What Am I Making #016 - Kevin and Scott Robertson of The Vapour Trails

When I was a teenager, I would have told you that my dream of a trip to England was to play Royal Albert Hall, The Hacienda or The Cavern. I envisioned of my own version of Live At Leeds. To my teenage brain, success meant hallowed halls, superstardom and household names.What I could never have imagined was that more than three decades after I held that calcified belief aloft, my own dream of success would now look a lot more like a two week house tour of the UK and the chance to visit new friends in Scotland than it would tearing around the great halls of Europe.Success certainly never would have been the first word my teenage self would have used to describe a fifty something year old dude and his son who had a band together in Aberdeen. And success would never have been a word I would use to describe a band partially willed into being by a 20 year old young man with wicked talent trying to get his old man to rock out a bit again for the first time in decades.Yet, success is the theme of the story. Just not in the conventional sense of the word. Kevin and Scott Robertson are a father and son who are not just sharing their passion with each other, they are pushing each other to grow as musicians and songwriters.They say that nothing harmonizes like blood and the Robertsons are living proof. From their original songs in The Vapour Trails, a variety of cover versions that Scott and Kevin regularly share on social media as well as a gorgeous acoustic cover that the pair submitted last year as a part of the Guided By Voices tribute project I did over at Phonophore Records.That harmony is natural and so is their report in or chat here. What’s more the Robertsons were welcoming and wonderfully good natured as they shared their story of family as music, and music as family.Getting the chance to know Scott and Kevin a bit better, I was amazed that the work they have been doing in the Vapour Trails has all happened in the last five year, and all while they have held down full-time day jobs, navigated Covid, been included in their local football scene, and have also managed to carveout a life for themselves as well outside of music.It is easy to talk about distant fathers, absent parents and young folks who no longer wanna play live music. All of those stereotypes and more are obliterated - or at least mildly dented - in the chat that follows.I am so thrilled to have the chance to share the story of The Vapour Trails, Kevin and Scott Robertson, and their corner of the world up in Aberdeen. It was even more exciting that after we stopped recording, I realized that I had completely forgotten to talk to the two of them about their upcoming gig at the aforementioned Cavern Club! I quickly hit record again and managed to get in another stint of good stuff before the Robertsons headed off into the Scottish sunset.Here is proof once again that there are good people doing good things in this world. Doing these things because they have to be done, for no reason other than that primal need to get it out into the ether. Scott snd Kevin’s lives are enhanced immeasurably by sharing their musical passion with each other. My ether is better off for the Robertsons finding a spot within it. I feel pretty certain yours will be too.Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe