We’re getting all dark on you today…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
From Essex originally, though been London-based for the past few years but moving to L.A. at the start of March to work hard on more material and push the band to a wider audience.
How did you meet?
The ‘band’ is essentially myself and I am fortunate to have different musicians that want to play in the band live – there is no ‘set’ line up as of yet. The line up is kind of dictated by whenever the other guys are not touring or are free. We have all met through the music industry either at gigs, playing in bands etc.
How long have you been playing as a band?
The band has been around for about a year now, though I have kept it all pretty under wraps within reason, with the first actual track and video only being released last week. We have yet to do a show, though are planning the debut show in London within the next few weeks before moving to L.A.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
Hmm… I like the way the word looks and the ambiguity of it. It doesn’t stand for anything – it just looks good, is one syllable and easy for people to , unlike previous bands I have been a part of…
What are your influences?
Influences in of music for me would be alot of dark film score kinda work – I’m big into texture and soundscapes and this will be a huge part of the album. As for influential bands, I’m a huge NIN fan, love Marilyn Manson’s work, Gary Numan, etc. All the way through to drum and bass music, with groups like Noisia and Current Value being particular favourites.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
The music is dark, heavy and driving. One of my favourite things when writing music is combining electronic music alongside actual live, heavy instrumentation such as live guitars, live drums etc. This comes across well on the “Sick Like You” single, with heavy synth bass and live acoustic sounding drums driving the verses with heavy guitars and shouted lyrics in the choruses. Hopefully this is what makes us “unique” or at least gives us a signature sound.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Lyrical themes will always be edging on the darker side of things – the weirder side of human emotions if you like. The themes kinda go along with feelings of despair, lust, sins and general lack of understanding… I always prefer for people to make up their own mind of what they think the lyrics allude to.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
We are yet to play our debut show, though we are looking to book a show in London at the end of February. The live show will be heavy, dark and energetic – live drummer, guitarists, bass player and synth/electronics to keep things interesting. There will be live visuals too to keep everything moody. I feel as if the actual “look” of the show is as important as the actual sound and performance. The performance will be seamless too with no gaps, there will always be some sort of audio playing, song, soundscape or otherwise to keep the performance rolling and keep up the atmosphere.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Hmm… Probably can’t go too far into that one without getting in trouble! Probably something to do with over-indulgence and some sort of destruction…
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I have tried to keep the set up as simple as possible as it’s easy to overcomplicate things and the more stuff you have on stage, the more stuff that is likely to go wrong! I use a Mac for running out backing tracks and monitor/click tracks, live guitars (I play guitar on some tracks to add a bit more weight), bass guitar, live drums (that are sometimes triggered up and mixing with the live mics for extra weight again), live synths and electronics (sample pads, midi controllers etc) and some live vocal effects, which are usually just some delay and distortion to add a bit more dynamics.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
At present I am plugging the latest single and video, “Sick Like You” which is out on all streaming platforms and also is available for purchase on iTunes. The video is up on YouTube though it has an “explicit content” rating which although is a nuisance for people to watch, it has also done us a favour as it makes it seems even weirder! As soon as something gets banned/restricted, it seems to gain more interest…
What are your plans for 2019?
Plans for 2019 carry on as planned – I have a rough release schedule for singles and plenty of video ideas so I can’t wait to get working on that. Also to try and make a bit of headway in the US and grab some more fans/s out there. I also have an idea of a short 20-30 minute concept video using some of my singles interspersed with my own score work… Very much on the DL now but excited to get working on it and see how it is received. Plus, of course, book some good shows and hopefully latch onto a tour within the next few months.
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!
I’ll set my sights high here and say that I’d love to and band like NIN or MM because of the venues we’d be playing and the overall craziness… Also,another relatively new band I’d love to /be on the bill with would be Skynd. Really dark, well produced electronic band with some really interesting ideas and concepts.
As for who I’d like as an opener, I’ll be cheeky and say the above! But also another London based band called Tayne, great live show and weird music that would work with ours on the same bill. The boys from Tayne also feature in my “Sick Like You” video, so only fair to give them a plug…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1475PHZ0NA
