Glasgow has never been short of great indie‑pop bands, but every so often one arrives with a spark that feels unmistakably their own. Count Florida — the trio of Mel Whittle, Scott Argo and Andrew Milk — have quietly become one of the city’s most compelling DIY voices, and their new single ‘Last Selfie’ marks a beautifully vulnerable leap forward.
A funny, heartfelt three‑minute jangle about looking back at a relationship with equal parts tenderness and self‑mockery, ‘Last Selfie’ is the band’s debut release for Lost Map Records — and the first glimpse of their forthcoming second album, due later this year. It’s instantly catchy, proudly queer, and steeped in the kind of melodic warmth that has long defined Glasgow’s indie underground.
Count Florida’s story begins in 2019, when Mel and Scott — both multi‑instrumentalists who’d spent years drifting through Glasgow’s DIY scene — reconnected. Mel had cut their teeth drumming in Aberdeen’s punk community before joining indie‑pop outfit The Hermit Crabs, while Scott’s path wound from folk into indie, playing with Cheetaras and Owls of Now. Their early songs were wiry, scrappy, and full of personality, shaped in part by original bassist Isobel McKenna.
Those first releases caught the attention of Glasgow legend Stephen Pastel, who called their debut single “super likeable”. Their 2022 album Choose Your Own… became a cult favourite — praised by The Skinny for its “painfully catchy, razor‑sharp indie‑pop morsels”. It was a record full of life: lockdown horniness, bad jobs, queer romance, transition, transformation, big ginger cats — all delivered with a wink and a beating heart.
When Isobel stepped away in 2024, the band welcomed Andrew Milk — formerly of Shopping and a key figure in Glasgow’s Pop Mutations collective. His arrival nudged Count Florida toward a richer, dreamier palette. The grit softened; the melodies bloomed. The band secured Creative Scotland funding and began shaping their second album: a witty, warm, proudly queer record about persevering through life’s messiness and accepting that imperfection is part of the deal.
‘Last Selfie’ is the perfect introduction to this new era. It’s still Count Florida — still sharp, still charming, still rooted in DIY spirit — but there’s a new emotional clarity, a gentler glow around the edges. Fans of Yo La Tengo or early Camera Obscura will feel right at home.
Signing to Lost Map feels like a perfect fit. The label’s history — from Pictish Trail’s caravan on Eigg to the PostMap Club and its island residencies — has always championed artists who thrive on personality, community and experimentation. Count Florida’s blend of humour, heart and DIY ethos slots neatly into that lineage.
With their second album on the horizon, the band look set to step into a bigger spotlight without losing the intimacy that makes them special.
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