- PREMIERE: Eloah Jones – “Under the Bridge” - November 18, 2021
- PREMIERE: Highbeams – “Campfires” - November 10, 2021
- Tali Azerad Shines on New Album - November 5, 2021
I would suggest English music culture tends to be the story of the underdog, born of a lonely struggle whereas U.S music culture could be described more as the portrayal of success and a higher quality of life. That’s an extremely wide generalisation that I expect to be proven wrong on many counts but it serves to explain why the U.S has always been so fascinated with UK artists.
I think we naively believed there would one day be a moment when we knew we had arrived but what I’ve learned in this band is that your best is always around the corner. It’s a good feeling to know that your own drive and energy is a direct catalyst for what you love.
-You’ve noted the inspiration you gained from your first U.S. tour, and even wrote your new album in Arizona. Was there something specific that drew you to the U.S. and Arizona in particular?
I’ve always been fascinated by America, the landscape is the very inspiration of so many brilliant films, books and songs that have in turn inspired me. There’s a history steeped in optimism hanging on the unique idea that every child is born into this ‘American Dream’. I believe it creates a fire in people’s eyes to do what they love and not what they feel is expected of them.
-Sand & Snow is a remarkably consistent album–the songs fit together perfectly and the quality stays strong throughout. Creating one or two catchy singles is one thing, but creating an impressive album full of impactful songs is something many bands strive for and never attain. What do you attribute this to? Did you have a clear picture in your minds beforehand of what you wanted this album to be, or did the songs simply come naturally out of your writing sessions?
I’m flattered by your compliments, we draw inspiration from every corner of our lives and aim to reflect that to our audience in our own unique way. Perhaps there is a distinction worth noting between that and imitation passed off as influence which I attest. Our aim is and always has been to make our music feel the way we feel.
-You’ve been compared to bands like Snow Patrol and Coldplay, among others. Do you enjoy hearing this or would you rather your music stand out independently from these comparisons?Of course we would rather our music stand out independently. We never take any comparisons either personally or too seriously as they are simply vague and temporary points of reference. Should we try not to sound like these bands? That to me would be contrived and against what we stand for.
At the moment it’s got to be Alaska; I would love to meet the people and have some experience of what it is like there. Favourite place has got to be New York City and specifically Manhattan, I’m completely obsessed with it’s spirit and the lifestyle. There’s something pleasantly finite about an island bursting at the seams.
Personally for me it would be a song we wrote for the new album called ‘Where Snowbirds Have Flown’. Strangely it didn’t get included on Sand & Snow for whatever reason but I’m very proud of it and we play it live occasionally if the audience is extra special.
We’re coming straight back out on a glorious eight week tour of the U.S in January through March, dates will be announced through our website shortly. We’re keen to start writing a new album too so this might be the last time to catch us over here before we disappear of into the wilderness to make some new music.
