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 Sulvain who play the New Blood stage on the Sunday.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We originate from villages in and around sunny Northamptonshire, UK.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
Just over a year now. The band was formed early/mid 2019. We managed to get a couple of shows under our belt before the pandemic hit. We have had a lineup change during the pandemic with Mat ing us on bass and when we got the green light to start gigging, we just went for it. So, just over a year or so now.
Where does the name of the band come from?
The name ‘Sulvain’ was completely made up from a local village called Sulgrave and bar in New Orleans, LA. We wanted a name that didn’t exist and so we could put our own legacy to it. Also, we hope it will be easier to find us when searching for our social media. We sat down for hours with multiple names searching if it had already existed or not.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
NOLA grunge is probably the best way we describe ourselves. We have been compared to bands such as Alice in Chains, Down, Black Label Society, Pearl Jam, and Kyuss with a hint of Korn mixed in. Hopefully this helps the readers to get a better gauge of our style. What makes us unique is that our individual influences are widely different.
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
Emotional with energy. The tracks we have written have come from personal experiences, filled with raw emotion and we try to emphasise this throughout our live set. We want the crowd to feel like they are on a journey, and if they feel they can relate to our music, that would be ace. We hope our music s people and everyone has a damn good time when they come to watch us. People have paid good money to attend these events and we want them to feel like they’ve had their money’s worth from watching us.
Have you been to Bloodstock before? What did you think?
Yes we have and we absolutely love the place. It’s a second home for the few days you are there. It’s the best damn festival in the UK in our opinion. The community is awesome and most importantly, we feel safe. For anyone who may be reading this and you are attending the festival for the first time, you’ll be looked after by everyone and we can guarantee you’ll feel the same as us. If you haven’t attended the festival before, do it. You will not regret it. Check out the forum page on Facebook ‘BMF666’ – That page will give a great insight to the community.
Which M2tM region did you win, or did you come through other channels?
Somehow we manage to grab our spot via Metal 2 The Masses in Leicester. The competition was tough and the scene is on fire with underground talent.
If you like what we do, consider ing us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Can you put into 10 words or fewer how it felt when you realised you were heading to Bloodstock?
Speechless, surreal and we are still pinching ourselves. Absolutely mega.
What sort of setlist can we expect?
One filled with emotion and energy. As described in one of the questions earlier, we have poured a lot of ourselves into these tracks and with hope people can relate to it.
Which other bands do you most hope you’re not squished up next to so you can see them play?
Cattle Decapitation // Ill Nino // Pelugion
What are you working on at the moment?
We have recently recorded our debut album so all focus will be on the launch show, which is due to be released shortly after Bloodstock. That being said, we have already got a few ideas kicking about to make a start on album two so we’re going to be very busy with getting shows under our belt to promote the debut album whilst getting the next album on the go. No time to slow down.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Skye drinking his own puke at one of our shows whilst on stage, mid-set. Another time we was playing a show down in Hastings just after the covid restrictions had been dropped, someone who attended the show spilled his drink all over the floor and licked the floor clean. Again, this happened during our set.
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
Aaron – Full fat Pepsi for me, man. I’m the dedicated driver. The show is what fires me up. I love playing shows. Best damn feeling in the world.
Mat – Fruit Cider.
Skye – All of it.
Rob – Water.
Thanks for having us, Sean, and thank you to anyone who reads this. We hope to see you on the Sunday. If you see us about, don’t be afraid to come and say hi and chill. It would be our honour.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
Sulvain: facebook | instagram | spotify | youtube
