Jon Fratelli on Celtic's 9 in a row, music therapy and life in Glasgow

However, while the Fratellis' lead singer and guitarist is undoubtedly a fan he isn’t up for grandstanding about the Glasgow club’s recent nine-in-a-row triumph.

When asked how he celebrated the feat Jon Fratelli is muted in his response and becomes more animated when he talks about the ‘injustice’ of Hearts’ relegation from the top flight.

“I picked up on it [Celtic] on the news, " he says. "I haven’t been watching any news at all for weeks so my son had to tell me.

“The nine-in-a row thing was never big for me, personally.

“Winning leagues and trophies, I’ll celebrate but this whole idea of the constant bragging rights over Rangers, it doesn’t do much for me.

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“I’m not even going to get involved in that conversation because there could be arguments both ways on whether it was fair or not.

“What I’m certain about is that it was absolutely unfair for Hearts to be relegated without being given the chance to do anything about it. I can’t believe that is even legal.”

Taking Jon back to more comfortable territory in music he tells me the band were about to go on tour in the US when the pandemic struck. A new album was also due to be released and both are now on the backburner.

“At the very last minute, like an hour from going to the airport, we didn’t go, which is good because had we gone, there might have been a bit of an issue getting 
back.

“The album has been moved to October, I don’t see that changing but as for the tour, your guess is as good as mine.”

Jon, who lives in Glasgow’s West End, says the snails pace of lockdown hasn’t fazed him in the slightest.

“It’s been pretty straightforward,” he says.  “I’m lucky that no-one I know has had the virus.

“Lockdown life isn’t too different from my normal life. I spend so much time locked away in my house playing music. Having a garden is always handy. The most I’m noticing is that those who I share a house with [Jon is married with a son] they aren’t used to being in the house all the time. I think I’m dealing with it better than they are.”

Like many, while most avenues of pleasure are shut down he’s sought refuge in music, both playing and listening.

“I think it’s probably just because, people haven’t had time. Most people I know don’t like having too much time off, they are so used to constantly working that when they do get time off they hate it.

“Now people are being forced to go at a slower pace and I think that’s going to be of benefit.

“I don’t know if lockdown has necessarily been that productive [for musicians] but it has been for me.

“I think it’s possibly because we were supposed to release an album in April and then touring until the end of the year so I was in that mode and I think maybe when that was cancelled we realised that it might have to wait until next year and it wasn’t a sigh of relief. It was just more, ‘okay I’m not in that mode anymore, so what will I do with my time?’” 

His obsession with music is one of the reasons the band has been a massive supporter of music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins. Today, Jon will join more than 47 Scottish acts for the Stream4Scotland which aims to raise thousands for the charity and Glasgow-based PPE group ViseUP.

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Other acts pledging their support include Amy Macdonald, Twin Atlantic,  Hipsway and Wet Wet Wet.

Jon says: “We’ve been doing things for them for such a long time. It seems like an obvious one, for musicians but it really is.

“It comes down to this simple equation, when you are asked to do something to help, you do it.

“No, isn’t an option. It’s hard to even talk about music as therapy, it’s not a big enough word.
“It’s been the thing that has driven me crazier than anything else but at the same time it’s been the constant.
The band – bass guitarist Barry Fratelli (Barry Wallace) and drummer and backing vocalist Mince Fratelli (Gordon McRory) formed in 2005, playing their first gig in Glasgow’s O’Henry’s.

Two years later they won the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act and have released five albums and 17 singles. They made the top 10 in the UK charts with Chelsea Dagger and Whistle for the Choir.

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While he says the band are like family, there hasn't been any lockdown catch-ups on Zoom.

 “Oh God no," he says. "I mean we’ve done a couple of things, really because we were asked.

"Two of us live in Glasgow and one lives near Birmingham and we don’t see each other that much. We spend so much time with each other, that over the years you become that way that families become. 

“You can live in completely different continents and not see each other for months and then you pick up as if you’ve seen each other yesterday.”

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