North. Newcastle and then beyond... the train line hugs the open coastline like a limpet. Vast expanses of sand and wide open skies roll out to a cold North Sea. And then just short of the Scottish border is the fortress town of Berwick-Upon-Tweed. Isolated? Yes.

Eastern Lane are born of Berwick. Rehearsals are had in a converted farm shed out in the wilds. Even on a warm day it's freezing - on one side for a wall, there is a polythene sheet. There, Andrew, Danny, Derek and Stuart knock out their set midst an array of gas fires, oil heaters, infra-red heat lamp and a collection of borrowed road signs. A great place to pracice. No interruptions, no distractions, just an opportunity to work on songs. And what songs they are.

Midst this isolation, Eastern Lane recorded a five song demo with little expectation. They copied addresses from their favourite records. No manager and no knowledge. But one could say they got lucky. Rough Trade received the CD unsolicited. Duly intrigued, they went to Berwick and to Barrels.

Come October 2001 Eastern Lane found themselves with a deal. Late in the winter of 2002, Eastern Lane retired to the Old Station House in Akeld to record their debut LP "Shades Of Black". Derek continues, "It was kind of weird setting up in what was essentially the waiting room and knocking out the tunes whilst Iain [Harvie] got it down on tape. We spent five weeks living there. It all got a bit Lord of the flies towards the end "

Shades of Black the debut album from Eastern Lane is available now.

the new single, and NME 'single of the week' Saffron is out on 01.03.04.