Amelia Briggs Haldane and Neal McHarg are two-piece electronic synth and drum duo Roller Disco Death Party. The pair have been filling dance floors since meeting in 2020, with a style influenced by the big beatled floor-fillers of the early 00s – Justice, Soulwax, Chemical Brothers. Appropriately enough, they’ve got a big summer of festivals on the horizon, starting with Hidden Door on 11th June. SNACK caught up with them to find out more.
Hidden Door are known for putting on gigs in unusual places: what’s the weirdest place you’ve played? What was the best?
Amelia: With this project, we’ve only done a handful of shows so far, as Roller Disco Death Party has been going for just over a year. But we’ve already played some great venues like SWG3, McChuills, and Nice ’n’ Sleazy.
Neal: Over the course of my music career, one of the most unusual places I’ve played was a secret rave space just off South Bridge in Edinburgh’s Cowgate. We went on around 2am, and the place turned into a full-on rave cave, which was packed with people dancing and having a great time into the early hours. It was wild.
How did you guys get together and what was it that made you want to work together?
Both: We actually met during the pandemic through a youth work programme that Neal runs as part of his day job. Amelia was invited to take part in an online video library featuring interviews with music industry professionals about their careers. She’s the founder of GigSafe, which focuses on creating safe spaces at live events, as well as being an active musician in the scene.
Once the world opened up again, we met in person, started jamming, and quickly found a connection. That’s when the idea to merge live synths with live drums really took shape and it all came together quite naturally from there.
You’ve both worked with music-based charity organisations; how does that inform how you approach gigs?
The link is definitely personal, as it reflects our values. Our shared background in activism and community work is rooted in inclusion, equality, collaboration and social justice. These are core to who we are, so they naturally feed into our music. It’s all connected, and when your values come through in your art, it creates a real connection with people.
We don’t believe the artist can be separated from the art. What you stand for, how you act offstage, and the communities you support all feed into how people experience your work. The music is one part of a bigger picture and people feel that authenticity when it’s there.
How does playing festival sets differ from a club environment?
The crowd vibe can be quite different. In a club, the audience usually knows who you are and comes along with a good idea of what to expect. At festivals, people might not know you beforehand; they’re often there for the overall experience. That means they might take a chance on your set and discover you by accident, which is always a special moment.
Festivals give you the opportunity to win over a new crowd. Both settings are great in their own way and we enjoy playing everywhere.
Has the clubbing scene changed a lot in the last few years?
We’ve definitely noticed some changes since clubs reopened. There seems to be more people aged 30 and over out dancing, which is great to see. We’ve had a few nights out at the Berkeley Suite, and the crowd there is always a real mix of different ages, different backgrounds. Just loads of people coming together to enjoy the music.
At our own shows, it’s been the same. The audiences have been really varied, and it feels like everyone’s just keen to be out again, enjoying live music and the buzz of the scene. It’s like everyone just wants to be out and about again.
You’ve got a pretty massive summer coming up. What’s next?
We’ve got Hidden Door Festival on Wednesday 11th June, then a show we’re buzzing about: McChuills on 21st June, with our new favourite band KuleeAngee and FINNfm. After that, we’re heading to Kelburn Garden Party on Saturday 5th July. So yeah, a really exciting summer ahead.
We’ve also got some great music collaborations in the works, including a few names from the Scottish music scene that you’ll definitely recognise. We’ll be announcing everything on our socials soon. Keep an eye out!
Roller Disco Death Party play Hidden Door Festival, Edinburgh, on 11th June and McChuills, Glasgow, on 21st June.
All photos credit Brian Sweeney.
