THERE'S many ways to release music now, from downloads to vinyl and CDs.

 

Glasgow indie-pop band Randolph's Leap like to do things a bit differently through - their new single is being released with a tea towel.

The group's new tune, Isles Of Love, will feature a tea towel that includes a code to download the track.

"We did a single that was a mug a year or two ago, so we thought we'd do a companion piece," chuckles their singer, Adam Ross.

"The previous ones have been digital, or EPs, or with postcards, so for this one we were trying to work out a way of doing something different.

"It can be expensive to produce an actual single, but it's still nice to have something physical to buy with the song.

"We'd had artwork done for the single and the gig, and thought about doing posters of that, but the beauty of using download codes is that you can package them with anything, really, so we decided on the tea towel."

The gig that Adam refers to is this Saturday at the CCA and is the third in the eight-piece group's series of all day shows called I Can't Dance To This Music.

The first one took place at Bridgeton's Bowlers Bar last year as part of the East End Social initiative that aimed to put on more gigs in the East End, with the second event taking place at the Glad Café in Shawlands.

The gigs feature a host of bands and comedians, lasting into the wee hours of the morning.

The CCA showcase will not only feature Randoph's launching their new single, but several other bands and four comedians, including Josie Long as the day's compere.

A DIY ethic run through the events, which Adam believes several of the acts share.

"This time we've got Josie Long and Viking Moses on the line-up, both of whom are very much into DIY themselves, so we're really chuffed that they're on board," he explains.

"We're still working out the timetable, but Josie will do a short set and compere at least part of the day.

"Withered Hand will be great to see, and Tigercats are coming up from London - they make really good indie pop music and are now signed to the Fortuna Pop label.

"Eagleowl we've played a lot with and they're always good, and Henry & Fleetwood is Martin from (Glasgow rock band) De Rosa's new project. They sound amazing."

The gig should have an unusual backdrop, as the band is planning on borrowing some gear from a prop warehouse and decorating the CCA.

The shows are in keeping with Randolph's Leap's style - although the band has now swelled to an eight-piece, when they started out it was just Adam making lo-fi recordings in his Partick flat.

Previous songs have been recorded in bedrooms and bathrooms, yet the songs themselves have still been blessed with an air of playful, catchy pop.

Now the group is looking ahead, having just finished another album that'll be out later this year.

It's a record Adam believes will have a fuller sound than past releases.

"We went into a converted farmhouse near Biggar at the end of November last year and recorded 10 songs there," he says.

"It's quite a different sound to the last one.

"We moved in for two weeks and had the full band there for that time - it was a really nice location."

It seems as if the location has rubbed off on the band, too.

Adam reckons that the time was right for the band to embrace a bigger sound on the new recordings.

"With the last album we'd talked about going into a studio and recording as a band, but that would have been quite a big jump from the previous EP to a more glossy product," he says.

"It goes back to that DIY thing - I like recordings that show the personality of a band and show a bit about the people who recorded it.

"We're planning a live mini-album around Record Store Day this year, and that record managed to capture us at a good time as a band, so six months ago I decided it was time to capitalise on that and record a studio album as a full band.

"That location has also helped stop it being a generic overdubbed album, too.

"Hopefully it has a bit of character to it."

Randolph's Leap, CCA, Saturday, £15, 2pm