What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
I think there’s something really special about being in a crowd of people seeing live music – a large mass of people who gather with no connection to one another other than the love of the music.
Introduce us to all the members and your musical history.
Okay so here’s each band member and a little bit about their musical past:
Steph – Steph leads the charge of the EAM brigade, providing a combination of ethereal vocals, soaring melodies and poetic thought to each tune. Her musical history can be located in the vast array of literary and poetic icons of the last 50 years. A member of the LGBTQ community, she strives to promote her female and non-binary peers, often providing them a platform across her own and Everything After Midnight’s social media.
Aidan – originally from the North East, he has been in bands since the age of 16, playing guitar, singing and indulging himself in the Rock n Roll lifestyle. Self-taught, he thrives on the DIY approach to writing music and is passionate about supporting grassroots artists and bands
Jacob – a scholar of Johnny Marr, Jacob has been a fanatic of music for as long as he can remember! From funk to post-punk, Jacob’s style of writing and taste in music has no bounds.
Andrew – Born and raised in the steel city, Andrew provides stomping baselines and musical insight into all areas of the band. From vocal melodies to riffs, Andrew is the assist king of Everything After Midnight.
Joe – Unquestionably the craziest member of the band, you can often find Joe playing blast beats on his drums or spinning decks at drum and bass events. With a long and eclectic history with music, Joe is the master of the beat and knows what he wants, when he wants!
What was life like for you before music?
In hindsight, life before music was so boring! Music allows people to escape from the mundanity of everyday living, evoking emotions that have been trapped or never been found. It allows people to move their feet or grab a friend. Life without music isn’t one worth living.
What was the first song you heard that steered you into a music path?
For me, I think seeing my school friends get a band together and make music really inspired me to pick up a guitar and start writing. Most people will think making music and being in a band is something that is almost impossible when it’s actually the complete opposite. Anyone can make something if they put their mind to it – if you’re passionate, do it!
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
To be honest, not really anywhere. I often think we are overlooked, having a woman fronting the band. Paired with a style of music that doesn’t fit into one single genre, we find ourselves in a tricky situation where we need to convince industry experts of our potential. Those who we have worked with in the industry so far have encouraged us to persevere, recognising our worth.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned from someone else in the industry?
I think just be yourself and not try to pretend to be something you’re not. Often musicians feel like they need to fit a narrative when the coolest thing ever is to actually just be yourself.
Tell us Two truths and a lie about you.
Okay, here goes:
- I’m originally from North Shields
- I started playing guitar 8 years ago
- I can play recorder when I was in high school
If you could wish for one thing to aid your career what would it be?
I would LOVE to be on a big UK tour with a band like Wolf Alice. Just playing for big crowds and on big stages would be so much fun!
Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture? Discuss….
To be honest, it hasn’t really ever been a worry until quite recently… there’s been a couple of gigs I’ve gone to where the band I’ve gone to see are notorious for having rowdy gigs with moshpit after moshpit and it’s taken a noticeably longer amount of time for people to get things kicked off. After one of these gigs, I was chatting with my girlfriend about it and she made a comment about people being too afraid to “cut loose” in fear of being judged. It really hit home how apparent this was and I think people ARE worried about being taken the wrong way rather than just being themselves.
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories? If not why not?
They’re not for me, but I do love watching online debates with flat earthers. The passion they show for something that (in my opinion) is a load of nonsense
What was the worst experience on stage?
The worst ever experience I had was when halfway through the set, one of my cables broke and my guitar cut out. After replacing the cable, a pedal on my pedalboard packed in and, due to the fact I have about ten on my board, I couldn’t suss out which one it was so I had to abandon the board for the remainder of the set. To top it all off, a string snapped on the guitar I was using in the penultimate song. Safe to say it was a bit of a car crash!
Tell us something about each member that you think people would be surprised about.
Okay, here goes:
Jacob – Jacob is a black belt in MMA
Steph – Steph ran her own monthly magazine for a year titled “The Record Press”
Andrew – Andrew once met the Sinner Man from the Chase on a night out in Sheffield
Joe – he runs his own club nights, spinning DJ decks like Grandmaster flash
What makes you stand out as a band/artist?
More than anything, I think the fact we’re just normal people makes us stand out. There’s nothing fancy or strikingly different between ourselves and the audience.
I think musically we’re very hard to pin down because of how we combine our own musical taste into a weird hybrid that shouldn’t work but does.
I hear you have a new music, what can you tell us about it.
In the words of Steph, “How can you be” explores the degradation of identity seen when someone decides to present as a person that doesn’t align with their authentic self.
The chorus’s lyrics, “you must have been made in a petri dish, how can you be insincere?”, summarise the song’s message: Don’t build a version of yourself to please anybody else, be who you want to be without any apologies.
The track employs anthemic guitar lines and driving drum groove, gracefully distilling their energetic on-stage presence
What was the recording process like?
The recording process was very eye-opening – we went and recorded “How Can You Be” in a studio with a producer, the first time we’ve done so. Having a new set of ears listening to our music in a totally objective way has been quite refreshing in realising what makes our music good and how we can improve our writing process.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
I think just letting the song be what it is and not over-complicating it for the sake of brownie points from would-be music connoisseurs. I certainly have a tendencies to try and make a song different for no reason other than ego.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Honestly, I don’t think there is! We’re all so proud of how the track has come out and excited for you all to hear it!
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Keep an eye out on our socials for upcoming gigs – we’ve got a few coming up in places we’ve never played before. We’re playing in Bridlington supporting the White Roses and then we’re playing Yours To Keep festival in Huddersfield alongside Panic Shack and The Lounge Society as well as loads of other sick artists.
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