PATIENCE may be a virtue, but it's also a requirement for fans of Boy with the Lion Head.

The one-time Celtic Connections favourites were regarded as one of the most exciting new bands emerging in Scotland when they released their debut album, The Ebb and Flow, in 2015.

Although David Reid, Alistair Clarkson, Rob Wood, John Findlay and Amy Hamilton earned several festival bookings across the country, as well as gigs at the likes of King Tuts in Glasgow, on the back of their glorious collection of sweeping tracks, it all went a bit quiet the following year.

And it was even quieter the year after that.

But, following another 12 months of being buried away in the studio, they are back.

Next week they release the stunning single, Blind, and next month they will showcase the entire new album, A Half Remembered Dream, at the MacArts in Galashiels.

Keyboard player Rob believes the wait has been worthwhile.

He told us: "We got a lot of attention after we released The Ebb and the Flow and things were going well, but we just sort of lost direction a little.

"We went back into the studio and the songs we were writing just weren't Boy with the Lionhead songs - we were trying to be something we weren't.

"It took a lot of soul searching and time out for us to pick up the pieces.

"It wasn't great at the time but looking back it was the right thing to do - we now have an album of songs that we are proud of.

"This is an album of Boy with the Lion Head songs."

Although only a handful of the new tracks have been slipped out for reviews, the returning Boy with the Lion Head are already being compared to the Twighlight Sad and Kathryn Joseph.

Rob added: "The few songs that are out there have been well received by people who know us.

"I think the album sounds great - the band is playing really well and Steve Murray has made an amazing job of mixing.

"This is definitely progression from our first album.

"We're all a little nervous about getting back on stage but at the same time we're really excited to play our new songs."

Boy with the Lion Head will be supported at the Mac Arts on Saturday, October 5 by the equally exciting National Service from London.

The Fierce Panda-signed band, who have been compared the The xx and even Radiohead, have built up a following in their native London over the past year.

Tickets, priced at only £7, are available from the Mac Arts box office and ticketsource.co.uk.

Doors open at 7pm.