Phoebe Judge

Gavin says their main influence was, quote, the best white rapper we could think of, Eminem.

Eminem released his major label debut album, the Slim Shady LP, in 1999, not long after Gavin and Billy had met.

One reviewer wrote that his lyrics are so clever that he makes murder sound funny.

One night, Gavin, Billy and Oscar stayed out very late and ended up going back to Gavin's room.

Oscar got on the computer.

A record label was holding open auditions in London.

Gavin, Billy, and Oscar took a 13-hour bus ride there, playing porcupine most of the way.

But when they finally got to the audition, the line to get in went around the block twice.

When they got to the audition room, they handed the sound guy their CD.

Gavin remembers there were Xs on the floor for them to stand on, in front of a table with three English talent scouts from the record label, A&Rs, sitting behind it.

Gavin says they all went straight to a pub after that.

And while they were there, they decided to go and try to see someone else before they left London.

Gavin says that he and Billy didn't say a word to each other for the whole 13-hour bus ride back home.

When Gavin got back home, he started spending more and more time alone.

And he wasn't sleeping well.

And then one night he was watching TV and a movie came on.

If being Scottish was the problem, then they'd become Americans.

I'm Phoebe Judge.

This is Criminal.

We'll be right back.