Andrew Paterson, the Glasgow songwriter behind Pat's Alternative Bus Tour, has a third album on the way. The Big Light is released digitally and on vinyl by Last Bus Records on Monday 16 November 2026. Paterson is also in the Glasgow indiepop band The Felt Tips, and this is his solo project.
The press release describes an album that switches between darker themes, such as online trolling and legalised prostitution, and lighter songs about inter-band rivalry or, yes, taboos around interior lighting. Pat's arrangements are said to be bright and playful, with ebows, backwards guitars, church organs and triangles all making an appearance.
An album that goes from trolling to lampshades is not one you meet every day, and I'm happy to back it. Song titles like She Works in McDonald's and Learn to Love Your Troll tell you Paterson is writing about real life, and I'm pleased to recommend The Big Light to anyone who follows Scottish indiepop.
A limited number of 12 inch vinyl copies, with shimmering artwork and full printed lyrics, can be ordered through Elastic Stage from early November, and CD copies are coming soon. The album reaches most streaming services on 16 November.
Tracklist:
- 1. She Works in McDonald's
- 2. Keeping Up With the Joanses
- 3. Forget Me Not
- 4. Learn to Love Your Troll
- 5. Hold Back the Sea
- 6. Even You Broke Someone's Heart
- 7. Russian Drone
- 8. The Big Light
- 9. Missing in Amsterdam
- 10. Further to Fall
The two earlier albums have had good notices. Bluesbunny said of second album World to Rights that "if I were a doctor, I might even write you a prescription for it", and Rosy Overdrive called the debut, Virtual Virgins, built on "breezy, acoustic, C86-influenced indie pop foundations" with "heavily-Scottish-accented vocals".
Watch the video for Russian Drone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-gPnbMBwP4
Order the vinyl: https://elasticstage.com/patsbus/releases/the-big-light-album
More at https://www.patsalternativebustour.com and https://patsalternativebustour.bandcamp.com/