I turn my spotlight back to Europe for a look at Scottish alternative indie rock band Vida, who have an exceptional debut double-sided single “Fade Away/Switch It Off.” Hailing from Clackmannanshire County (love that name), Vida – which means ‘beloved friend’ in Scottish – consists of Jamie Pollock (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Nathan Evans (lead guitar, backing vocals), Ross McShane (bass guitar, backing vocals), Greg Ballantyne (keyboards) and Jamie Piggott (drums).  The guys are all quite young, but already accomplished musicians.

“Fade Away” is a somewhat melancholy but beautiful song about coming to terms with a relationship gone bad. “And how does it feel when you know that you’ve lied? Watching the wheels that go round and round when you say to me ‘It’s never easy as it seems’. And all those childhood dreams, they fade away.” The song has a stellar arrangement, with gentle percussion and gorgeous swirling guitars. I also like that Pollock’s Scottish brogue is evident in his beguiling vocals. The really pleasant video for the song shows the band at various spots in the lovely Scottish countryside.

The equally good B-side “Switch It Off” has a heavier rock sound, with some really excellent multi-textured guitar riffs. It has a bit of an Oasis meets The Cure vibe, and I love it! The song appears to end at about 4 minutes, but then the percussion and killer guitar pick back up as the band continues to jam in fine style.

Here’s a video of a great live performance at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh.

Show Vida some support by subscribing to their YouTube channel, and following on Twitter and Facebook. You can purchase their songs on itunes.