About

Biography

Like we’ve never
been apart

Restricted Code are one of the great might-have-beens of Scottish new wave — and one of its most unlikely second acts.

School friends Tom Cannavan and Frank Quadrelli grew up together in Easterhouse, on the eastern edge of Glasgow, soaking up everything from punk to funk to soul. They formed Restricted Code in 1978, and by 1979 were part of the first stirrings of what became the Sound of Young Scotland, appearing alongside Positive Noise and The Alleged on the Second City Statik EP. The call that changed everything came from Bob Last — manager of The Human League and the man behind Fast Product, the label that gave the world Gang of Four and The Mekons. Last loved their demos and signed them to his new imprint, Pop:aural.

What followed was a whirlwind. The band toured relentlessly — supporting The Human League across the UK and Europe, and crossing the country on a co-headline run with label-mates The Fire Engines — and recorded sessions for John Peel and Richard Skinner at the BBC. Sounds crowned them the “best gig of 1981”; NME, The Face and Melody Maker came calling; and one legendary London gig drew a front row of Debbie Harry, John Peel, Julian Cope and the Sex Pistols. Then, in late 1981 — the pressure of acclaim outpacing commercial breakthrough — they split, without ever releasing an album.

That should have been the end of the story. Instead, more than three decades later, a friendship rekindled online turned into a quiet jam, then a support slot, then another — until Restricted Code were back on stage. Founder-songwriters Cannavan and Quadrelli were joined by original bassist Kenny Blythe and original drummer Robert McCormick — now on keyboards — with old friend Les Gaff completing the new five-piece on drums. A fresh seam of songwriting opened up: the I Got Lost EP landed in 2020, a run of singles followed, and in 2025 they finally made the record four decades in the making — Chasing Shadows, released on Last Night From Glasgow, reaching #34 on the UK Official Scottish Albums Chart and #13 on the Indie Breakers Chart, pressed on limited yellow vinyl.

Long compared to Talking Heads, David Bowie and Roxy Music, and revisited on Cherry Red’s Big Gold Dream compilation and in the book Hungry Beat, Restricted Code are no longer a footnote. As the band puts it: “It’s like we have never been apart.”

Where the name comes from →  ·  The full timeline →