New Man In Front Seat For 11 Mile Drive
By Margaret Chrystall

Weird coincidence comes into play with the latest line-up of Inverness band 11 Mile Drive.
When the band's former singer - now guitarist - Marc Davidson approached Barry Mackay to be the new singer, they found they both wore engagement rings. Unusual enough for a bloke.

But it's the exact same design that features on both the fingers they waggle at me.

And both Barry and Marc have taken a step back on the ego front to make the new-look 11 Mile Drive happen.

From the beginnings of the band back in March 2008 until Barry was recruited from another Inverness band, Marc sang and played guitar - as well as taking the major hand in 11 Mile Drive's songwriting too.

But, as he explained: "I've been singing in bands since I was a teenager and I'm confident enough and can get the crowd going. But we recently did a demo and I just thought there were better singers out there. I felt the music could improve if I played guitar."

"We had seen Barry with Sneaky Castro and to get better, so we targeted him as someone we wanted and needed!"

The band - Marc, guitarist Ryan Golder, drummer Tom Fullerton, bassist Roo Macneil and keyboardist Emma Bryden - had seen Barry in action when the two bands has shared a bill a while back.

Marc said: "He did outshine us and we think he's one of the best singers in a band. And if there was a list of the best singers around here, he would be top of it!"

Barry replied: "I'd really admired them when we played the same gig - I'd thought Marc was brilliant. But thankfully he decided to stand aside or I would be unemployed now! I thought it took great courage for him to get someone else in. So it was really easy for me to make the decision to join."

But having agreed happily to join 11 Mile Drive, there may have been some sacrifice for Barry who was heavily involved in writing the lyrics in his last band. Not that he feels the loss of that too much.

"I was handed the band's lyrics, and it was good to just be asked to sing them"

Marc is the main lyric writer, but everyone joins in with the songwriting and Barry will be [art of that as time goes on. At the moment, he has only been rehearsing with the band for six weeks. And Barry's arrival seems to have gone pretty seamlessly.

He said: "I didn't really have to change very much, 11 Mile Drive's music is the same sort of genre. And funnily enough me and Marc have got fairly similar voices. Not a copy, but we do sound very alike."

And at the first jam, Ryan's experience backs that up.

"I had to turn around twice to check it wasn't Marc singing!"

Ryan said: "Me and Marc have been in bands since we were 14 or 15 - and Tom."

Defining what sort of music 11 Mile Drive isn't too difficult for the members.

It's indie rock and they laugh as they come up with their own definition as "sunshine poprock". Ryan and Marc started out in metal bands, but have happily shifted as time has passed.

Marc said: "It's just growing up as well, you go with the trends. But I've learned a lot from metal and rock. It's just different approaches to music,different element from metal to the more mainstream style."

Ryan said: "It's the same for me. There was a time when I was only into metal, but you kind of just grow out of it."

Now, asking them what inspires them, it's everything from Marc and Ryan's tastes, such as One Republic and The Killers.

"Put them in a blender and .... you probably get an awful sound from that." laughed Ryan.

Roo is into the bassline of someone like Red Hot Chili Peppers.

And Barry steps in.
"I think our sound is something you could only call 11 Mile Drive."

Ryan came up with the name - once random searches on the internet and using the infamous band name randomisers hadn't come up with anything unique.

Eventually, they have settled happily for Ryan's suggestion.
"It's the distance between my house and Tom the drummer's!"

And Tom