Tell us a bit about where you are from and how you got into music?
We are your new favourite band, from Swansea, South Wales. We got into music by each not touching grass on lunch breaks and instead, spending our 30 minutes on uncomfortable plastic chairs, learning songs our dads told us we would understand one day.
What is the live music scene like in Swansea right now?
The scene in Swansea at the moment is electric! There are an abundance of acts creating the music and promoters showcasing it!
We feel very privileged to be a part of the local scene at this moment in time, as we are surrounded by such amazing, like minded people, who want the best for the Swansea music scene. Big shoutout to Jordan McGuire, the godfather of live music in Swansea right now!
Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
Well BAR US of course….. there are a good few emerging artist that we are very fond of! SLAK are a young, up and coming band with a modern grunge edge to them who we think have MASSIVE potential and love listening to.
Obviously, the likes of Pastel and Trampolene have engraved themselves into the Swansea music scene ‘HALL OF FAME’ already and have massive followings over South Wales and the UK in general.
Do you think it is easy to become a victim of your surroundings sometimes?
Yes, we all are influenced by our surroundings far more than we all realise. From the people we are around, to our financial circumstances, to our workplace, our family dynamics and even the media we all consume. These shape our habits, beliefs and sense of what is possible.
What are your ambitions for the band?
To have an unfathomable amount of money, fame and fans……No, our ambitions for the band have always been clear, we never want to look back and wonder ‘What if?’. We all love what we do, we cherish the connections we have with each other, the fans and the music we make. We want to be able to turn around in years to come and be fulfilled with rich memories, surrounded by amazing people and have music that people live for!
What’s your favourite social media platform to use and why?
Our main platforms we heavily use are Instagram and Facebook as we have a very loyal fanbases on both that constantly encourage and support us, which means more than any amount of views or likes.
Facebook does have a special place in our hearts however, as it is where the band first started, back when Ethan put out a Facebook post about how he aspired to start a band with a new, unique style (which is ironic because we were basically an Arctic Monkeys tribute act in the early days!).
We believe it is essential to have a presence on Facebook, Instagram and X to introduce yourself to all different types of audiences out there, what is your thoughts on that?
We believe that yes, it is important to use these platforms to secure a presence and reach new audiences. However, we believe this is the reason why a lot of smaller venues are struggling.
Once a big social media presence is established from social media content and it comes to playing shows, the the venue capacities increase which takes a toll on the grassroots music venues.
People no longer need to leave their house to discover artists, meaning less and less people even step foot in smaller local venues.
What’s your view on the music industry today?
Due to social media, the industry has become very VERY saturated. Nowadays, artists are not differentiated or chosen by their music, but more by their marketing.
So many amazing musicians get passed upon because they have so little social media presence to display their marketability, which was the sole purpose of a record label to start with! The music industry is constantly changing and evolving, whilst getting ever more frustrating and disheartening for emerging artists.
What’s your thoughts on AI generated music?
We think it is fantastic! We used it to generate Ethans vocals for this track……. No, in all seriousness, there is NO place for it. It lacks any form of honesty, soul or creativity.
All it is being invested in for is to cut corners and SAVE MONEY! It has been pushed by greed for the wealthy and we advise anyone with a brain to stand against it. Yes, it is handy for helping with essays, but we can NOT let it take over what humans were put on this earth to do, which is CREATE. What’s next? AI generated paintings being displayed in art exhibitions?
What is the biggest thing you have learnt recently as you progress with your music?
One thing we have learnt recently is to take our time, not to rush things that need care and attention. We have always struggled with driving ourselves into the ground and burning out. We now know that being consistent and taking our time in doing things makes sure everything has a plan and is done with proper execution.
We always are looking to evolve and progress, and the last thing we want to do is let our fans down. They deserve quality and our up most attention.
What’s currently in your ears and on rotation at the moment?
Sonder. We are so proud of our work and believe this song WILL live rent free in peoples heads this summer.
What was your worst experience on stage? Any funny stories to tell?
Once upon a time, when we first started playing live shows, we believed we needed a sort of uniformed look on stage. After brainstorming for a little while, we came up with the idea of ordering boiler suits and spray painting our logo on the back.
So, cut a long story short, after a day of inhaling chemical fumes (from the spray cans of course) in the back of Quinty’s garden, we were sitting in the Bunkhouse green room waiting to go on stage, thinking we were the dogs bollocks. We slithered our way silently through the crowd to make our way to the stage during our intro song, and as we entered the stage, absolute silence.
Everyone thought, with a strange look on their faces, that we were 4 painter and decorators who had infiltrated the gig to add a coat to the walls! As you can imagine, we disposed of these shortly after, although we did, for a split second, question whether we should start a plumbing company.
Got any funny stories from life on the road?
We once had to drive a 410 mile round trip for a weekender in Workington, in Josh’s first car…. A FIAT 500. All this because Ethan wrote his car off an hour in thinking he was Lando Norris in the ‘Mid Wales Country Lanes Prix’. What makes it even funnier, is that ‘The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac was playing as it happened, so as you can imagine, that song is forever cursed and banned from any playlist associated with us!
I just think the fact that people were expecting to see a girl or group of girls driving as they drove past us but instead, witnessed 4 blokes crammed inside a cream white Fiat is hilarious. I am pretty sure the car was scraping the M5 the whole way…..
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
It WILL be your song of the summer, the sun soaked driven guitar with it’s singalong chorus full of summer energy will transport you back to the nostalgic days filled with sunshine and freedom. It will leave you humming and head bumping with the windows down, catching the breeze, singing to the sun.
What was the recording process like?
We recorded this record at Magic Garden Studios with Gavin Monaghan and Liam Radburn, and as always, we had a blast. We worked with them for our latest EP and it’s like recording with two long distance mates! They are always so supportive with ideas and suggestions, letting YOU dictate and create the track, gifting you the freedom to be yourselves.
We always enjoy heading up to Wolverhampton to work with them and we are sure there will be many more singles to with them to come.
We found ourselves being very spontaneous in the studio, we went in with a plan, which completely flew out the window the second we started recording. We wanted to be in the moment and create something honest and vulnerable which hadn’t been predetermined.
Would you change anything now it is finished?
No.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Yes, Josh has a massive……. Bass.
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