The band’s members’ Scottish roots are a source of deep pride that sits at the heart of Mogwai’s identity. At the time of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Braithwaite was a vocal supporter of the country breaking away from the UK. Almost a decade later, his views have only hardened. Braithwaite's family, on his mother's side, originate from Flesherin on the Isle of Lewis; he was born in Lanark and raised in the rural Clyde Valley. [11] His father was a telescope maker and was involved in the placing of Sighthill stone circle; in 2013 Braithwaite organised a benefit concert to raise funds for the campaign to save the stones, which were then under threat from a proposed redevelopment. [12] Reuss Plasmatron Stuart Braithwaite signature pedal". Reuss Musical Instruments . Retrieved 29 October 2022.

After an initial outing in the unfortunately (and provocatively named), Pregnant Nun, Stuart - alongside teenage friends Dominic Aitchison and Martin Bulloch - upgrades the band name to MOGWAI. They release their first single 'Tuner/Lower' in 1996. Championed by the legendary John Peel, and making a name for themselves for tinnitus-inducing live shows, MOGWAI'S subsequent single 'Summer' is named Single of the Week in NME. Their first album, Mogwai Young Team, follows to significant critical acclaim.

A natural, and often painfully honest, autobiography, Stuart Braithwaite tells of his riotous journey with Mogwai, including all the emotional bumps in the road

You could read the book with the subtitle (the word ‘mayhem’ chosen by the publisher; ‘misspent youth’ by Braithwaite) as the guiding context but perhaps contrarily I found this the least interesting perspective. There are definitely some great anecdotes (particularly one involving a manhole cover) and some funny incidents that read like being in the pub with your pals the day after after a long night out. But for me, it’s the quieter bits where Braithwaite’s writing voice comes through. The last chapter about the death and legacy of Stuart‘s father is emotionally rich and touching and together with the first chapters that tell how Stuart‘s love for music developed definitely one of the better / best passages of the memoir. He says the tight friendship that exists between him and his bandmates has deepened over the years they’ve been making music together, reinforcing their determination to tread their own path, regardless of prevailing trends. “We’ve always had an us-against-everyone attitude right from the start. We’ve always had that kind of gang mentality.” I was a little surprised the book ends where it did instead of continuing on to the present day. Especially as I thought a comment by Robert Smith hinted at Richie Sacramento. As much as music has been the guiding light in my life I think that the people that I’ve met through it have been even more defining. Earlier this month we lost the wonderful Mimi Parker from Low to ovarian cancer. It’s such a heartbreaking loss. Low are among my favourite musicians, and wonderful people too. Mimi had one of the most beautiful voices and was a sweet, kind, funny person.

I had another video that featured Iggy, a compilation of performances from Factory Records boss Tony Wilson’s So It Goes show. The performance from Iggy on this was even more mesmerising. It was live footage from the Manchester Apollo where he played The Passenger. It was completely visceral.

Getting To Know You: Mogwai's and Minor Victories' Stuart Braithwaite". Loud And Quiet . Retrieved 23 March 2021.