404 gets the band back together for Carrie Marshall's new book!
Photo credit: David Marshall
We’re excited to be teaming up once more for Carrie Marshall’s musical exploration, Small Town Joy: From Glam Rock to Hyperpop: how queer music changed the sound of Scotland. Travelling from bothys to the Barras, Marshall shares the sounds, stories and sheer joy of the queer music scene. The book will publish in March 2025.
LGBT+ musicians have long mined beauty from the darkest of seams, and today’s artists are taking that treasure and using it to make magic. From the ‘70s and ‘80s, where being queer was dangerous, through the musical resistance that told kids they weren’t alone under Section 28, to global stardom that centres and celebrates queerness, and the young team who continue to break binaries and boundaries in their work, the book is set to capture Scotland’s cultural evolution.
Exploring musicians and organisations across genres, from local choirs, to acclaimed musicians, to icons who have inspired the LGBT+ scene over the decades, Marshall details artist stories, interviews and fan recollections alongside her own experiences travelling and researching across the country, as both a musician and life-long music fan.
“I’m delighted to be getting the band back together again for my second 404 Ink book,” says Carrie. “Small Town Joy follows Scots musicians from bedrooms to The Barras and beyond, tracing the glittery threads that link punk and pop, folk and funk, rave and rock. It’s a provocation and a celebration, a mixtape dedicated to the tunes and talent that’s crossed genres, genders and generations to change the sound of Scotland.”
Safe to say, we are equally excited to be working with Carrie yet again, and can’t wait to share this new book with you.
