“Depression, alienation, sexual frustration, anger, violence, black comedy – Fat Goth has it all!"

Dundonians are used to defending their city. In times gone by, Dundee was besieged by armies from both the north and the south. Today, it is the frequent butt of jokes. There are few Scottish comedians who have not rubbed their hands with glee when an audience member has proudly announced that they hail from the City of Discovery.

Of course, it’s a totally undeserved reputation, and Fat Goth are another in its lineage of exceptional bands that prove there's more to write home about than Jute, Jam and Journalism. The power trio are one of the standard bearers of the city’s thriving music scene, and with a fully-charged second album, Stud [reviewed here], out this month, they'll be one of the most talked about bands from these quarters in 2013 if there's any kind of justice. Just ask new music guru Vic Galloway, who, after recently witnessing the group tape a steamrollering live session for his BBC radio show, declared that they were his “favourite rock band on the planet."

The Skinny caught up with Fat Goth shortly before Christmas, and found a band that are quietly confident in their ability to dish out thunderous riffs to the citizens of their hometown and beyond. “Being Dundee natives, we're extremely proud of our local scene and always have been,” explains guitarist and band leader Fraser Stewart. “The bands and artists we share stages with here are our contemporaries, and I've always drawn influence from them just as much as any other music I listen to. The Hazey Janes are old school friends of ours and they continue to fly the Dundee flag everywhere they go. Their very own Alice Marra was kind enough to sing on Pinball Moron from our new record, which will hopefully take some folk by surprise.”

Fat Goth's genesis came about in 2007 when Stewart and school friend / drummer par excellence Mark Keiller started to juggle duties between post-punk combo Alamos and a fledgling tongue-in-cheek metalcore unit called Perineum. Alongside bassist and fellow Harris Academy alumnus Allan Mitchell, they jammed whenever Alamos had time off, eventually shedding their old moniker because, as Keiller recently jokingly remarked in hindsight on Twitter, “it was far too silly.”

The trio soon branched out on their own, and their early releases generated enthusiastic comparisons to such mighty noise rock legends as The Jesus Lizard and The Melvins. But it was as much the band’s new name that captured attention, which as Stewart freely admits, is no bad thing when you’re trying to stand out from the crowd. “I just loved the idea of a ridiculous and funny name. Most folk seem to enjoy it, but there have been a few who appear to have no sense of humour and have decided to completely dismiss our music before even hearing it as a result.”

Fat Goth would like to go on record to state that they have no issues with any overweight individuals with a penchant for wearing black leather and eyeliner. “I think [fat goths] would probably like our music, or at least appreciate the themes and motifs found within it,” adds Stewart. “Depression, alienation, sexual frustration, anger, violence, black comedy – Fat Goth has it all! I tried to explain this when we did our BBC session a while ago, but it kinda sounded like I was just having a go at obese people.”

Having helped the Goth record their well-received debut album Mindless Crap in 2009 and the EP DOLPHINS!!!!!!!!!!!!! the following year, Mitchell has since left the group to emigrate to Australia in 2011. Bass duties were soon picked up by Kevin Black, a former member of criminally overlooked victory rock greats Laeto – a move which Fat Goth considered to be a real coup. “Mark and I went to see Idlewild play in the Marryat Hall during their 100 Broken Windows tour and Laeto were the support,” Stewart remembers. “It was the first time we had seen a local band demonstrate such a level of musicianship and our young, uninitiated minds were suitably blown away. I remember being somewhat perplexed by the fact there were next to no vocals, but that was long before my own investigations into and general appreciation of beard-stroking post-rock. Once Laeto started blasting audiences with their later feel-good, Van Halen-influenced stuff, we began to think they were maybe nice guys and not the unapproachable and intimidating figures we always assumed. A few drinks together at a show one night marked the start of a beautiful, touching and cherished friendship.”

Sadly for Laeto’s faithful following, Black says there is little chance of the quartet playing live again anytime soon. “February marks the 15th anniversary of the first gig that we ever played," he says. "We will certainly be meeting up and having some fun, although that is unlikely to be in the form of a show or anything like that, more four friends getting together.”

Meanwhile, with Black in the fold, Fat Goth Mk II have wasted no time in hitting the road to play tirelessly across the country, sealing the band as a formidable live act and increasing their playing proficiency to frighteningly impressive levels. Of course, the key question becomes: Can they also hack it on record?

Stewart is confident that the answer is 'Yes,' and that a simple comparison between both records to date demonstrates the point. “I would say the major difference between the two is the fact Fat Goth was a fully gig-worthy outfit by the time we did Stud. Before, the band was little more than a recording project, and we didn't play our first show until after the release of Mindless Crap. I never really intended Fat Goth to play shows. I just wrote a bunch of tunes and thought it would be cool to record them while we had the chance. I'm still extremely proud of Mindless Crap but the difference in performance on both records is very noticeable to me. The music of Stud is tighter and more visceral, which is what we strive for whenever we play live, so I'd say it's a better representation of the band.”

Stud certainly evokes the memory of Mclusky at their most belligerent, but this is a record that contains far more diversity than sharp riffs and fast drumming will allow. Pinball Moron, the aforementioned duet with Alice Marra, is a country-tinged gem and gentle proof that Fat Goth go beyond hard rocking. Indeed, Stewart is keen to talk about his new-found enthusiasm for ambient music. “I purposefully go to bed early so I can listen to that stuff on my headphones and gently drift off into slumberland,” he admits. “If nothing else, they help to drown out the screaming voices in my head.”

Jokes aside, the band's dextrous sensibilities push them beyond the perceived limitations of amped up garage rock. “I hear so many rock/punk/metal bands do the loud, abrasive noise thing," says Stewart. "As much as I enjoy that stuff and try to incorporate it into what we do, I also fully appreciate a well-crafted pop song and I feel that has just as much reason to influence us. Fat Goth isn't scared to turn things down on occasion and knock out a nice ditty or ballad.”

Clearly, Stewart – who at one point recorded under the guise of dark folk troubadour Uncle Fritz – has a softer side to his songwriting. Having named the album Stud, would it be fair to assume that the lads are a hit with the fairer sex? “This assumption is filling me with hilarity and sorrow in equal measure!” he counters. “Someone like Prince has made an entire career discussing sex in his work, and if I was to guess, I'd say he's had a pretty amazing time of it. It makes me think 'why can't Fat Goth do the same?' Our take on the subject in our own work isn't as glamorous or perhaps appealing – more Mötley Crüe than Marvin Gaye – but there's definitely a similarity in theme... the next Fat Goth album will be more ‘Aye! Come on! Let's have ourselves a time,’ instead of the ‘Oh man, you're so unbelievably fine and I'm so horrifically rank' vibe throughout Stud.” 

Ladies, roll up.