as the Pistol Daisys.
“We started in June 2023,” Beverley (known as Belly) tells me. “It was just me and Lorna at first. Then in July last year we met our manager. He ran a studio in Hillington and Lewis worked at the studio. That’s how we met.”
Lewis, from Bo’ness, joined as the band’s drummer and producer. The two girls share vocal duties with Lorna playing electric guitar and Belly handling synth and acoustic guitar.
So, where did the name come from?
“Me and Lorna are both avid readers, and I came across this novel called Pistol Daisy. It tells the tale of a girl who was wronged by a couple of outlaws… and she goes out for revenge. That’s so me and Lorna! That female empowerment and the fact that she’s really strong and has that never say die attitude. So we named the band after the novel.”
It’s certainly grabs your attention, but no more so than the band’s music which falls in the category of alternative pop.
“It’s like Ga-Ga meets Blondie,” Belly suggests.
“And a wee bit of Abba,” adds Lorna.
Whatever it is, it seems to work. The band’s latest single ‘Honey’ was released on 1st August, ahead of a debut album later this year.
“‘Honey’ is about being the bad guy in a relationship,” Lorna confirms, “and just accepting it and owning it.”
The track was deliberately paired with the B-side, ‘Wolves’.
“We liked the concept of pairing the tracks because there’s a duality in it,” Belly explains. “In ‘Honey’ we’re saying we’re the villain and it’s great and its sexy, but in ‘Wolves’ you’re the problem.”
For a relatively young band, in terms of the trio’s ages as well as its transient existence, their confidence and self-belief are astounding. Even more so when you consider that Lorna is relatively new to the music business.
“I never started until I turned 17. I’m 21 now. I was struggling with my health, feeling anger towards the health system and looking for somewhere to channel my emotions. I’d always sang, but I decided to pick up the guitar… if you’re angry you can really batter the guitar! It’s a good way of getting your emotions out.”
Lewis agrees that the same can said about playing the drums. However, he’s been doing it a lot longer.
“I was fortunate enough to grow up with music. I started playing the drums when I was about 12. I just knew that was going to be my thing.”
Lewis, a huge fan of The Beatles, says they each have an eclectic taste when it comes to music.
“We’re hoping to bring things from so many different places and to fuse it all together to make something really unique. That’s the goal.”
Having played a variety of festivals in Scotland during August, a tour of Europe is now planned for October and November. Beyond that, the band has a special Scottish date to look forward to – a Hogmanay gig at Barrowlands.
“That’s going to be a big one!” says Laura. “We’re super-duper excited!”
Playing at the iconic Glasgow venue is on the bucket-list of many a band, but what are their ambitions beyond that? Lorna is the first to answer: “We‘re going straight to the top!”
We all laugh at her response, but I suspect she’s not joking.
“I think we’re really lucky to get to do this full-time,” she adds. “It’s a job that we all love. But best-case scenario is world domination.”
What did I tell you about their confidence and self-belief?
