HONNE are taking the music scene by storm, with a huge new single under their belts 'Someone That Loves You' in collaboration with Izzy Bizu, there is no stopping this incredible electronic-soul duo. We chatted to HONNE about SXSW, developing their sound as a full band and festival season. Check out the full interview below!
Hi there, so we see you’ve been pretty busy touring the US at the moment! How was that?
Hello! Yep we were there for a load of our own gigs and SXSW. It was a really special couple of weeks and we had some very memorable shows. We can't wait to get back!
Talk to us about SXSW? It looked amazing this year! Which set was your favourite to play?
SXSW is a mad festival. We played 7 shows over a few days all over Austin. I think our favourite set was probably at the Hype Hotel. It was at 1pm so we were expecting everyone to be in bed hungover to be honest! But just before 1 the place suddenly filled up.
Any acts that stood out for you?
One act that stood out to us was Pumarosa. We saw them play a great set at the Fader Fort. We saw them at the Royal Albert Hall in London the other day too actually, their sound really suited that huge room.
We saw you play a year ago supporting Kwabs as a duo at Thekla (you were amazing by the way), and now you’ve headlined Thekla and the Electric Brixton with a full band to support you guys. How has this whirlwind of a year been for you? How has the development of having a full band affected your shows and music? What can we expect this year in terms of live shows?
Ah thanks. We've loved every minute of it. Ever since day one we always said when we played live we wanted to use a full band to make it really energetic and step it up a notch from the record. We've been playing as the same group of people for a long time now, so there's a real chemistry between us all. So people can expect smooth and sexy, but also bright, loud and exciting.
Let’s talk about your recent Valentine’s day release, Woman. What was the principal inspiration for it?
Woman was written between International Women's Day and Valentine's Day last year. We wanted to write a track celebrating the women in our lives, and it's as much about friends and family as it is lovers.
The video is great too, do you guys get creative input when putting the videos together?
Yep, we're really involved with anything creative. That video concept was sent to us by an amazing director in LA called Dori. We chatted with him and threw ideas around and the video was born!
So an album is on the way we are guessing from your Facebook posts. How does the album process differ from previous releases? What can we expect from the album?
It is indeed. We're just finishing it off as we speak. The album is a great opportunity for us to explore. It's got a few tracks that you'll already know, but the majority are new. We hope it's going to take people on a bit of a journey and show everyone some other sides to HONNE that they might not have heard before.
Lastly, you’re playing numerous festivals this summer, including the intimate Barn On The Farm Festival. What’s your favourite aspect about fetsival season? Any acts you’re looking forward to seeing?
We are, and we can't wait. Festivals are great. I think my favourite thing, other than the gig itself, is seeing the other artists who we bump into all the time. We often see Lapsley, Tei Shi, Shura, Tom Misch etc on the same festivals as us, so it's cool seeing them play and catching up.
What's your festival must-have?
A Festival must-have: A blow up bed. We're not roll-mat kinda guys.
HONNE are playing numerous festivals this year including Barn on the Farm Festival, July 1st - 3rd in Gloucestershire. For more information please visit www.barnonthefarm.co.uk
Alternative rock five-piece Nothing But Thieves have been conquering the music scene this year. With an incredible debut album released last month and numerous epic singles, there is no stopping this band. We caught up with guitarist Joe and bassist Phil before their headline show at a sold-out Thekla in Bristol. The show itself was outstanding, the live-set itself was flawless and the boat literally rocked. Check out our interview below:
First question, so how did the name Nothing But Thieves come about?
Joe: There’s a quote and it said, ‘Don’t be impressionable, your religious leaders are nothing but mega thieves.’ I don’t think mega thieves is a very good band name, but thought Nothing But Thieves is a good band name so there you go.
Phil: What would a mega-thief be like?
Joe: Steals everything like it’s not bolted down, it’s gone!
When did you all decide to form a band? Were you always a five-piece?
Joe: It kind of morphed. It was probably myself, Conor and Dom. We were jamming for ages, just kind of wrote songs. Then, as we kind of got songs together we needed members so...
Phil: You can’t really do the live thing without drums and bass. So those guys went to school together, me and Dom are cousins.
Joe: Price used to open with his band for our old band and when our drummer left we took on Price.
Phil: We stole him, we are mega thieves.
Was alternative rock the genre you always wanted to go into?
Joe: It was always going to be rock as we play guitar. However, we try to be more than just your typical rock band, I guess more alternative rock.
Phil: We have loads and loads and loads of inspiration behind our sound.
Joe: Anything that takes rock music but doesn’t do it in the standard way. You get a lot of guitar rock bands which I just find a bit boring. So like, Arcade Fire do something really interesting with their sound, Radiohead are really interesting too. Back in the day, Pink Floyd as well. Anyone like that really.
Tell us about your album artwork. How did the horse logo come about?
Phil: I got it tattooed.
Joe: He did, there (points).
Phil: It got infected.
Joe: It’s bad luck for the album isn’t it.
Phil: I couldn’t believe it, I bashed it. I got it done when we were on the road, not actually on the road like in a tattoo place when we were on the road. I had it done and then I bashed it when I was playing the bass and damaged it completely.
Joe: But the design actually came from when I was doing my dissertation. We needed album artwork and I was procrastinating and I just started looking up photos that maybe we could use and I came across this elephant that was disintegrating. I liked the image, it was cool, there was an actual element that was kind of falling apart. I gave it to our artist who does a lot of our artwork like the circle logo and stuff. He’s good, we really like what he does. So I gave that to him and he came back with the horse with the actual element of being enclosed by smoke.
So is this one of your first headline shows in Bristol apart from Dot to Dot?
Phil: Not quite true, we did The Birdcage back in the day. Technically that was our first show here in Bristol. We met a band called Cursor Major who we love. They were a local Bristol band.
Joe: This is like our second show technically. But, the first big one. Dot to Dot was really good this year. My guitar stopped working during the first track which was great!
Phil: That was one of the first shows we did actually that when we played we realised that people were actually hearing the music, it was getting out there. The radio were playing us a lot and it was the first time that we could see a load of people singing back.
Joe: That was actually part of the switch for us. It was the point where no-one really knew us and then there was a little buzz around the band.
Phil: So yes it was actually Bristol where we realised that. Also, we played Thekla before supporting Darlia and Conor did his first ever stage dive.
What’s been your favourite show so far on this European tour?
Phil: Poland was mad. We seem to go down there quite well. It was an 800 capacity venue that was sold out which was mad. I felt like I was in the Beatles or something. They were screaming for us. It was mad.
Joe: We did our first Italian headline in Milan and Bologna. Both sold out and it was just crazy.
Phil: They’ve all been like really really really special. They’re our own shows and lots of them have been sold out so that’s been insane on its own. We enjoy what we do so they’ve all been great.
How was festival season? Favourite festival you played at?
Joe: Reading will always be good for us because that’s the one we always went to as kids.
Phil: What was that one after Rome?
Joe: So we played with Muse in Rome which was amazing. But the very next day we went from that and flew from Rome to Belgium to play this festival, I can’t remember what it was called.
Phil: We didn’t even have a hotel, we went straight from Rock in Roma to the airport. So we played in front of 36000 people and then we got on a flight, went to Belgium.
Joe: And we played to about 40 people.
Phi: When we first went on we played to around 10 people and we were just laughing. We were just drained and we had to just laugh about it.
Joe: The night before was obviously incredible and just before we got on at this festival we realised we were back down to earth. But it was still fun. Reading was amazing. Also, there’s this festival called Lowlands in The Netherlands.
Phil: It’s like the Dutch Glastonbury. That was great.
Joe: There was such a buzz about our band and the tent was so full that they had to send people away and close the sides of the tent to stop people trying to get in.
Phil: It was a nice feeling.
So your debut album came out last month, what was the songwriting process like?
Joe: It differed from track to track. It was written over a long long time, over like two and a half to three years maybe. So it’s odd to collate it all into one album really. It all seemed a bit fragmented. All the songs came out differently, we don’t really have a formula when we write so the album sounds quite different from song to song. We designed it that way, we don’t want to write the same song twelve times. Sometimes they come from a lyric, sometimes they come from a drum loop, anything really. I don’t think we are good enough to have a formula, we just kind of jump on anything that works.
Do you have a favourite track off your album?
Phil: I think we worked so hard on making it a full album that I don’t really have a favourite. I actually just kind of like enjoy listening to it. We’re all quite proud of it. I’m proud of everything that we all did.
Joe: I wouldn’t put it on to listen to yet because it’s too recent. I still know what went into it. We’re not sick of it though.
Phil: There’s not a particular favourite though.
Joe: I’m probably proud of the song, ‘If I Get High.’ It seemed really cohesive to me.
Your most recent video that’s up is ‘Wake Up Call’-how was it filming that clip?
Joe: You know how we say that we’re not sick of the album. When you do a video you get so sick of the song.
Phil: Yeah, that was outrageous. They always like doing slow-motion shots, but to get that you have to play to the track sped up, so when they slow the track down it looks like you’re going in slow-motion and you’re playing in time. So you play along in time with it and the quicker you move, the better it will look. So playing it fast that much was tiring. The paper flying around was also weird. There was a lot of smoke and they were all going ‘CUT’ and everyone was coughing, it was really bad!
Joe: Originally there wasn’t enough paper so it kind of looked like someone had just thrown a paper aeroplane about. Eventually, it turned out alright though.
How was it performing the VEVO live sessions?
Phil: They were good, although again it was playing those songs a lot of times in a row.
Joe: That was part of the VEVO lift thing we won so that was cool.
Phil: They got us a plaque!
Joe: Each!
Phil: That’s going to go up somewhere.
Joe: It’s the first thing we’ve won as a band.
Phil: It’s the first thing I’ve ever won really. I really wanted a medal as a kid but never got a medal.
Joe: But yea, the performances were fun! That’s our favourite bit as a band. Especially nowadays, you get asked to do a lot of stuff that sometimes isn’t very fun. The music bit is the fun bit.
More things coming up soon?
Joe: Can’t tell you what but lots of things coming up early next year. New single. We’re just talking about the new video now actually.
Phil: The one thing we can tell you is that it’s on the album! You can find it on there but I can’t tell you which one but it’s there!
So with your music videos do you help with the ideas?
Joe: Yeah, massively. We send out a brief to a load of directors and they bring it back and then they might help with the rewriting of some of the ideas and stuff.
Phil: We’re currently in that process now. We know the power of a music video, they really affect a song. You can spend so long on a song and then have a really rubbish video behind it so we’re quite strict with it being good.
Joe: We want it to be good so...
You’ve got a massive tour coming up, including Shepherd’s Bush Empire, excited?
Joe: Yeah, crazy excited about that.
Phil: There are some big big dates there. It will be really exciting. I can’t wait! But we have a lot of stuff before then.
Joe: We go to Japan, Australia, America, and other tours.
What was the last track you listened to today?
Joe: I listened to ‘Hungry Heart’ by Bruce Springsteen.
Phil: I listen to this band called Silver Sun Pickups who not a lot of people know but they’re really good. I highly recommend them. They have this really really good song that I listen to all the time but the title is a little bit embarrassing.
Joe: Go on.
Phil: It doesn’t mean it, like they’re American or Canadian but it’s called ‘The Royal We’. The end bit he’s just like shouting ‘The Royal We’ and I’m just like, ‘That means something different!’ I recommend that song though. It’s an interesting title and I have great music taste.
Indie four-piece VITAMIN have been taking the music scene by storm, with catchy, energetic tracks and memorable lyrics there is no stopping them. Currently on tour with Sundara Karma, we caught up with frontman Jared and guitarist Cameron. Check out the interview below:
How did you guys meet in the first place?
Jared: We met in school, high school. Me, Cameron and Theo played together and we did covers and stuff and little gigs around Leeds and we met Harri who’s the bassist who was in another band. We met then, and we didn’t really do anything until about four or five years from that point. Then about two years ago we bumped into Harri at a party and I was like ‘Do you want to come play bass for us?’ and he said, ‘Yeah,’ and then he just came and it was really good.
Where did the name VITAMIN originate from? Who came up with it?
Jared: I think it was a group thing really. I think we were just really into it.
Cameron: Yeah, we lit all these crazy smoke candles, like incense sticks and we held hands in a circle and went, ‘One, two, three...VITAMIN.’ So that’s pretty magical.
Your logo and single artwork really stands out. How did you come up with the vegetable and sweets idea?
Jared: It was actually a piece of art that I just stumbled across by accident in a magazine and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ and it really jumped out to me. I thought, ‘Well, if it jumps out to me surely other people might share that feeling about it.’ So I thought that would be a great EP or album cover. We just approached the artist and said, ‘Hey, can we use that?’.
Cameron: It kind of ties into our whole idea of making a big collective out of vitamin-wear. So like a collaboration between us, our friends, producers, artists. So becomes this whole sort of thing that has a really strong identity.
Jared: Yeah, because we’ve used her for our first EP, using her for the second EP and hopefully you know, we’ll do it for the album aswell. So it’s like, the same artist is always there, does all the artwork as it gets bigger.
Cameron: Yeah, that’s what we were thinking of having a consistent thing throughout really.
So you’re supporting Sundara Karma on this tour. How’s that been so far?
Jared: It’s been really good, we’re having a really good time.
Cameron: It’s actually been pretty plain sailing, like nothing dramatic has happened particularly. I lost my bag, that was pretty bad but apart from that it’s been just lovely, like really really good fun.
Any shows that stood out for you on this tour?
Jared: Last night was great in Southampton, Nottingham and Manchester were really good, Leeds was really good. Actually, a lot of them have been really good.
Cameron: Yeah, there hasn’t been a single bad one. Which is really really cool.
Do you enjoy the live show aspect of being a band?
Cameron: Yeah, absolutely, we love it. Just tour, party, chat with people, see old friends see new friends.
Jared: Yeah, that’s the best thing that we get to see a lot of our friends who have moved to different cities. The best bit also is meeting so many new people. I constantly like being in different places, which we’re just kind of like getting into it and going with it you know?
Cameron: Yeah, it’s fun.
So you’ve been relatively busy in terms of touring, supporting Rat Boy a month ago. How was the audience reception on that tour?
Jared: The demographic varies I think but the crowds themselves were really receptive of us as they are on this tour aswell.
How was playing the prestigious KOKO the other night?
Jared: That was amazing, that was definitely a highlight because we headlined it and it was a really really nice venue and it was for Halloween and NME. It was all the right things I think.
Cameron: It was just amazing. Fully massive I was like ‘Woah!’
You’ve been putting on your own residency in Leeds? You have two more dates coming up?
Jared: Yeah, basically we’ll finish this tour and then play that straight away. We’re basically doing it monthly at the moment, in the same place but we go and curate the night ourselves. We put on the people we really like in Leeds. So it’s kind of like us starting a little bit of a scene around us and all the other bands in Leeds. I think there’s a space for it if you know what I mean?
Any special things planned for the residency? Anything for Christmas?
Cameron: We’ve got some ideas, definitely ideas. Either cheesy Christmas party vibe or like something a bit more hmm we’ll think about it.
So ‘To Believe’ is your new single/EP. What was the inspiration behind the track itself?
Jared: The track itself is kind of like the fear of...how would you put it?
Cameron: For me personally, it’s about having anxiety and feeling out of control of yourself at a point, but then finding that one thing to believe in that brings you back to reality. So the message is kind of like, there’s always something worth striving for to bring you back down to a happy place. You know what I mean?
Jared: Yeah, definitely.
What’s your overall songwriting process like? Or does it differ from track to track?
Jared: It differs from track to track. Some tracks we’ll get into the room and like ignite, the whole thing would just come there and then. Or somebody will bring something separate to it and we’ll go from there. Or we’ll start with a little electronic loop. We write to electronics quite a lot, because it’s just so easy to just make something on your laptop and just play it and just sing to it. Kind of like a karaoke!
Cameron: Glorified karaoke!
Your ‘Need Air’ Live Session was recently uploaded. Was that different to filming an official video as such? More nerve-wracking?
Jared: Yeah, I suppose it was a standard band session I guess. I suppose it’s the first time we’ve really done something like that. It’s not anything groundbreaking but it was different for us to do, you know? With all our videos so far we haven’t really been performing in them. In the ‘To Believe’ video we threw a kind of party and we’re performing at that, but that was very like performance focused. ‘Need Air’ was filmed at the Brudenell Social Club, the place where we do our residency, we live literally five minutes down the road from it.
Cameron: Yeah, we see gigs there, go for drinks there. It’s been kind of our little social hub for the last three/four years really.
Jared: Yeah, it all just ties in really.
In a lot of your videos you utilise old video footage as such, whose idea was this?
Cameron: I think it’s something we all just have a mutual love of. We really love old VHS style videos and recordings and stuff and to bring that in and mix it with high quality HD footage. For us, it’s a nice twist between our sound and image and I feel like it’s the right visual representation.
Jared: We like it because you can go on Youtube and find all the old 90’s rave videos of people just absolutely just going all over the place.
Cameron: I love those, at college I just used to watch 45 minute videos. They’d have the best old school tunes and just these guys absolutely in the moment. How it looks it’s just great.
Jared: That’s the thing, there’s such an atmosphere to VHS that you just cannot capture even when you like try to replicate it with a HD camera or whatever. It just has like a good vibe.
Cameron: Yeah, we’ve just always loved that vibe so it makes sense to do it in our videos.
Favourite track of yours at the moment? Why?
Cameron: Mine’s probably ‘To Believe’ because the song means a lot to me lyrically, it’s like the most fun playing. I love it. It has a nice funky riff. It always has a great reaction live. I love the video, I’m just really proud of that tune.
Jared: Yeah, I really like that one. I also really like the one which we close our set with at the moment called ‘Waterfall’.
Cameron: That’s a good one, I really like it.
What was the recording process like for the EPs?
Jared: Very relaxed I think.
Cameron: Working with a guy called Richard and he’s become such a part of us, like he’s the funniest guy. Every time we record with him, it’s wicked. So fun and relaxed but we always get a really great end product.
Do you record in Leeds?
Jared: We’ve been recording in Liverpool up Parr Street which is where we did all the EPs. Actually, we’re doing our album in a converted church that is now a studio in Leeds. That’s where we’re doing our album.
Cameron: Keeping it local.
Jared: We went there the other day to check it out before we start recording and it’s just amazing. I like to think that it would make a really good house as it has a really good layout. It’s got a pool table downstairs which is really nice.
Cameron: Yeah, it’s really lovely.
Jared: We’ll basically be living there.
What can fans expect from VITAMIN in the future?
Jared: Just bigger, better, more exciting. Just constantly evolving.
Finally, what’s the last track you listened to today?
Jared: I think it was actually a Queen song. I think it was ‘The Miracle’ by Queen. I was listening to that, I don’t know why. I was just like, ‘I’m going to listen to that tune.’
Cameron: I think the last tune I listened to was ‘Gin and Juice’ by Snoop Dogg actually. I like a bit of a party vibe.
Jared: That’s basically what we sound like, those two songs. Snoop Dogg and Queen. Just push them really hard together.
Several murmurs and whispers full of anticipation circulated the compact Thekla in Bristol on Sunday night. With an audience full of a mixed demographic, excitement filled the room as all waited for Nottingham five-piece Amber Run to set foot onto the stage. Eventually, the brightness of the room diminished and atmospheric sounds permeated the space, the crowd resorted to stillness as they awaited the appearance of the first band member. Before long, drummer Felix Archer took to the stage, receiving ecstatic cheers from the entire audience, along with bassist Tom Sperring, guitarist Will Jones and keyboard-player Henry Wyeth. Frontman Joe Keogh graced the stage bearing an expression of deep thought, ready to launch into the first track of the night ‘Wastelands.’
Comprised of effortless harmonies and electronic sounds which added to the overall ambience, brand new song ‘Wastelands’ was an exceptional way to commence the gig. The signature ‘Amber Run’ sound was being reinforced, with the exceptional musicianship of the band already being evident through the intricate layering of vocals throughout the chorus of this chilled-out but poignant track. Following this stunning introduction, Amber Run immediately started playing ‘Spark’, one of the energetic, anthemic tunes taken from their début album ‘5am’. Establishing their place on the staging, the band instantly received audience participation throughout this number, with ‘Let the light in, Let the light in’ echoing around the entire venue and numerous people old and young clapping along to the rhythm. ‘Just My Soul Responding’ closely followed, embellished with catchy choruses and reflective lyrics, one could not help but be transfixed for the duration of the song. Smiles beamed continuously all around the sold-out space, which filled the room with elation as well as appreciation for the songwriting skills of this talented band. Prominent tune ‘Hurricane’ went down a storm. Incorporating Will Jones’ melodious guitar riffs along with Joe Keogh’s flawless vocals, this track was undoubtedly a memorable one. The energy and enthusiasm of the band was evident, with each member ensuring that they gave a performance worth giving.
Lead singer Joe Keogh addressed the crowd before introducing deluxe track ‘Don’t Wanna Fight’ to the set. Explaining how grateful they were for the support, Amber Run expressed their noticeable humility. Brimming with driving drum beats and spirited lyrics, ‘Don’t Wanna Fight’ is a hit in itself which guaranteed the entire public to feel a sense of glee. Displaying their true capabilities as musicians, Amber Run performed the more tranquil tracks of their album to the receptive audience. Despite experiencing a small technical difficulty at the start of ‘Little Ghost,’ the band maintained their professionalism and were back on their feet soon enough with an exceptional guitar solo by Will Jones in the climax of the track. Dynamic variation is a principle quality of this talented band, and this was obvious throughout the calmer, more thought-provoking songs of the set. Instrumental track ‘CF’ was a definite highlight, made up of electronic tones being slowly layered with live guitar and bass sections one could not help but feel mesmerised by this moving track. As the dynamics drew to a crescendo, the layers eventually ceased, which left an unaccompanied guitar part in order to establish the perfect lead into touching track ‘5am.’ Possessing exceedingly emotional lyrics, ‘5am’ was most definitely one of the best parts of the evening. Sung with a great sense of significance and meaning, Joe Keogh ensured that he portrayed the story behind the tune superbly by using intricate vocal techniques as well as atmospheric vibrato to add to the emotion of the track. Henry Wyeth’s keyboard playing added to the overall simplicity, making sure that the effect of the emotion of the track was prominent throughout.
Joe Keogh exclaimed to the crowd, ‘We don’t know when we’ll be visiting Bristol again so let’s make this a night to remember.’ With that, the more summery tune ‘Good Morning’ was played. The entire crowd sang every lyric back to the band, reflecting how popular Amber Run are in Bristol especially. Immediately following this vibrant tune, Amber Run performed two immensely well-known tracks, ‘Heaven’ and ‘I Found.’ ‘Heaven’ was highly adrenalised as it was meant to be, consisting of slightly heavier guitar and drum sections the entire boat became more and more animated. ‘Heaven’ culminated with a balance of melodious harmonies which triggered goosebumps for sure. ‘I Found’, probably the band’s most acclaimed tune, was welcomed instantaneously with cheers from every corner of the venue. The audience drew to a sudden silence as soon as the euphonious voices of the band produced the most spine-tingling harmonies throughout the entire song. Building-up slowly with added instrumental parts, ‘I Found’ was unquestionably a climactic moment of the evening. Amber Run promptly departed the stage, only to immediately receive cheers demanding an encore.
Soon enough, the band obliged and graced the stage one last time. High-powered percussion from Felix Archer introduced the penultimate track ‘Pilot’. Memorable chorus ‘I don’t wanna be the centre of anything, just a part of something bigger,’ constantly circulated the space, with every audience member dancing and singing along with never-ending enthusiasm. Amber Run drew their set to a close with anthemic tune ‘Noah.’ Alternatively commencing this energetic track in a slow, contemplative way, frontman Joe Keogh seized the crowd’s attention. As soon as the second verse arose, full instrumentation was restored and the dynamic contrast ensured that one could appreciate what a truly exceptional song ‘Noah’ is. The sold-out audience of all ages chanted the chorus back and forth which resulted in them being almost as loud as the band itself at one stage, it was certainly a magical moment. Amber Run terminated the set with a vivacious instrumental, filled with credible guitar parts, this definitely ended the show on a high.
Overall, Amber Run are positively a band that are consistently phenomenal when they play live as well as when they record music. Their authenticity as genuine musicians is revealed explicitly throughout their sets and their instrumentals are stupendous. Humble stage-presence is key as their gratitude to their fan base is evident when they address the audience in-between songs. Amber Run ensure that their sets are flawless and in terms of songwriting and vivacity, they will never cease to impress.
We caught up with indie five-piece Amber Run before their headline show at the Thekla in Bristol. Following the release of their incredible début album '5am' this year, the band talk to us about festival season, touring, songwriting and new material. Check out the interview below:
This is your first tour since festival season, how was it? Did you have a favourite festival that you played at?
Will: It was really good, we had some good ones, we had some not very good ones, we had a lot of time doing nothing aswell, but there were some shows that were absolutely wicked. Barn on the Farm, Somersault festival, those were wicked. It was nice but would have been nicer if we were always always doing something. The problem with festivals is that they are just on the weekend, so during the week you are just sitting around.
Festival you aspire to play at in the future?
Henry: Coachella or Benicassim.
Tom: Obviously we want to play Glastonbury, wanna go back to Reading and Leeds, as we played the BBC Introducing stage there, but it would be nice to go back and absolutely smash it. We wanna go abroad too and do Lollapalooza, Coachella, Rock In Rio. Rock In Rio would be pretty sick.
You have an extensive fan base around Europe, do you think you’ll be playing any shows over there any time soon?
Felix: We definitely will next year.
Will: It’s pretty much definitely on the top of our priority list. We were planning on doing it for this album cycle but it just didn’t really come together. So it’s literally the main thing we want to do next album is go and tour it in Europe.
Joe: It’s literally top of our list, it’s round the corner. It’s just really expensive, being in a band now is just really expensive.
So you’ve played the Thekla in Bristol twice?
Tom: It was here, you’re looking at the stage right here. That was the stage we played right there (points to the Upper Deck stage). That was the PA we used, we could only basically fit a drum kit on it and that was about it. It was one of the worst shows we ever played.
Felix: The thing that you would all think is ‘oh this is such a small room it must’ve been rammed’.
Tom: You would be wrong, so wrong! The crowd was made up heavily of Henry’s family.
Henry: My nan came down which was nice.
Tom: The other time we played the Thekla was the downstairs room which we are playing tonight. Which is wicked. But, it was Dot to Dot last year and there was a massive massive amount of traffic coming into Bristol and we were playing at about 3.30pm, we were the first band to arrive for our stage. Every other band before us had to cancel. We arrived 5 minutes before we were supposed to start making noise so we literally pulled up outside the venue, ran downstairs with our instruments, plugged in and started playing. It was one of the most stressful experiences we’ve had in terms of a live performance.
Joe: It felt rock’n’roll though you know? Turned up, plugged in, played. But it wasn’t the best show we thought we could give to Bristonians, so we are excited to come back.
Will: It was still a good show though.
Tom: We’ve played in Bristol a few times at different venues and they’ve been wicked shows which is why we’ve come back on this tour. We’re only doing a few dates and we had to come back to Bristol because we have a massive fan base here. So we are going to smash it tonight.
Joe: We enjoy playing here.
How’s the tour been so far?
Tom: It’s quite a short tour, only a couple of dates and we are half way through.
Henry: It’s nice, but as you are slowly getting into your stride, it will be over.
Will: We travelled back from Manchester yesterday and had the night off and I was sort of sitting at home like, ‘This is kind of annoying because I would have happily played two more shows in a row, then had a day off.' We did choose to do only this many shows though so...
Joe: We, as a band, playing shows is our favourite thing to do and so we would be on tour every single day of the year if we could be doing that.
Felix: I think as-well, it’s great that these have all sold out because it’s kind of a dream to be selling out shows. Our biggest headline show is tomorrow, so that’s genuinely like a dream as it’s sold out. If we put more shows on and they told us that, that would’ve been amazing too.
So you have your big show at KOKO tomorrow, have you seen any other acts play there?
Tom: It’s basically always been on my list of venues that I have wanted to play before I died. I’ve basically seen some of my favourite bands there. I went to see my favourite band Cage the Elephant there with my mum when I was like 15 and it was the first time I had ever seen them. It means a lot to me as a venue. I try and not let it dawn on me that much, the fact that we are playing at a venue where I used to see all my favourite bands. We’re actually headlining it and it’s sold out which is insane. I try not to let that go to my head.
Will: We also look at bands who we used to love who have played there and then we’re like, ‘Oh, are we as big as those bands now?’ We’re kind of like, ‘Ermm I don’t think so?’
Joe: It’s a wonderful thought that the bands that we’ve gone and seen there, you know, there could be a kid out there who likes us as much as we liked those bands. It’s a humbling and also really nice thought. It’s the kind of stuff that keeps you going to be honest.
Let’s talk about your début album ‘5am’ which was released this year in April. What was the songwriting process like for the album? Or did it differ from track to track?
Will: It’s funny because it should be interesting when people hear our second album because the first one was written over the course of about 4 years maybe, and so there are songs that were written when we were 17/18, and songs that were written just before it came out. Whereas the second album is obviously going to be like a more concentrated period so it should be like slightly different. The writing process would tend to be that Joe would come in with songs and then we would try it out as a band and see how it would work. Some songs were more collaborative, when we would all come in with different things, so like ‘5am’ and ‘I Found’ we would find something completely new. For example, musical programmed drums on ‘5am’, the whole sort of four-part harmonies with no guitars or anything on ‘I Found’. Some of the earlier songs we wrote conventionally, like jamming in a room. There’s a bit of a range.
Is the input then an equal band input?
Will: Not really, I mean, Joe wrote the majority of that first album, but I think what we are seeing with the second album is that we are all a lot more comfortable at bringing ideas to the table. We want to get it out as soon as possible and we’ve all got ideas, so our aim in our heads now is ‘let’s get as much written as we can’. Everyone’s more comfortable to speak their minds and express themselves so it should be interesting.
Joe: It’s a really interesting new way of doing things. It’s new for us, but that’s how the best music gets written aswell. Just trying new things, different people trying new things aswell. That’s how you keep things exciting for people in the band, let alone the people who come and hear the music.
Felix: Everyone has been bringing in ideas of what we want to write. Someone might bring in an idea that is completely different to anything that we would even try and write and then you’ve got to try and take that and guide it towards the Amber Run thing that we would do normally, whilst trying to make it slightly different. So it’s really fun, coming in with new ideas and not really caring about which genre it starts off in and what kind of vibe it is because it will change. ‘I Found’ started of as a piano ballad, and it turned into something different, so there’s always a possibility that you can make something out of anything.
Will: It should be interesting for the people who hear it, but it’s always interesting for us as a process. We’ve done a few songs that we would hope that people would hear and not really realise it was us, but it’s quite funny because we never thought anything as everything is quite natural in the way we do things and we just let the song become what it is. You then get to the end product and say, ‘actually this doesn’t sound anything like the first album but we love it’. The best bands are the ones that come up with something new, innovative and something that’s different because who really wants to listen to the same thing over and over again?
Henry: In the eternal words of Walt Disney, ‘If you can dream it, you can do it.’
Felix: If you’re in a real niche where you’re kind of the figurehead of the genre you can kind of get away with doing something similar. It’s so one lane and you like it for what it is, if they keep releasing that, then great. Whereas, in our genre of music it is very competitive and I think you have to do something different.
Will: You have to just grow and you know, just change, change your skin.
How was it working with producer Mike Crossey on your album?
Felix: He’s a genius. These songs wouldn’t be these songs without him. Also, massive credit to the guy who we refer to as the ‘sixth member of the band’ Sam Winfield. We do all our demos with him and write with him a lot. He’s just amazing, he’s a genius and had a huge influence on all these songs.
Will: Working with Mike aswell was great because we meet bands and they talk about how they write and record with different people and get produced by loads of different people, until they find the one that works. For us, Mike came up to us and said ‘I’m interested’ and we were like ‘Great, we’re interested’ and we just started working with him and fell in love. It was just the most natural thing in the world and was just great for us as we could just do what we wanted to do and he was able to guide us with it. It was good for us aswell to see someone who has so many cool albums under their belt. ‘The 1975’ one had just come out when we started working with him, for us, we were like, ‘this guy is a serious deal that album has gone to number one and he wants to work with us.’ It was a massive confidence boost aswell.
Let’s talk about your album as a whole, you have two interludes within the track-listing. Are they part of the overall storytelling?
Joe: I would say so, but we as music listeners really enjoy that kind of music. You don’t have to be hit in the face by singles the whole time. It feels like something that is just so important people now, ‘That Radio single that we’re going to sing back to you at festivals’. We want that aswell obviously, but the songs that are really important to you, the ones that really make a difference, are often the ones that don’t hit you in the face. Rather you sit back and just listen to it in the dark and it makes a genuine difference. One of the things about music aswell is that it doesn’t always have to have words and sometimes words just dilute what the actual music could say.
Will: Those interludes are sort of strategically placed where there’s one right at the start and one in the middle. It’s good just to have a minute and a half to take a breather and take a step back.
Joe: A pallet cleanser. Kind of getting you ready for the next track.
Felix: You know when you’re talking about a band with someone and that person says ‘I love that’ and that’s the main single and you go like, ‘no no no no, but you’ve got to listen to this and this,’ I guess it’s like that and a little thing for the people that are actually listening to the album. It’s not kind of a really bright straight up pop song, something that has a bit more depth to it.
Joe: The absolute dream is that someone would come and go, ‘Oh my god, CF is just beautiful, it’s just amazing.’
Will: Enter Shikari’s first album had interludes on it, and there were one or two interludes where I was like, ‘That’s so good,’ and I would listen to it like a track in itself. I just really enjoyed that piece of music as a thing in itself.
Joe: Something about this band which is true of others but not true of all is that we’re musicians just as much as we are anything else. We like picking up our instruments and playing, just as much as we like anything else about the process. I think it’s really nice to be able to do stuff like that because we love it and if people like the music we’re making I assume they would like it too.
Henry: In the words of Walt Disney, ‘Never underestimate an instrumental track.’
As you’ve been explaining about the new material, will we be hearing any new tracks tonight? A track called ‘Wastelands’ maybe?
Felix: No comment.
Tom: No comment.
Will: Working title, no comment.
Joe: Working title.
Will: Final title, absolutely. It just goes to show you never can tell. As Walt Disney said, ‘You gotta get up, you gotta keep running wild.’
Will this be your last tour for a while then?
Will: Ever!
Joe: I don’t know about a while. We want to release music and we want to keep going. We don’t want to be a band that just releases an album every two to three years and then you don’t hear about them, then they tour the festival circuit, do one tour and then disappear again. We want to be releasing music, we want to be touring. We’re setting ourselves a challenge of saying that this is our last tour and then go away, finish another wicked album so we can get back out and tour as soon as possible. We love it and we also love writing.
Will: We’re also kind of getting bored of these songs so we want to write some new ones.
Felix: It’s funny you say that because I listen to ‘Noah’ everyday. It’s my alarm and my go to bed alarm. To wake up in the morning it’s ‘Good Morning’.
Will: You have a different track alarm for every hour of the day and then you’re like, ‘I missed that one!’ Seriously, we do want to be one of those bands like Bombay Bicycle club who have an album out almost every year. It’s a challenge but it’s also an effective way of staying relevant. We just want to go, ‘that one’s done, here’s our new album, it’s only been a year since we released the last one.’ We just want to keep releasing music.
Felix: If people think that’s too much music for a year then they can go away!
Joe: If we’re being totally honest, we’re well aware that some of the things we needed with this album to be able to push on and get where we want to be didn’t happen. However, whilst we’ve got fire in our belly over that kind of stuff why don’t we write and record and do some really cool stuff, rather than just being bitter and not doing anything for ages.
Felix: I’m not bitter, I listen to ‘Noah everyday!
