It’s that time of year where we set out to interview as many of the Sophie, New Blood, and Jager bands as we can in the lead-up to one of the most anticipated festivals of the year, Bloodstock. Answering our questions here are former Band of the Day Nassau who play the New Blood Stage on Saturday.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Magnus – We’re all refugees from various bits of Aberdeenshire who ended up in Edinburgh. Except Ben, who’s a refugee from Scarborough who ended up in Edinburgh.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
Clark – We were actually debating that last interview
Magnus – When did you move to Edinburgh again Sin?
Sin – December 2015 I was looking at places in Edinburgh and Magnus showed me some tracks. He actually took me to a party at Clarks and I recall him telling me that he wanted Clark to drum for us so not to go too crazy. A few of us had worked together in separate projects before this too so that helped.
Josh – Me, Magnus and Clark were already doing covers for our university’s Open Mic Night. To begin with I kind of felt left out. You guys were looking for a bass player so I just poked my head in all “helloo I’m here”
Magnus – I sort of thought you had a bunch of other things on at the time and figured you were busy doing guitary things with them.
Josh – Oh how wrong you were. Clark and I had been playing music together for years, since high school, so if we’re in the same place we’re gonna be working together. We had a few things on the go, but nothing that was really going anywhere.
Sin – Kier was playing guitar for us back then. He was with us for a good few months before he decided to step out.
Josh – I quite enjoyed playing bass at the time because it was the only band I played bass in, the bass wasn’t really being used otherwise and the parts I came up with might have come out a bit different as I was approaching it as a guitarist. Kier left and the opportunity arose to take guitar and I couldn’t help myself.
Clark – We posted adverts for a bassist and Ben was the first and only audition. Just instantly gelled with everyone, insane chops, and brought a new sound to the band. Ben’s one of them ‘jazz people’ you may have heard about.
Ben – yeah I definitely get away with a lot more improvisation here than I ever really expected to in a metal band! Super lucky.
Where does the name of the band come from?
Magnus: The last free port of civilization
Sin: The last bastion of freedom for humanity
Clark: (Its an island that used to be run by pirates)
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Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Magnus – We have a bit of trouble defining our genre. We’re basically a prog metal band but all of our songs are all very different from one another and lean into different styles of all kinds.
Clark – When we started out we knew we didn’t want to be limited by what a metal band is ‘supposed’ to play. Genre is a party and everyone’s invited.
Sin – We like to be free with what we do.
Josh – If we want to play it we will
Ben – what’s a genre?
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
Josh – Lively! *everyone groans* It’s pretty energetic, high-energy, we’re not one of those bands that stands still.
Clark – I think it’s clear that we’re having the time of our lives up there, and people really respond to that
Sin – Over another band? That really depends on the band haha. What I can say Is that live is kind of our element and the tracks have a different life to them during a live set.
Have you been to Bloodstock before? What did you think?
Clark – Festival virgin! But I’ve followed Bloodstock closely for years, and I can’t wait to dive in. Playing the first proper festival I’ve ever attended is a strange feeling though, not gonna lie.
Sin – I done something very stupid in my youth. I was thirteen or so and made a personal vow not to attend a festival until I got to play one. It was supposed to encourage me to keep at it and it did work ….however I am much older now than I had hoped to be. So this is my first festival and I am very eager.
Clark – Aww Bloodstock will pop our cherries together :)
Josh – I have been to a couple festivals (high voltage and rambling man) but I wouldn’t consider those fully fleshed metal festivals. Maybe high voltage but not really.
This will be one of the first ‘proper’ festivals I have been to. Usually with other fests I have had accommodation away from the grounds but of course this time we will be right in the middle of it.
Which M2tM region did you win, or did you come through other channels?
Clark – Nassau is proud to represent Scotland’s arm of M2tM. It was really close all the way from the qualifying round to the final – we played against H8TEBALL and Engines of Vengeance twice! Nassau got through by a baw hair in the semi-final, and then they both got through a redemption round to win a place in the final.
Sin – The wild cards were drawn from the different rounds across Scotland but two of the wildcards went to the Edinburgh heat which goes to show how well all the bands were received. We were determined to not focus on winning and instead focus on playing so for us it was just one awesome gig to be a part of after another.
Magnus – Also just to say, people really pulled out all the stops to make M2tM happen this year. Even before covid, Paul at Slow Dragon Music got people from all corners in on it. Doing things like getting Luke from Hellraiser Night (And of DogTired Fame) involved and really generated a fantastic atmosphere. It felt much more like a bunch of metalheads coming together and enjoying some shows rather than a competition.
And then when covid hit and the final couldn’t be live as normal, it seemed like the whole local Edinburgh scene came together to make it happen. All of the bands were professionally recorded and filmed at La Belle Angel and the whole thing was broadcasted.
So many people came together and gave their time to make this happen at their own expense and we can’t thank them enough. Matt Justice putting us on and recording us at La Belle Angel, DM audio/Dm Creative filming it, Ramage Productions producing it, Deano and Hef running cameras.
Can you put into 10 words or fewer how it felt when you realised you were heading to Bloodstock?
Clark – ‘oh god oh fuck.’ – terrifying mixture of pressure and elation.
Josh – ‘What the fuck’. In both ways because it was absolute disbelief.
Sin – Yeah that about sums it up, just for me it was like 5 days after actually winning. Took a while to sink in.
Ben – “oh dang, didn’t see that coming”
What sort of setlist can we expect?
Clark – We cover a lot of territory, so except to hear heavy death riffs and technical nonsense mashed up next to things like ska, funk and anything else we decide to throw in that blender.
Josh – Soaring guitar solos, vocals reminiscent of an Irish bog witch, bass to tear off your face *groaning intensifies*
Which other bands do you most hope you’re not squished up next to so you can see them play?
Magnus – Dog Tired and Ramage inc for sure.
Clark – I really wanted to see Viscera and Party Cannon but alas it was not meant to be… should be able to catch Hacktivist, Godeater, Netherhall though. Out of the bigger lads Heavy Devvy is where it’s at for me
Sin – …At least we should get to catch some of Jinjer but will miss Viscera. Not much that hasn’t been mentioned already. Skindred will be epic and are a big one for me. King Witch too will be one to catch. Would have loved to catch Odysseus too but we cant get down until the Thursday.
What are you working on at the moment?
Magnus – We’ve been sitting on a full album’s worth of material for quite a while now. Currently recording it DIY so should have 12 Tracks sorted by next year.
Sin – We have been delayed a bit with obvious world events but that aside we are still putting a lot of work into it.
Clark – Drums have been fully recorded with Jack Davenport at Owlshed Studio in Leith, and it’ll be the only thing not performed in a bedroom / cupboard.
Josh – I’m bedroom, Sin’s cupboard.
Ben – aside from the album material, I wrote myself a stupid bassline to a song Josh wrote, which is taking some serious shedding to get to grips with.
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What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Magnus – I once saw Simon Munnery down an entire can of raw Tesco Value chickpeas, water and all.
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
Sin – Beer, dark rum, jd, chocolate milk. Depends on the throat and what’s at hand.
Magnus – It’s tech metal, Sobriety may be overrated but it is also necessary in this case.
Clark – I feed my caffeine addiction with a cold tin of monster and enough water to replace everything I sweat out on stage.
Josh – H20. If i’m feeling extra metal that night then mineral water.
Ben – alcohol makes me sleepy…
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