During his football career, Allan decided to write songs and form a band. After touring Scotland for several years Glasvegas released four singles, before eventually being signed to Columbia. His songs deal with social issues such as
psychopathic fathers ("
Daddy's Gone"), murder ("
Flowers & Football Tops") and the challenges of social work ("
Geraldine"). He also wrote about homosexuality ("I Feel Wrong"). On 8 September 2009, a Tuesday, bandmates Rab Allan and Paul Donoghue announced that James Allan had been missing since the previous Friday, which resulted in a no-show at the
Mercury Prize awards ceremony. However, he made a call to the band's manager on 9 September 2009 that he was safe and well in New York, where Glasvegas were about to embark upon a US tour supporting
Kings of Leon. It is thought that the lack of communication sourced from Allan being without a mobile phone for six months, according to bandmates. Allan cites
Elvis Presley and
Phil Spector as his main influences. He also says that
Ian McCulloch of
Echo and the Bunnymen is one of his inspirations. ==References==