Dog-sitting across US shaped Scottish band's sound

The Dazed Digital Age are headed for their fourth appearance at Belladrum

Few bands could credit dog-sitting adventures across the US in helping to shape their sound and look.

Scottish electronica act The Dazed Digital Age are preparing for their fourth appearance at the Belladrum music festival later this month, having just released their third single - Symon.

Some of the work on the song - and ideas for its music video shot around Loch Ness - came about while frontman Gordon McKerrow was on a three-month trip in the US with his partner Chloe Macphail Ward last year.

They travelled east to west from New England to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and through Utah, Arizona and California through an arrangement which offers visitors the chance to stay in people's homes while looking after their pets.

"In Brooklyn, New York City, we looked after a great dog called Kenzo, and in the suburbs of Chicago two red setters," said Gordon, who with Chloe has a Boston terrier called Monty.

The Dazed Digital Age is an electronica act based in the Highlands

Gordon McKerrow and his band-mates balance their music with full-time jobs

A road trip through Death Valley was particularly memorable.

Gordon said: "On the way out of the valley we had to take a route off the main highway and go south via a road which became a dirt road covered in rocks and stones - we had to travel for about 20 miles at 5mph in the pitch dark due to the hellish terrain.

"There were rattlesnakes on the road.

"We were terrified that we were going to burst a tyre and be left out with the snakes in the pitch dark desert."

The dog-sitting elements of the holiday allowed the Glasgow School of Art graduate from Inverness time to work on new material, while the journey itself influenced the look for the road-trip theme of the music video for Symon.

It was shot using a vintage camera by Inverness-based film-maker Scott Remy and has a California sun-drenched look to it, but was filmed on the shores of Loch Ness and on the rugged hills above it.

A trip across America helped shape The Dazed Digital Age's latest work

Symon follows earlier singles IV and Nothing Remains.

The Dazed Digital Age was formed in 2018 by Gordon, who at the time was also in Inverness-based indie/noir pop band Lional, and his friend Martin Gowans.

Martin is a DJ and an electronic producer under the name Polymath, with a background in the underground dance scene and whose music has been played on Radio 1.

Depeche Mode, The Chemical Brothers, Aphex Twin and Radiohead are among the artists that have influenced their sound.

In December 2019 the band released IV. It received plays on Vic Galloway's BBC Radio Scotland show and on Amazing Radio by DJ and music journalist Jim Gellatly.

IV also secured an artist of the week review by Scotland on Sunday music journalist Derek Mackinnon.

After Dan Buchegger left The Dazed Digital Age after about a year, musician Alasdair Duncan joined as guitarist. Alasdair has been credited with an Arctic Monkeys-esq solo in Symon.

The trio juggle their band commitments - which include sharing song-writing duties - with full-time jobs. Martin is a stonemason, Alasdair an engineer and Gordon an art teacher.

The Dazed Digital Age and Boston terrier Monty

They have played a series of gigs in the lead up to performing on Belladrum's Seedlings Stage on 27 July.

The band regard the festival near Beauly - the Highlands' biggest music event - as one of their best opportunities to win new fans after Inverness music venue Ironworks, where they frequently played, was shutdown earlier this year.

Gordon said: "We genuinely appreciate playing at Bella because it allows us to play to a larger audience."

After Belladrum the band plans to release more music - and also for Gordon and Chloe there is more dog-sitting on the horizon.

"We are going back to LA in a few weeks to look after a dog there called Winston - another Boston terrier," he said.