Second wind for Elgin band

A LOCAL band will re-emerge this week with the launch a new single after an eight-year hiatus.

The members of Elgin-based band Third Connection were forced by work commitments to turn down their passion for music making – but have now reformed as a four-piece and got straight to work on new self-penned songs.

Their single "3am" is set for release this Friday.

The new offering is fast-tempo rock, "influenced by nights out and having a good time", and recorded at Magic Box studios in Dundee.

The unsigned group – singer Sam Milne from Mosstodloch, bassist John Leggat from Burghead, and drummer Steven Riddell and guitarist Alistair Riddell, both from Elgin – made their debut 10 years ago at a Mad Ferret gig at The Loft, Kinloss, and went on to become familiar faces on the Moray gig circuit before hitting the UK's cities.

Past highlights for the band were supporting Jon Fratelli at The Loft, gigs at the Ironworks in Inverness and the Cavern Club in Liverpool, as well as regular headline appearances at student haunt Drummonds in Aberdeen.

And in 2010 the band made the semi-final of UK-wide competition, Live and Unsigned – a talent contest dubbed the "UK's largest competition for original music".

John said: "We’re excited for our first release in eight years and first into online platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.

"It’s good to be back playing together and making music."

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