Time for another featured artist, this time one from our own nation. We’re not going to give anything else away – that’s for the guys in Our Time Is Now to do…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are all from Norwich, Norfolk in the east of England. Near the coast means you have to deal with oversized killer seagulls though!
How did you meet?
Stuart and Ryan both went to school together and played in bands when they were younger which then naturally went on to form the band we are today. We have had a few different over the years but Sam and Nick ed us in the last year. It now feels like we are playing at the best level we have ever been.
How long have you been playing as a band?
We have been a band since early 2013 but with this current line up since 2016.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
The name came through playing in different bands for a long time before OTIN was formed and then taking everything we had learned to make this new band the time when everything would come together and click.
What are your influences?
- Stuart – I listen to a fair amount of All Time Low, so I guess their style can creep into some of my songwriting.
- Sam – I tend to go towards more hardcore energetic music, bands such as Citizen and Neck Deep are killing it at the moment.
- Nick – I grew up listening to more classic rock but now I tend to listen to a wide range of genres.
- Ryan – I am influenced by heavier music generally but saying that I have everything from Elvis to Clean Bandit to Slipknot on my phone.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We have a bit of a mash up of a few different styles thanks to varying influences from us. There is a definitely a pop-punk sound going on but we like to think our sound is more technical and melodic in places compared to a lot of that genre plus we have our heavier side with screams, guitar harmonies and solos.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
I tend to write about things that are going on in my life at the time of writing. This way the music still has meaning to me once we have played them many times years later.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
We pride ourselves on having large amounts of energy when we play as we feel it is important to have fun and put a smile on people’s faces when they watch us. Hard to put a figure on how many shows we have played to be honest – alot, but we are always looking for more, especially shows that are further afield because of the limited amount of venues in Norfolk.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
The wildest thing that has happened at one of our shows was our album release show for our debut album Freakshow. The venue was packed wall to wall and about midway through the set with everyone in the crowd jumping the floor started to collapse so that was the end of too much movement in that area!
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
- Sam – I use a Tama kit with all Zildjian Cymbals. Love the feel of them and the brightness fits our music very well.
- Nick – I am currently using a Pete Wentz signature bass which no matter whether you like Fall Out Boy or not is a great instrument for getting a fat precise tone.
- Ryan – I tend to use either an LTD Explorer or a variety or Epiphone Les Pauls. I enjoy the solid feel of a Les Paul live but James Hetfield is a big hero of mine and just has a presence when he uses those guitars.
- Stuart – Absolutely love PRS guitars, I own a few of them now and I find I can play their models with precision and ease.
What are your plans for 2018?
We have recently had some big breaks going on behind the scenes (not all of which we can announce yet) like g with Intune guitar picks to get the best custom plectrums available and we are also working with Interstellar PR now and they have been great to have onboard so far!
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be ing and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
We all would love to Neck Deep for a show/tour. We love what they are doing with the scene at the moment and their live shows are an awesome experience. If we were to pick an ideal band to us, I would pick Lightscape as they are a fellow Norfolk band and we think the sound they are coming out with is impressive and their album Circles is fantastic!
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