CROWDMIX RIFFS

SUPPORTERS OF THE MAINSTREAM, CHAMPIONING THE UNDERGROUND

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Resonators Launch Party

Last week we had the privilege of attending renowned music photographer Scarlet Page’s opening night of her ‘Resonators’ exhibition at Proud Camden. The collection, based around iconic guitarists, features portraits of Jimmy Page (Scarlet’s father who was also in attendance), Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck, Brian May, Mark Knopfler and Jack White to name a few. Running from now until December 6 we’d highly recommend you go and check it out.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Proud Camden also saw the opening night of their new Polar Bar that transported revellers into a Narnia-esque landscape. The mood lighting was reminiscent of the Northern Lights and a Polar Bear and Bison were in attendance, adding to the magical and atmospheric feel.

For a quality night out you’d be hard pressed to top an evening spent at Proud Camden.   

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SKIES Interview

Ahead of their debut EP ‘If You Feel Like It' coming out (27th November via LAB Records), we had a chat with Alie and Jericho from SKIES. The Folkestone 2-piece talk us through the EP, signing to LAB Records and what the future holds for the band.

Please take us through the origins of the band: How did you guys form and where did the name SKIES come from?

Alie: I started a band a few years ago under a different name and Jericho's brother was the bassist, that's how I met Jericho. He joined as the 6th member as a synth player. The band was quite acoustic but I wanted to go more down the synth route so he joined.

Jericho: From there, me and Alie decided to become a two-piece with a session drummer (Alie's brother Matt) as we were doing so much of the writing together, it just naturally progressed that way. We changed the name to SKIES and the rest is history I guess.

A: We wanted a band name that was quite neutral, easy to spell and remember for fans. Our music is quite big, so SKIES was a name that fitted that description well too.

For those that haven’t heard your music yet, how would you best describe your sound and who are some of your influences?

J: We can't help but create a big sound, we'd say we're mainly synth-pop and we're really focused on the song rather than a very specific style. The song itself is really important and there's a lot of bands out there now who seem so focused on the style but not the song.

A: I think we try to always keep in mind if the song would work on an acoustic guitar; if there was no production or anything and if we think it does work then we add all the production and really pull the song out. We've been put in a lot of genre brackets since releasing the 2 singles off the debut EP and I'm sure we'll be put in a few more yet!

J: Our influences are Twenty One Pilots, The 1975, M83, Florence and the Machine, Bastille, Mumford & Sons, Bombay Bicycle Club and lots more!

Please take us through your new single ‘Leave Me’, what’s the track about and what does it mean to you?

A: The track was written about a friend who seemed to be stuck in a relationship that wasn't working. I felt sorry for him and just started writing this song about it. It's a really hard situation to be in, especially when you care about the person you want to break it off with and I think the song sums that all up.

The track is off your debut EP ‘If You Feel Like It' (due out 27 November), what can the fans expect from the record and are there any dominant themes running throughout?

A: I think people can expect songs that are really meaningful. I'm biased as they all mean something to me because I wrote them, but I'd really like to think people can relate to what I'm saying. I think they can also expect emotion, the way Jericho put all the songs together with the production really brings out the meaning of the songs and I hope people like it. Each song has a different meaning, but a common thread is about loss. Losing someone, losing time, losing faith. It definitely has a beginning, a middle and an end, so hopefully people feel like it's a bit of a journey too.

Please talk us through the recording process of the EP; where was it recorded and who was the producer?

J: We recorded the EP at Hidden Track Studios in our hometown Folkestone with Oz Craggs (Feed The Rhino). He is one of the most amazing guys we've ever met. He understood what we were trying to do and really inspired us throughout the whole process. We're all really happy with how it came out and couldn't recommend him enough really.

You recently signed to Lab Records, who pride themselves on developing young talent. What have they been like to work with thus far?

A: It's been so encouraging to release the debut EP through a label. We also got management this year so it's been so great to have other people join us and work with us. We've been working really hard as a band and with just two of you it’s a lot of work. To now have a label and management is a real encouragement.

J: Yeah, we're really looking forward to seeing what LAB do with the release, it's exciting!

You've been on the road quite a lot in the last couple of months, including performing at London's prestigious venue, KOKO. How have the gigs been going and what would be your dream venue to play at?

J: The shows have been amazing, especially KOKO. Going back to what we've been saying about our sound, we create a big sound, so KOKO was the perfect place to play. It was the largest venue we played so far and it really felt like it's where we belong.

A: I don’t think our dream venue would be anywhere in particular, I want to do stadium tours/festivals, as big a possible really!

In your short career so far you've already supported the likes of Coasts, Pixel Fix and Baby In Vain but if you could support any artist in the world (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

A: I'd love to support Coldplay, it's probably a classic answer I know, but their early stuff was a big influence for me.

J: I'd love to support Twenty One Pilots. They have so much energy on stage and a cool fan base. Their history and rise as a band is something we've found similarities within our own journey so far. They've been a real big influence to me and their sound is bang on.

What has been your favourite record of 2015 so far and why? What up and coming bands would you recommend we check out?

A: My favourite release is probably 'That's the Spirit' by Bring Me The Horizon. The production is incredible, I just love how epic it all is. It's not usually what I'm into lyrically or stylistically but you can't deny it's a damn good listen!

J: Mine has to be Darwin Deez's 'Double Down' album. So much hook, groove and pure pop. Plus he performed, recorded and released it all himself! Regarding up and coming bands, we really like Get Inuit and Fish Tank...

A: Kent bands are really killing it right now to be fair!

What else does the future hold for SKIES?

A: We'll release some new material in 2016 and tour. From then hopefully we end up living in the van for the rest of our lives and get to gig every night...we'll keep you posted on it x

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EnterTheLexicon Interview

Following the release of their superb EP, ‘Ruining Lives’, we had a chat with Mykl from EnterTheLexicon. We discuss the new EP, their Kickstarter campaign and what the future holds for the band.

Please take us through the origins of the band: How did you guys form and where did the name EnterTheLexicon come from?

Myself and Ben formed through a love of similar bands and playing on the same circuit together in different bands. I ended up without any guys to play with and had really liked Ben's drumming from seeing him at gigs, so asked if he wanted to jam sometime. Danny joined a little later after the first EP when we parted ways with our old bass player. He’d seen us around and heard the EP we’d released and asked if he could come and try out, straight away we all felt comfortable playing together and it was a no brainer. The name comes from a sort of stupid joke. Trying to make EnterTheLexicon…enter the lexicon. It seems kinda dumb now but we never really knew how far this would all go.

For those that haven’t heard your music yet, how would you best describe your sound and who are some of your influences?

I would say just honest music man, no theatre, just heavy guitars, simple melodies and good songs I hope. Our influences are pretty wide as a band but we’re all big fans of bands like Tigercub, Demob Happy, Dinosaur Pile-Up and Reuben. As well as the cliché classics like Nirvana and Queens Of The Stone Age.

Please take us through your new single ‘Codes’, what’s the track about and what does it mean to you?

It was an easy song to write, one of those ones that just pours out of you without much manipulating. It’s about some stuff that was happening to me at the time. Some frustrations and instead of complaining to a friend, I complained to my guitar and shouted a bit. We’re really proud of it, it shows where we’re headed musically too.

The single is off your new EP ‘Ruining Lives’. How’s the response been to the record so far and how does it compare to your self-titled debut EP?

There has been a great response, we’ve been a little quiet for a while thanks to our old label f***ing about and kinda killing us. So we were pleased when everyone received it so well and hadn’t forgotten about us. Hopefully it was worth the wait. I think it shows where we’re going musically as a three piece. This is Danny’s first record with us so his vibe got a chance to be part of stuff, which has been great.

Please talk us through the recording process of the EP…

Because we got rid of our label we needed to put something out straight away in a kind of ‘we’re free!’ lets do what we want way. We had all these songs ready to go so just wanted to give something back to people that had been waiting to hear something new. It was recorded by a friend of ours in his studio out in the sticks, all in like a day and a half because we didn’t have much money, but we’re all stoked with how it came out. So much so, that we’re doing the album there with him but with a bit more time!

To tie in with the EP release, you guys are currently on a UK mini tour. How’s the tour going and how’s the new material been received?

Yeah it’s been really fun! Touring, like every band ever will say, is always the best part. Hitting new cities and familiar ones to play live is always awesome. People have really been digging it, its been great. I wish we could do it every day.

You recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the recording of your debut album and managed to hit your target. Why did you decide to go down the crowdfunding route and what would you like to say to all those that helped make it happen?

Basically we were almost forced into it, after a bunch of false promises by the label. We had to cut our ties with them and just hope we could do it with the support of all our fans. Thankfully they’ve all been so amazing and supportive and literally kept us alive. I could say thank you but it would fall short by a million miles, there’s nothing much we can say that would hit the mark of how appreciative we are. We’ll just make the album killer and hope it can replace our thank you’s that fall short.

Have you started recording the album yet? If so, what stage are you at and how’s it coming along?

No not yet, we’re hitting the studio late November / early December. We’re still just tweaking stuff and thinking of what we can mess about with in the studio. A lot of practice man, its fun.

What has been your favourite record of 2015 so far and why? What up and coming bands would you recommend we check out?

Repressed Semantics by Tigercub or Dream Soda by Demob Happy. Both f***ing killer records. You need them in your life. Both of those bands I’d recommend massively. And ETL too of course…

If you guys could play any venue in the world and be supported by any two artists/bands (dead or alive), where would it be and who would be on the bill?

F**k…umm…someone’s bedroom? With like…ZZ Top and Madonna. Yeah, why not that’d be cool.

What else does the future hold for EnterTheLexicon? Anything else we should know / want to tell us about?

Just keep your eyes peeled man, we’ve got so much happening; new EP, new album, videos, more touring and then we’re moving to the other end of the country next year. You live in Brighton and got a bed? If you answered yes, may we have it? FANKS.

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Crowdmix Riffs #5

There has been some bodaciously rad tracks released recently, here's some of our favourites

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Album Of The Week

London's Younghusband with their epic psych-infused indie LP 'Dissolver' https://itun.es/gb/qTig8

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Alias Kid Interview

We chatted to Sean O'Donnell from Alias Kid about being discovered by Alan McGee (Creation Records), their upcoming tour with the legendary Happy Mondays and the future of Rock & Roll.

Please take us through the origins of Alias Kid; How did you guys form and where did the name Alias Kid come from?

We’re from Manchester and we met through music really. Maz (vocals/guitar) was at my school and James (lead guitar) is my cousin so I actually had him forced on me, unfortunately. As for the name, Maz thought of that. He refuses to tell us what it means, but I don't care anyway as I think it's a shit name. The band love it though so it's fine with me.

For those who haven't yet heard your music yet, how would you best describe your sound and who are your influences?

Well, if I'm honest I don't think we have found it yet. We went and did the album and that brought us along loads, we learnt a lot about arrangements etc. Then our manager, Alan McGee sent us on tour with Black Grape. The last thing he said to me was go watch them sound check and watch the show, learn from it and take it in, so we did. Sean Ryder's band are f***** unbelievable musicians. During that tour we became a different band, myself and Maz would talk after gigs about the way we were doing things and what we wanted change. We have been introduced to some mega producers who we are discussing demos for the next songs with. We know what we want, it's just getting it down on record now. I'm f***** obsessed with Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) guitar sound and keep sending James (our lead guitarist) videos. There's still a couple of people I want to track down who's music I buzz off and pick their brain about couple of things. Influences for me; I'm obsessed with the Sex Pistols, Oasis, Kasabian, The Ramones, Green Day, T-Rex, The Happy Mondays, Black Grape, The Beatles, The Stones, Primal Scream, Jesus & The Mary Chain etc. Maz is into Take That, Boyzone, Westlife and One Direction. Stuff like that, keep that in. He f***** mugged me off on stage last week, so I'll leave the boot in there!

Alan McGee, owner of the legendary indie label Creation Records (Primal Scream, Jesus & The Mary Chain and Oasis to name a few) saw your potential and signed you to his new label 359 Music and Creation management company. Can you tell us how this came about and what influence/advice has he brought to the band?

Yeah, I wasn't really doing anything at the time, just working and following Man City around. Maz and me were writing some tunes and McGee said to throw a band round it and come play a club night he had at a district in Liverpool. Jayne Casey from Pink Military owns it, she’s a star. Apparently McGee thought it was going to be shit but we pulled it off. He came and saw us again in Manchester, where we played a little pub called The Ducie Bridge and we smashed it. McGee had already gone when we came off stage but he rang me the next night and said, "I'm signing you." We were f***** buzzing! As for influence and advice from McGee; well first off, we were on Creation. F***** Creation Records. Go watch Bobby Gillespie, Noel Gallagher talk about Creation Records on the Upside Down documentary (which is one of the best things I ever watched). I told McGee the only way he's getting me off his label is in a body bag. If I drop dead right now I'll take that. McGee has taken me to one side and told me to watch what he does. Ask him why and when I don't understand but above all learn. He's kept me in the loop on loads of stuff. We have a trust that won’t be broken. And I'll say this, he's deadly serious with Creation. Him and Simon Fletcher (Creation Management) have big plans. It gets bigger by the week and It's a great place to be at the moment in music.

You released your debut album ‘Revolt to Revolt’ earlier this year. How's the response been so far?

It's gone great. As McGee said, it's put us on the football pitch. People know who we are now. It's very early stages but it's up to us now to go out and play it everywhere. Then go do it again and again.

You have been accredited by numerous publications on your explosive live Rock & Roll performance. How important is it that you’re considered an impressive live act?

100%. Live is where you earn your money these days. If you’re not shit hot, you’re in trouble. Again, on the Black Grape tour we became a different band. As much as it pains me to say Maz has become f***** immense. Bosses the gaff. Yeah, we're very good live but you know what I think, we can be even better and we will be. Again, I'm not happy until we have perfected it.

You’re supporting the illustrious Happy Mondays across a string of UK dates throughout November and December. What does it mean to you to be supporting such an influential band and what can Mondays fans expect from your live performance?

Well, first of all yep; WE ARE SUPPORTING THE MONDAYS!! We picked up guitars because of bands like the Mondays and now we're supporting them. Ryder has been f**** great with us; first the Black Grape tour and now the Mondays. I've been warned that some of our heroes won't be like what we think but Ryder has been and more. In fact all the Mondays have been class with us, giving us advice etc. Mad when you think about it, we used to have posters of these people on our bedroom wall! Now we’re supporting them and they’re telling us that they're buzzing off our band. Mental! There's more and more of these people saying these things too, even Sergio Aguero!  As a city fan that blows my head clean off. My 2 year old daughters middle name is Zabaleta, that shows you what I thought when I heard about Aguero liking our music. The crowd on the Mondays tour will get our usual powerful full on performance but hey will get it from a big stage and quality speakers. Can't wait to be honest.

What else does the future hold for Alias Kid?

Well, less than a year ago I didn't see all this coming, so I really don't know. What I do know is Creation is smashing it and we’re on their label. We’ve got our first headline tour next year. Myself and Maz are starting to record some demos and we’re talking to some really big names about the way we are recording stuff. We’ve also got some big names in the business backing us and I personally think, if we get this next album right, we will fly. But even then you still need some luck, nothing is guaranteed. So we need to keep doing what we’re doing and don't take our foot off the gas at any point. McGee has already said he wants us on the road for the next 12 months. Play, play and play again. Suits me, I love it on the road. The future, we will see mate. One thing’s for sure, we're going to have a good time finding out.

What are your thoughts on UK Rock & Roll bands at present and what do you think the future holds for the genre amongst popular culture?

I don't think there is rock n roll in the mainstream at the minute. The culture etc at the moment seems to be quite 80s; the music, the fashion. A lot of what I hear is very keyboard driven. That's fine but that's just not us, that's not what we play. Music changes very quickly and I think the rock n roll we play is very close to coming back in again. To me the biggest worry is the lack of working class bands. The majority seems to be posh kids deciding if they want to do music or be a doctor in their gap year, while Mummy and Daddy pay their bills. Everything seems so controlled. We were branded the new Oasis by the press. Why? Because they like a f***** laugh and a party. Absolutely f***** ridiculous. Lazy journalism. It's like the reporters have said; they are from Manchester, they play rock n roll, they like football and a party, and they are on Creation, so let's say... Gets on my tits that does, to be honest. I picked up a guitar because of Oasis, you don't get better than that band, they’re the top of the tree. They have set the standard in my opinion. It's like they used to say about the Beatles but we’re Alias Kid and need to be our own thing. But don't be giving me all this rock n roll animals etc just because we have a laugh. We have worked in factories and on building sites so when we go out doing gigs it's like being on day release. Do the gig and let's have a party. That's the normal thing to do. Not go to bed with a f**** hot water bottle. It's a f***** big lads holiday in our eyes. We just have to make sure we play good, or I'll have McGee on the phone bollocking me, haha.

If you guys could play any venue in the world and be supported by any 2 artists/bands (dead or alive), where would it be and who would be on the bill?

Well, as a City fan obviously the Etihad. To be honest, I like being the support because that means I can get smashed while I'm watching the main band. So I'll say us supporting Oasis, the Sex Pistols and Kasabian at the Etihad. Throw the Mondays, The Ramones and the Roses in as well on the next night.

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United Fruit Interview

Ahead of their new EP ‘Nightmare Recovery’ coming out (13th November via Ditto Music), we had a chat with Iskandar, Stuart, Marco and Dean from United Fruit. The Glaswegian 4-piece talk us through the EP, their upcoming tour and what the future holds for the band.

Please take us through the origins of the band: How did you guys form and where did the name United Fruit come from?

We all met at a house party several years ago and started chatting about music in our inebriated state. Before we knew it we had booked a jam and everything just seemed to gel so naturally! We were all on the same page from the get go and it kind of grew arms and legs eventually. Everything was quite laid back to begin with until we decided we wanted to try and see some of the world through playing shows. We’re successfully doing that now. Love it when a plan comes together…

We’re named after Cheech & Chong’s film, Up in Smoke. It’s a quote from the movie “I gotta friend in United Fruit”. Obscure, I know. We wanted something recognisable.

For those that haven’t heard your music yet, how would you best describe your sound?

Noisy, punky alt-rock. We have quite a lot of shoegaze and new wave influences as well, loads of hooks too.

Your new EP ‘Nightmare Recovery’ is due out 13th November, what can the fans expect from the record? We’ve heard that the new material delves into a slightly new direction for the band, care to elaborate?

Fans can expect to hear us channelling our noise into a more digestible format. The songs are bolder and drenched in ethereal goodness. We had loads of fun trying to channel our usual noisy, discordant sound into a much more focused style. We really wanted the structure of the songs to make more sense and kind of just wanted to generally hone all of the energy, which there is a lot of.

Please talk us the recording process for the EP...

The tracks on the EP were recorded at 45 A-Side Recordings in Glasgow by our good friend Bruce Rintoul. We hadn’t really finalised a lot of the structures until we got into the studio and everything just seemed to naturally fall into place. We find that having the pressure of being in the studio can really bring a lot more ideas and creativity out the bag. I’d like to suggest that a lot more artists do this if they are experiencing writers block or general lack of motivation but I fear it might cause a lot of stressful situations!

You’re currently streaming the title track ahead of the EP’s release. What’s the track about and how’s the response been to it so far?

The response has been great so far! A lot of people are digging it and the attention has been really humbling. The song is about being in the dark troughs in life and being able to claw your way out of them. We’ve all been there and can relate to the curve balls life seems to continually throw in your face. It’s about keeping your chin up and seeing through the darkness.

To tie in with the release, you guys are heading out on a UK headline tour in November. What gig are you most looking to and why? Any news on who the support acts will be?

All the gigs should be great but we’ve got to admit that Manchester and Liverpool are looking to be the hot favourites at the moment! Purely because we haven’t played in those cities too many times and it would be great to see what they’re made of. Lets hope they can handle the crippling volume! We don’t really know who the supports are going to be just yet.  We can’t wait to check out the local talent though. Hmm, that sounded wrong.

You guys are known for putting a killer live show, how important is it to you to be considered a credible live act?

Our live show is everything to us, it’s what we truly love to do. There isn’t a better feeling in the world in our opinion than getting to perform music you have created and love, for people wanting to listen. It’s even better if they go f**king nuts whilst doing so.

What has been your favourite record of 2015 so far and why? What up and coming bands would you recommend we check out?

Favourite record of the year has to be METZ II.  It’s just so crushing and utterly intense. Some awesome local bands that are springing up have to be Cutty’s Gym and Outblinker. Both of them are really something special and I’d recommend anyone to give them a shot! Don’t smoke weed whilst listening to them though, you’ll break your brain. Only joking, always smoke weed.

If you guys could play any venue in the world and be supported by any 2 artists/bands (dead or alive), where would it be and who would be on the bill?

Madison Square Gardens with Sonic Youth and Trail Of Dead. It gives me goosebumps even thinking about it.

What else does the future hold for United Fruit? Anything else we should know / want to tell us about?

We are going to tour our arses off and have an album coming out in the spring too! We can’t wait to play more shows really, It’s just the best thing meeting new people and seeing new places. You’d be surprised at how hospitable the world is when you go out and explore it for yourself.

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Album of the week

Emotive punk rock at its finest: Pentimento's superb 2nd album ‘I, No Longer’ pentimentony.bandcamp.com/

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Crowdmix Riffs #4

Bringing you our most recent favourite hard rock tracks for your listening pleasure

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Esper Scout Interview

photo credit: Jessie Leong

Following the release of their superb single, ‘In Foreign’, we had a chat with Sarah, Rebecca, Kirsty and Abbi from Esper Scout. The all female 4-piece from Leeds talk us through the new single, supporting The Cribs and what the future holds for the band...

How did you guys form and where did the name Esper Scout come from?

Sarah (vocals/guitar): The band has been writing and playing for around four years, although we’ve known each other since the early 2000s before moving to Leeds. Me and Kirsty met in school sports teams but properly became friends swapping mix tapes on a coach trip to Germany. We started a punk band with Reb during college, practicing in my Mum and Dad's garage, and Kirsty and Abbi were friends in primary school which predates that by a good while! We lost touch with her for about a decade until she bounced through the front of one of our gigs in Manchester last year.

Reb (bass): The term 'Esper' is what old Alfred Bester the sci-fi writer first used to describe a person who has extra sensory perception. Because we're such close friends it’s almost like we instinctively communicate together sometimes. We liked the word Scout too because of the resourceful group aspect, and camping. When pulled together maybe it means we want to go camping with some smart dogs.

For those that haven’t heard your music yet, how would you best describe your sound?

Kirsty (guitar): Grunge quiet/loud rock. Energy and ideas.

R: I feel it's influenced by 80's to early 90's West Coast punk, itself drawn from the first round of punk with a bouncy dynamic and lyrical messages.

Your new single ‘In Foreign’ was released on 16th October, can you talk us through the track and what it means to you?  

R: It’s born of lyrics Sarah wrote a number of years ago, so it’s an evolution of a song we used to play. Really fun recording process too, as it was mostly tracked live we were able lock in more naturally. I think the song can be perceived in many ways but to me it’s almost like a reminder that when things are bad they always get better so life's never really that hopeless, even when something seems like the worst.

Abbi (drums): As well as the meaning of the song I feel like it's extra special, for me personally, because it’s the first single I’ve released with Esper Scout. The whole process from writing to recording just came about really naturally.

Please tell us about the concept behind the accompanying video?

S: My friend Scout (coincidentally named) had an idea for a one shot video, inspired in part by Laura Marling's 'Gurdjieff's Daughter'. Chunk (their practice/venue co-op space) was a perfect location for it. She and another friend turned up from Manchester that morning and we figured it out in a few hours, who went where and how quickly we had to time our scrambling around.

What were the highlights from your UK headline tour earlier this year? Which gig did you most enjoy?

R: I enjoyed playing in Manchester, which is where we all come from. We couldn’t find a promoter who’d have us that night so we just hired out the basement of a Thai restaurant, got some friends' bands involved and an AMAZING engineer called Lucinda to help us run the night. It was so much fun, there was a queer club night on afterwards called 'Bollox' which played the best music in a UV light filled windowless room. Lots of people came and it was a great night.

S: My uncle wasn't too sure about the huge fluorescent underpant decorations which started to go up though…

A: Bristol! Definitely Bristol! Hysterical Injury were amazing and I think there’s something special about a floor show. Great connection and energy with the crowd.

S: Yeah that was great. Audacious Art Experiment had us with Hysterical Injury and Witching Waves playing in a small room, with the amps piled up behind the drum kit. Really love both of those bands

Ryan & Gary from The Cribs recently spoke out about how blown away they were by your live performance, which has led to you being asked to support them on their current tour. How stoked were you by their reaction and how excited are you to be going on tour them?

R: All a little bit surreal. The night they came to our gig, we were just sat on the floor eating chips and rice and one of us spots them in the corner and we didn’t really know what to do. I work in an independent record shop and met them when they came in to sign about a million copies of their new album a month before. They’d originally spotted our name associated with the US indie label Kill Rock Stars (who put out our last single) and wondered why they were tweeting about a gig in Wakefield. The night before they’d played a show at The Brudenell and I got word from Leeds promoter and pal Jonny Strangeways that Gary had asked if Jonny knew us. I spent all afternoon chatting with them. I got in trouble at work for that. Then we were asked to play the Glastonbury warm-up show in Gloucester and I had to sell my soul to get the day off. It took us all night to get home and we had an hours sleep before getting up for work. Seeing the sun rise, still in the van, whilst passing through The Cribs home town of Wakefield was both painful and exuberating. We’re very excited to go on their Autumn tour with them. They’re interesting and really nice chaps, we should have some larks.

Is there a debut album in the pipeline? What details can you share?

K: We're currently getting together songs for an album. Rewriting a lot of old ideas we have. Using parts of old songs and creating new ones as a kind of journey and timeline.

A: Yeah, focusing on the album between touring. It’s an exciting time though, there are plans afoot.

What else does the future hold for Esper Scout?

R: As well as the band and paid employment, we run our own record label called 'Bomb The Twist’. We actually just finished compiling a mix tape of a dozen or so Delta 5 covers from bands and friends of ours who live all over the place. The tape and download will be out soon…

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Palace live @ Scala, London

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Crowdmix Riffs #3

Bringing you our most recent favourite tracks from the world of Rock/Alternative/Indie

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Album of the week

Scottish instrumentalists VASA's incredibly euphoric debut LP 'Colours': vasa.bandcamp.com/

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Ideas Above Our Station

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Crowdmix Riffs #2

Bringing you our most recent favourite psych/indie tracks for your listening pleasure

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Brand New live @ Alexandra Palace, London

[crowdmixriffs]

Crowdmix Riffs #1

Bringing you our most recent favourite tracks