Ecko – Danny Mackenzie

Ayrshire outfit Ecko have released their new single ‘Danny Mackenzie’ today ahead of their support slot with Marseille next month.

Basslines this slick should be illegal. They strut with a knowing confidence and dripping with attitude. Residing somewhere between Ronnie Wood’s ragged charm and Mani’s effortless groove allows frontman Jamie Wardem’s laid-back vocal to slide in perfectly on top.

The resounding licks in the closing stages, capped by an intricate solo, are made to raise fists in triumphant rock ’n’ roll victory. Possessed by the devil and locked on target, their sonic lasers are set to enthral. They wrap their debauched sound around your soul, seeping into the veins with dark intent. This kind of murky rock ’n’ roll should be prescribed on the NHS.

Next month they support Marseille, a band who have been making strides behind the likes of Pastel and The Bracknall as the next rock ‘n’ roll horse out of the traps. On this showing, they could be blown off course by the Scottish hurricane that is Ecko.

Ecko - Blesstival, Camden

Ayr’s rising stars Ecko, played the inaugural Blesstival this past Bank Holiday with the likes of Electric Sheep Inc. and Bless. at Camden’s Elephant’s Head.

*banner image courtesy of Martin Bailey

Their last visit to the capital was in the same venue and their measured psyche-cum-indie licks wowed a packed crowd. Many of the same faces have made the trek to the capital to see if lightning could strike twice.

It could, but not as we’ve come to expect.

Heavier in sonic but freer in playing, the Scottish quartet unleashed new songs of real impact. ‘El Cabio’ throbbed with the measured menace of Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’ and the distorted aggression of Sonic Youth and Idlewild’s angst-ridden beginnings. It gave frontman Jamie Warden a platform to mark himself as the kind of rock star festival goers will shed limbs for.

Fan favourite ‘Let Go’ rips through the Elephant’s Head like a spell from the devil. Bristling with punk's fervent energy and rock ‘n’ roll’s hedonism, they unleashed a single worthy of Creation Records status. This, what had become their archetypal sound to date, was a refreshing tonic against the backdrop of their new harder edges. together, they were a deadly duo few bands could match.

Time and time, and TIME again, Ecko prove they’re among the elite rock ‘n’ roll bands in the UK. It’s just a matter of time until their breakthrough to the masses comes!

Ecko: Centre Stage, Shiiine On '24

Ayrshire’s Ecko have become cult heroes at the Shiiine On Weekender since their 2022 debut. Their rags-to-riches debut was a tough act to follow last year, but they still impressed. If the band remained at this level this year, it could only be considered a success. Could they go further still?

Pressure? What pressure?

Shoulders were loose, guitars were slung low, and this was a band with confidence oozing through their souls. On ‘Danny MacKenzie,’ frontman Jamie Warden moved with an ease not seen before. He stepped on the intensity when the power came on top and then eased off into a gentler, aloof mode, visibly allowing an aurora to build around him. Like all great frontmen, he wheeled away from the limelight when it was Matthew Welsh’s (lead guitarist) moment to shine.

A practice they doubled down on during ‘Play Pretend’ when Welsh became the lead singer for the first time. With Warden in such great form, heads turned rapidly. The most exciting band of the decade just added another intoxicating dimension to the band. Welsh's vocal snarled with bullish defiance, his incredulous Keith Richards-esque solo and Liam O’Connor’s career-best bassline crunching its way to glory set this band out so far ahead of the rest.

After the behemoth performance of the latest single ‘Let Go’, the band cut loose on ‘Think Three Times’. The perfect ying and yang of these two felt like a set closing pair for a long time. The violence of ‘Let Go’ tempered by the glee of ‘Think Three Times’ to send thousands home joyously became an inescapable image.

Ecko, three years into their Shiiine careers, played with the skill of a mainstage headliner. Pumping the room full of adrenaline on ‘Miss Hurricane’, and dipping it on ‘Sour’ to show their genius, Ecko propelled souls into the darkness and lifted them out via a haze of psychedelic immortality.

The main stage awaits!

Ecko - Let Go

Once upon a time, in a land not far behind us, the media would seek out new rock ‘n’ roll strands to define youth culture. Today, alas, they care more for some obnoxious cunt opening a box of third-world tat so tax-dodging conglomerates can pay them.

*banner image courtesy of All images courtesy of A Deeper Groove

Artwork credit: @turner_photographs

Ayrshire four-piece Ecko is back with their new single ‘Let Go’ for those still curious. The visceral intro leans into the noise and confusion of early Oasis and the filthy and fury of the Pistols. It allows

The licks of Oasis’ ‘Hung In A Bad Place’ are given an injection of breathtaking intensity. It allows the protagonist to lay down the law with a soon-to-be iconic confidence. As the single builds, drummer Johnny Armstrong’s drumming steals the show a la Matt Helders for the Arctics' first three albums before Matthew Welsh’s guitars tap into the riotous angst of ‘Bring It On Down’ with scintillating guile.

The journey to their debut album may feel slow to fans desperate for more, but Ecko is a measured beast for something so sonically unhinged. Appear when they want and deliver significant improvements each time. ‘Let Go’ is flanked by a stunning ode to The Strokes with the b-side ‘Think Three Times’.  A track most bands couldn’t dream of writing is there to back up the gift that is this single.

Ecko: The Elephants Head, London

Last Sunday, Ayr’s Ecko made their live debut in London at Camden’s Elephant’s Head, supporting Bless.

*image credit A Deeper Groove

To date, Ecko have built a reputation as one of the most exciting bands in the UK but, not really beyond the confines of the Shiiine On Weekender. A free gig in a pub with unexpecting punters and tourists posed pitfalls we’d not witnessed them experience. For the few Shiiine On faithful in attendance, it built a pre-gig tension. What if it was just the magic of the Shiiine On Weekender carrying them?

Step forward, the boys from Ecko!

Batting away the security guard who checked their ID with grace and humour and adorning killer casual clobber, the future of rock ‘n’ roll was here to allay all fears.

The heads of unexpecting punters in the pub craned like the Regan McNeil with increasing frequency throughout their set. The hooks, vocals, and solos were as good as we’d all remembered from their two Weekenders.

Many, if not all, fledgeling bands flock to Camden as a rite of passage. It becomes a “thing” for them, attaching the history of the mercurial road to their insignificant futures. Ecko, however, are the kid at school you always wanted to be. Cooler and smarter, they roll out of town like Johnny Strabler, leaving everyone in their wake reeling.

Camden has gained another great origin story.

Ecko: Shiiine On 2023

At Shiiine On 2022, Scotland’s Ecko stole the weekend in a rags-to-riches story that the world of rock ‘n’ roll hadn’t seen in some time. A small crowd gathered for that set in the Inn on the Green, and such was their prominence, word spread instantly. So, when the Shambolics pulled out of their Sunday night slot, Ecko stepped up to play to the 1500-strong crowd on Centre Stage to back up the spreading gospel.

All images courtesy of A Deeper Groove.

As such, their slot in Reds on Sunday night at this year's festival was one of the weekends most eagerly anticipated. It came with a certain amount of tension. Had we misremembered 2022? Have we pushed them too far, too soon? 

Any doubts were smashed into pieces by their supreme talent. The temptation to come out all guns blazing was withheld. Instead, ‘Miss Hurricane’ emerged chest-out, mid-paced but dangerous, staring down the barrel with grit and assurance few peers can match.

Where 2022 oozed with a ragged glory, 2023 was a polished outfit toying with pace and intensity as they saw fit. ‘Get Out’ stepped on and off the gas with mesmeric skill. ‘L.A.X’, like all truly dangerous ’ only showed teeth when necessary, coming in the closing moments as Matthew Welsh’s solo cut through Liam O’Connor’s crunching bassline.

Former single ‘Still Know Nothing’ closed the set out. It felt less like a euphoric climax and more an admonition that the main stage would be theirs next year. Ecko's rise in a year is nothing short of remarkable. They’ve gone from plucky upstarts to show stealers, and now, they look ready for the stages, drama, and glory that befell so many of the icons of the Shiiine On line-up.

Ecko: Shiiine On Festival 2022

Scotland’s Ecko were second on in The Inn On Green This past Saturday at Shiiine On. It was, unbeknownst to them (and us), to be the start of something truly magical.

All images courtesy of Joc Anquetil (aka A Deeper Groove)

Many bands attempt to be Oasis. You can spot them a mile off. They don’t have it. No matter how good a tune they write, they’re plastic punks. Not Ecko. They look the part, they walk the walk, and they have the tunes but crucially, their souls are forged in the working class turmoil and that led to the Burnage boys’ glory.

Destiny awaits!

The noise and confusion of those early Oasis years hissed across the tightly packed pub. The devil shimmered through their guitars, satan has found his purpose and is going to lead us to the promised land once more. A quick glance around the room observed the 4am hungover looks of bewilderment. Was this really happening?

‘Psycho Candy’ pumped with the blood of ‘Alive’ and ‘Cloudburst’ was interjected with the sumptuous stoner noodling of John Squire. It was happening!

‘Get Out’ took Keith Richards for a ramshackle jam with explosive blues of 22-20s and threatened violence throughout, ‘Teenage Trip’ throbbed with raw power and demanded academy-sized venues immediately. Then, on the latest single ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’, they rendered all 00s bands dead as they took indie-rock to stomping new heights. People left the venue singing in Scottish accents their power was instantaneous.

The crowd was small, but, this isn’t any festival. This is Shiiine On! You’re looking at a generation who sought music out on the evening session, Peel, and at gigs. People sang to snobby record store owners in order to find the white-label demo of their favourite band that never made it. This crowd bleeds new music!

A group Real People Brummies stopped us for The Institutes (who were insatiable btw) set time, 20mins of Ecko chat later, they got it. Glancing around, Supercool Indie Night, Shiiine On management, and many from the Shiiine Thursday club are doing the same. One by one Ecko are making it before our eyes.

Sunday morning, the news filters through that Ecko are standing in for Shambolics on the Centre Stage. The potential for 1800 people was on the horizon for the band. Should be fine, wasn’t like they were dancing to 4am with their old man in Reds the night before.

As The Fannies signed off the main stage in style, the Inn on The Green loyalists filtered to the dancefloor upstairs. If was to be just us again, so be it. Their rise is only a matter of time. What happened next was astonishing.

All images courtesy of Joc Anquetil (aka A Deeper Groove)

Saturday’s crowd had all studiously revised for this exam. Their Soundcloud demos had been pillaged, words had been learned. We were going down swinging for them. Some fledgling bands can falter in this light, Ecko are not one. They grew in stature as destiny flocked to them like a gravitational pull. Swagger oozed through their shoulders. Somehow the slight 18-year-olds looked colossal now.

By the set close, that 1800 mark was virtually amassed.

They weren’t done yet!

They could have walked off into the sunset heroes. Instead, they partied until 4am with the Inn on the Green loyalists to Utah Saints. Celebratory yes, but, to rock ‘n’ roll lovers, it felt more. It’s not enough to be at the party, if you’re going to leave an impact, you need to live that party like it’s your last. Ecko knows it and did it. Shiiine On!