National Park is the long-term, part-time project of John Hogarty (The Pastels, Telstar Ponies). Formed in 1997 to play at The Pastels club, ‘Illumination’, the initial 1997 lineup of Hogarty (vocals and guitar), Simon Shaw (bass), Michael McGaughrin (drums) and Scott Walker (guitar) has changed over the years and has included various players from the Glasgow music scene – notably Gerard Love and Eilidh Rodgers.
During the 2000s, National Park played and recorded mostly as a trio with Hogarty and Shaw being the constants. During this time they released a lathe cut 7” in Australia, ‘Secret Songs’ and a 7” in the UK, ‘The Only Stars’.
After an extended break, since 2025 the band have been performing and recording with the settled lineup of John Hogarty (vocals and guitar), Simon Shaw (bass, Trembling Bells, Youth of America), Finlay Macdonald (guitar, wor_kspace, Teenage Fanclub) and Jennifer Hamilton (drums and backing vocals). They released the ‘Solo Demos EP’ in 2025 featuring new National Park recordings.
Their music has been described as having some similarities to The Velvet Underground, Galaxie 500 and Yo La Tengo “without sounding like anything else” (Byron Coley, The Wire). They describe themselves as occupying the space between the visceral and the whistleable.
outside
In 2026, the Errol’s Hot Wax label was excited to announce the release of the album ‘outside’; a collection of singles, EPs and previously unreleased tracks. Recorded at home between 1997 and 2026. It is intended to be heard as an album – all albums are compilations of tracks over time! The LP comes with an 8-page booklet with photos, set lists, lyrics and posters from across this time. It will also feature as part of monorail music’s excellent Glasgow School series.
From the monorail music Glasgow School edition notes:
“outside is their belated debut album – epic in places, intimate, gentle, wild. It’s geographic with a small ‘g’ – all about details – that exact vantage point on Great Western Road where everything opens up VU style – ride into the sun, have a glorious moment… it shines light on a beautiful corner of one of the best community-based music scenes in the world. National Park continue to be part of all things Glasgow – their current incarnation is one of their best.”
Mark Neeley, Aquarium Drunkard:
“Of course, from their era or otherwise, no one sounds quite like National Park, and outside is one of the most promising archival/modern hybrid releases you’ll come across this year.”
Contact
Please contact via the National Park Bandcamp contact form