HellHikers Q&A

Your name:

Rolf Royce.

Where are you from?

AaleSin City, a.k.a Aalesund, small city on the north-west coast of Norway.

Name of band: 

HellHikers.

Who else is in your band? 

Rex Erection - Drums of Destruction, Devilry & Disorder. 

Roy Redrum - SickString of Sloth, Sleaze & Sinphony

Per Perplex - Bass of Brute, Beer & Boozery. 

I'm doing the Vocals of Vomit, Vile & Vehemence.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Beerwolves Howlin' In Töxic Heat, White Trash Weekend Alcoholic Scum playing HöRRiFic HellPönkRöck. HellHikers Sounds like Burning Wheels, Smoking Guns, Hot Babes and Cheap Drinking in the Twilight Zone. HellHikers Sounds Like HellPönkRöck...And We're Not Afraid to Use Capitol Letters!

Who are your main influences musically?

We started out pretty much as a Misfits-worship band in 2003, with some influences from Ramones, Turboneger and Raga Rockers. Our fascination with old horror movies, cheesy sci-fi and sleazy sexploitation from the 60s and 70s are still there in the lyrics, but musically HellHikers has grown darker, heavier and more complex with the years. 

It's only a natural development, since there's been quite some line-up changes with new members bringing in new inspiration and old members going back their heavy metal/hard rock roots. You'll probably find just as much Sabbath, Stooges and Motorhead as Misfits in our sound today, and I think our next album "Death Rattle & Roll" goes to prove just that.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

None of us are 20 any more, so ambitions of becoming big rock stars are long gone, if we ever had any. All current members have been playing in several bands since their early teens, a lot of cover-bands as well, so I guess we're basically music fans playing for the fun, the beer and the love of music. We still like to develop into something we feel is HellHikers though, that is us, that sounds like us and looks like us, in our beer-soaked horror-universe, and all positive recognition and compliments for that is always nice. 
Playing some gigs outside Norway some day wouldn't hurt us either. We'll take whatever comes our way and do the best with it.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

I can't speak for the rest of the guys, but for me personally it must be supporting Thulsa Doom in 2005 in Sogndal, when they were touring Norway. Not to be confused with the American act, Thulsa Doom from Norway are my favorite Norwegian band next to Raga Rockers, and they're still playing live. That's why! Their third album, "..and then take you to a place were jars are kept" is a masterpiece, and I really hope they release another album soon!

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Can't remember, must have made sure to get drunk enough to forget it. 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

That's a hard one, but I'll pick "Murder & Mayhem" from "Ghoulham Tales"(2011). I think this track represents the old and new HellHikers best. Our first EP "CreEPers From The Rawk Lagoon" (2006) was, as mentioned, very Misfits-like; Short songs, simple chords with lots of hooks and melodies. By the time "Ghoulham Tales" was released, we wanted to put a lot more ROCK into the term "HellPunkRock", both in the riffs and sound, and so we did. I know for sure that some of the old fans were not too happy about this, but to keep ourselves interested and inspired to go on, HellHikers had to take a step further.

Where can we listen to it? 

Murder & Mayhem

Where can we find out more about your music? 

HellHikers on Facebook

HellHikers on Twitter

HellHikers on Soundcloud

HellHikers on Reverb Nation

HellHikers on Spotify

HellHikers on YouTube

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to about?

We hope to release "Death Rattle & Roll" later this year. We got nine tracks in the mixing process, and they already sound killer! HellHikers 2015 sounds really nasty, we hope you'll love it and like our Facebook page!

Sweet Crisis Q&A

Band name:
Sweet Crisis.

Where are you from?
Cambridge/London.

How would you describe yourselves?
As fun-loving rock and roll heads who care about quality no quantity!

Who are your main influences musically?
Floyd, The Stones, Hendrix, Jack White to name a few…

What do you hope to achieve in music?
To sell out stadiums, headline festivals, and a carrier would be nice!

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Reforming as Sweet Crisis after some really tough times and selling out our first UK show!

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Already forgotten! Have a rubbish memory!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?Fight About Nothing. It's our first single and is an honest statement of the first chapter
in our band.

Where can we listen to it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev-UEPv-ehw



Where can we find out more about your music? 

www.sweetcrisis.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetcrisisband
Twitter: @sweetcrisisband

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?Just come and see us live, we promise you won’t be disappointed!

New EP from Piglet Outlet

SWEDISH avant-garde indie kids Piglet Outlet have released their four-track EP Paradise In Progress via Shallow Shit Records.

And Martin Sjöstrand from the label has been in touch to tell RealSoundsOK about the band.

He said: "This Malmö/Norrköping-based mutation consists of people from experimental dance heroes Slagsmålsklubben and underground indie pop acts Lavemangsmugglarna and Häxor & Porr. 

"Take the manic melodies AND the obscure madness of these acts and you have the sound of Piglet Outlet. This is truly the top of the crop of all that has come out of these maniacs' brains. So kick back and put this record on. Soon you'll be dancing. But you will also have nightmares!"

You can listen to the EP below and for more on the band head to facebook.com/pigletoutlet

Recruits Q&A

Band name: 

Recruits. 

Where are you from? 
North Lincolnshire, UK.

Who is in your band? 

Steve Smith - singer, Ben Yarrow - lead guitar, Steve Heather - bassist, Jonno Smith - drummer. 

How would you describe yourselves? 
In terms of a genre we call ourselves alternative rock because its a very vague term that we fit under; some people may disagree. I'd say the music is pop/punk rock and the vocals are quite soulful. Our songs are known for being catchy and have good hooks to them, which is what labels us "pop".

Who are your main influences musically?
Musically our influences come from some fairly heavy bands such as Foo Fighters, 30 Seconds to Mars and a Day to Remember.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
All we want is to be able to write and play music and to be able to play it in front of people who will appreciate it. We want our music to mean something to people, whether we have 300 fans in one country or 3million fans globally.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
For me my career highlight was winning the rock open last year. We have achieved some bigger things since, however that moment was very special. We were the underdogs in the competition and after being together for six months we didn't expect to get to the final at all. We lost our bassist weeks before the final but we found our current bassist shortly after and worked our socks off to get a perfect set in time. We played the final like a totally new band. It made me very proud winning it in my home town, I like to think we did Scunthorpe proud and for all my friends and family to be watching it made it even better. I think we showed everybody what we were capable of and surprised some!

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
We had a gig last year. It was one of the best gigs we played. It was shortly before the rock open final, our confidence level was on a high and the place was packed for us. However my gear was at the end of its lifespan and was holding on for one of its last gigs. It got to the end of our set and everyone was screaming for another song, we played all our songs and we couldn't play another one again because Ben's E-string snapped. Somehow we started playing a cover of "Waves" and it went terribly..no one really knew what they were doing and my amp decided to turn on wah for the whole song. It got so bad Steve eventually stopped the song and there was a long awkward pause on stage and in the crowd. We ended up walking off stage to let Steve and Jonno play one of their songs. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and die at the time. It's now a running joke in the band about playing the cover of Waves, however if I could forget that moment it would make me very happy!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
I think our track 'Broken' represents us the best - it shows the best bits of us all really. It's the tightest track and the most "single-worthy" off the EP. The lyrics are powerful, the chorus is big and the sections are well thought out musically. I'd like to this that if people heard it it'd tempt them into listening to the EP.

Where can we listen to it? www.youtube.com/watch?v=II3PcAxm8YE

Where can we find out more about your music? 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RecruitsUK

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreRecruits

Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/recruitsuk

BigCartel: http://recruits.bigcartel.com/

ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/we-are-recruits-ep/id974586012

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask? 
We played a five-date UK tour this month where we showcased our new set and some brand new tracks from our EP, which you can listen to for free at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHoCy1uBFeDnKS17kQq874_O9nK4O4oA6

Starling Q&A

Your name: 

Dan.

Where are you from? 

From all corners of England actually: London, Edinburgh, Bradford and Somerset. We’re mainly based in London.

Name of band: 

Starling.

Who else is in your band? 
Craig (drums), Sol (bass) and Vanessa (keys).

How would you describe yourselves? 
We’re a four-piece anthemic rock band with an orchestra next door.

Who are your main influences musically? 
We all come from such different backgrounds musically, I come from a rock background but I am greatly influenced by Bob Dylan, Elgar, The Ink Spots, Aretha Franklin, Chopin, Jimi Hendrix, Liszt, The Beatles, Nirvana, Dvorak, Rage Against The Machine, U2, Peter Gabriel, Incubus, John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Miles Davis, Debussy, just to name a few.
Although I also feel that all things inspire your own expression of art from the books that I read to the sculptures that I enjoy all expand the space within to cultivate ideas. In the band we have Vanessa who comes from a film music background and brings the John Hopins and Thomas Newman influences, Craig who also comes from a rock background and Sol who is too big to fit in any bracket.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
My personal dream is to live out my fullest potential as a person and spend my time doing things that I do best which is writing and recording music, as long as I can do that with integrity then I have won.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Dan: Just before going on stage to do the album launch of ‘Public Service’ the crowd were chanting our name and we came out and played my favourite ever show.
Vanessa: We all had a shared moment of, “This might just be the best time of our lives” when we were living and recording the album at Parr St Studios. It was fulfilling in every way even before anyone had heard the material.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Last year when we were stolen from and lied to by members of the music industry.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
Lights is a good example that covers most aspects of our sound and it’s all about how when the s**t hits the fan, you know who your friends are.

Where can we listen to it?
www.youtube.com/starlingband




Where can we find out more about your music?
www.starlingband.co.uk
www.facebook.com/starlingband
www.twitter.com/starlingband
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/starling/id909053356

South Estate Q&A

Your name: 

Daniel Grey.

Where are you from? 

Rome, Italy.

Name of band: 

South Estate.

Who else is in your band? 

Marco Pisano (bass), Hervé le Feuvre (lead guitar), Tom Baylem (cello and BVs) and Owen Schofield (Drums).

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

We call ourselves an alternative folk-rock band, but to be honest I am influenced by a whole bunch of different styles and our stuff is very diverse as a result. It's always lyrically-driven and melodic though.

Who are your main influences musically? 

Many! Here's just a few that we love at the moment -  Abigail Washburn, Beta Radio, Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, Dry the River, The Family Crest, First Aid Kit, Freelance Whales, Half Moon Run, Isbells, Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker, Kill it Kid, Little Green Cars, Lucy Rose, Nico Vega, Sarah Jarosz, Swear and Shake, Will Knox.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

Of course we are looking to play the big London gigs, but the most important thing for us is to get our music out there. We don't write songs simply because they are catchy - we aim to craft meaningful music that will truly resonate with people.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

We've played some great gigs around London already - such as at the Hippodrome Casino in March and the O2 Academy Islington in May this year. And recording our debut single (released date 25th July) was such fun too.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

Probably forgetting the lyrics to Hillbrook Road at our first gig together as a band in 2014! It hasn't happened since, thank goodness.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

It's always such a difficult question - but I think possibly Collect Them in Your Drawers. 

Where can we listen to it? 

https://soundcloud.com/south_estate 

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/southestate 

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGmw89TaYBZtChzD7-JxKig 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/south_estate 

Video for Never Quit from Pet Sun

STONER garage band Pet Sun have released a video for their track Never Quit.

The band from Hamilton, Ontario, are also planning to release their debut LP via The Hand Recordings this summer.

They told RealSoundsOK: "Never Quit was the first video we had a plot for, which actually made things pretty easy for us in the studio.

"Our bud Billy Moon was great to work with and bought us ridiculous amounts of pizza for dinner and many cold beers.

"Our costumes were running low so we had to do our best with a black balding wig, a cloak and some old face paint. An electric wizard was born and took over our lives.

"We had an idea about throwing a TV out the window, but the pizza took up too much of the budget. Next one."

You can watch the video below and for more head to facebook.com/petsunrocknroll

Bedroom demos album release from Porridge Radio

MISERY Radio is a collection of solo bedroom demos released by Porridge Radio.

Dana Margolin - the musician behind the sounds - said her music has been described as "lo-fi emotional vomit".

She told RealSoundsOK: "The album is a collection of some of my favourite of the songs I've written in my bedroom over the past couple of years. It has two previously unreleased tracks, ('p2' and 'our love is shrinking down'), the rest have been available on SoundCloud for a while in no particular order."

The album - released by Eyeless Records - comes with a limited edition CD and zine made by Dana and is available on Bandcamp. 

Visit Porridge Radio on Facebook for more.

Delta Will give us a taste of debut LP

ALT-pop outfit Delta Will have released Manic Pulse - the first single from their upcoming debut album.

Charles from the Toronto band told RealSoundsOK: "It's a song I wrote about a young man's dizzying journey through the triumphant highs and loathsome lows of a manic episode.

"Sonically, the track alternates between dark swelling verses and explosive, sparkling choruses of psych-pop bliss"

You can get the single at Bandcamp - or listen below - and find out more at facebook.com/deltawillmusic

Download 2015 - Day Three review

SOMETIMES you have a band in your life that you get, but not everyone else does - and that's just fine.

It gives you more of a connection with them and their songs and makes seeing them live - even at 11.50 in the morning - a really rewarding experience.

Brock in action - picture by Richard Johnson/Download 2015

That band for me is 36 Crazyfists, whose first album Bitterness The Star I picked up back in the early 2000s and never looked back. But this was the first time I had seen them perform in the flesh.

They kicked off with a new one - Vanish from Time And Trauma - in an eight-track set that included highlights from throughout their career and ended with their most memorable (and earliest) hit, Slit Wrist Theory.

For me, it was a fantastic performance and a delight to finally see them perform. And to top it off, I met frontman Brock Lindow for a brief chat and a picture backstage in the press area and he was a lovely guy. What an experience.

36CF weren't my first band of the day though, with Pop Evil having the unenviable task of opening the Main stage on "Hangover Sunday", but they did a good job of it and pulled in a decent crowd.

I also very much enjoyed Tremonti on the Main stage a little later as my Sunday began to get going.

But then I suffered another disappointment. I appreciate We Are Harlot are an arms waving, lighters-in-the-air sort of band but it just didn't do it for me on the day - even with their cover of Queen's Tie Your Mother Down.

I departed and caught a bit of Blackberry Smoke on the Main stage and The Darkness pulling in the biggest crowd the Maverick stage tent had seen all weekend. A triumphant return for them.

Billy Idol is also not really a boat floater for me, so after a bit of his set I popped up to see Eagles Of Death Metal on the Zippo Encore stage. Now this I did like. Jesse Hughes and his band of merry men seemed to enjoy their time and that rubbed off on the crowd. It was a lot of fun and a lot of dancing in the mud. Good stuff.

Myles & Slash - picture by Scott Salt/Download 2015

Now back in the groove, it was time for Slash (feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators) on the Main stage - and what a performance.

I was worried I didn't know enough Slash material to enjoy the set, but he's a guy who knows what the crowd wants and it was rammed full of Guns 'n' Roses classics too and one from his Velvet Revolver days.

For those tracks Myles Kennedy shows his skill as a vocalist and avoids the trap of slipping into an Axl Rose parody. As such, we get to enjoy Nightrain, You Could Be Mine, Sweet Child O' Mine and Paradise City. And, of course, Slash's axemanship is second to none.

In Flames - picture by Giles Smith/Download 2015

And as my festival looks to finish on a high, I take in In Flames on the Encore stage and they also hit the spot. Anders Friden leads the onslaught of hit after hit - including my favourites Where The Dead Ships Dwell and Deliver Us - before finishing on their biggest smash, Take This Life. Incredible.

I take in a little bit of Motley Crue as they say goodbye, but to be honest neither they or Kiss are my kind of thing, it's getting late and I have a three-hour journey ahead. 

My big regret is missing out on what has been reported as a stormer of a performance from Enter Shikari, but my Download Festival is over and what an amazing weekend of music it's been \m/

Download 2015 - Day Two review

WAKING up with a massive rumbling sound in you head is never nice and it takes me longer than it should to work out it's an aeroplane coming into land rather than my hangover.

The other noise I hear is rain. It started the night before and - as I will come to learn - it will not stop all day. At least I'm prepared now with a jacket and wellies rather than the hoodie and Converse that got ruined during last night's torrential downpours.

Faith No More - picture by Scott Salt/Download 2015

But enough of my moaning, today I am enticed into the arena by the harmonious vocals of festival favourites The Lounge Kittens whose pitch-perfect set includes covers of Marilyn Manson's The Beautiful People, Metallica's Sad But True, Slipknot's Duality and a Download megamix.

And now I'm ready to start the day. And first up on the agenda is Funeral For A Friend - a band I think should be bigger than they are. They've produced so many good songs over the years - and play them here. 

Maybe they're victims of "the next young things" knocking them down the ladder, I don't know. But upstarts Chunk! No Captain Chunk! steal some audience from them to the nearby Maverick stage - me, admittedly, for a bit - while Mallory Knox then come on the Main stage and get a much bigger reaction.

That's not to say Mallory Knox or the boys in Chunk don't deserve their plaudits. Each give energetic performances, as do Hands Like Houses, who could be the next pretenders to the radio-friendly alt-rock crown.

Next up came one of the disasters of the weekend. Hollywood Undead. 

Whereas Slipknot's masks can't hide the fact they're a top-class metal band, Hollywood Undead's masks can't hide the fact they're totally crap.

It's like the bastard mongrel offspring of bad Beastie Boys and Papa Roach tribute acts with lyrics by Sean Paul. It was just awful. They may have been saved if there was even the remotest hint that they knew this was all a bit silly and tongues were in cheeks, but I got the impression they think they're the best and coolest band in the world. They ain't.

And it rubs salt into my earlier wound of a band like Funeral For A Friend two spots below them on the Main stage bill.

But every cloud has a silver lining and that was making my way from the car crash of Hollywood Undead up the hill to Jake's stage where I found Crobot. Proper musicians, playing proper rock music.

A Day To Remember - picture by Justine Trickett/Download 2015

Their track Skull Of Geronimo was the highlight with Brandon Yeagley nailing the vocals.

A bit chirpier, I went back down the hill to some real heaviness with Upon A Burning Body in the Maverick tent and Parkway Drive on the Main.

Like yesterday's slight let down when Rob Halford failed to join Five Finger Death Punch for Lift Me Up, I was disappointed that Ice T didn't show for UABB's set-closing Turn Down For What despite his Bodycount playing later in the day.

His recorded vocals were played out though and the track still lifted the tent off the ground.

Rise Against were next for me on the Main stage and then Motionless In White on the Zippo Encore before A Day To Remember made it, well, you know. 

Their powerful and energetic performance began with the duda duda dudahs of The Downfall Of Us All and also included a cover of Oasis's Champagne Supernova. There were a few groans from the metal hardcore when they first began to play it, but they were soon singing along to all the words "...in the skaaaaayyy".

I saw a little bit of Bodycount, but not enough to report on. Then came the biggest let down of the weekend. Faith No More.

Angel Dust is one of my favourite albums and they have made so many other good songs over the years. Yet there was something missing from the performance. Decked out all in white and surrounded by flowers, they didn't look like us. Maybe that was it. Or the smuggish sneer on Mike Patton's face. I don't know. But the performance seemed too routine and the interaction with the crowd forced. 

Marilyn Manson
- picture by Danny North/Download 2015

By now, of course, we're at the business end of the day and I decide to split my "headline" time between two stages.

I start off with Marilyn Manson on the Encore stage and he had what Faith No More lacked. Magnetism. You just have to watch him. He's an enigma. And he's got a hell of a voice too.

He started with new track Deep Six, then hit us with an old favourites Disposable Teens and mOBSCENE. His covers of Sweet Dreams and Personal Jesus were also included and he finished with the superb Beautiful People.

Muse, meanwhile, were showing just why they are one of the world's biggest rock bands. Yes they are a lot more commercial than a lot of the other bands on the bill, but they write amazing songs and perform them in a spectacular show - even if we only got the scaled back version.

Their set included a number of songs from their new album Drones, but plenty of the classics such as Hysteria, Supermassive Black Hole, Time Is Running Out and Stockholm Syndrome before closing their encore with Plug In Baby and Knights Of Cydonia.

So more than 15 bands seen in one day - a day it rained constantly - and my must-see of the weekend early on the bill tomorrow. Time for bed.

Download 2015 - Day One review

Slipknot - picture by Gobinder Jhitta/Download 2015

WHATEVER the metal purists say about Slipknot, they cannot deny they put on one hell of a show. 

They were the first headliner of Download Festival and probably my highlight of the weekend, but let's start at the beginning.

Sadly, my arrival at Donington was delayed and so I missed the first few bands I had hoped to see. But I picked things up (including a beer) with Lacuna Coil on the Main stage, the haunting gothic tones of Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia easing me into the weekend.

Then came my first of many spells of stage-hopping as I took in Defeater and Beartooth on the Maverick stage, some Clutch on the Main and Allusondrugs on Jake's stage.

The latter were a bit of a disappointment, too much posturing at the front and not enough substance. Defeater and particularly Beartooth made more of an impression, while Clutch know exactly what they're doing and know how to work it.

And so we come to my first highlight of the weekend - Five Finger Death Punch. 

Ivan Moody leads Five Finger Death Punch
- picture by Scott Salt/Download 2015

I saw frontman Ivan Moody in the press area before hand and he was in a very jovial mood, which he carried on to the stage - kicking off with Under And Over It.

You know exactly what you get with FFDP and that's some hard rock with great vocals and Moody certainly knows how to whip up the crowd. His antics included pulling three young kids up on to the stage just before launching into the not-so-subtle Burn MF. And while the parent in me cringed every time he bellowed "motherfucker" into the mic, at least two of the kids were full-pelt moshing along.

Although they did perform Lift Me Up in their set, they were not joined on stage by Rob Halford, who provides guest vocals on the album version and whose Judas Priest were next on stage. It was one of several such collaborations that failed to be revived over the weekend. But more of that later.

I did catch some of Priest on the Main stage - mainly to say that I had seen them - but they are not really my thing and so I enjoyed a little reunion of my own.

I saw rap-metallers The One Hundred play in a near-empty tent at Sonisphere last summer and I was impressed. It seems in the interim many others have been too as the lads from Surrey packed out the larger Jake's stage tent and brought a performance to match.

The One Hundred - picture by Richard Johnson/Download 2015

It was only six songs, but they were intense and I'm still blown away by the sounds frontman Jacob Field emits from such a diminutive frame. Can't wait to see these guys mature even more in the next few years.

After The One Hundred, I did catch parts of Fightstar and Black Stone Cherry, but my eye was trained in on the main prize of the day - Slipknot. And they were epic.

There's the fire, the spinning percussionists going up and down, the imagery and, of course, the masks. But beyond that are bundles and bundles of great metal songs.

The Heretic Anthem, Psychosocial, The Devil In I, Vermilion, Wait And Bleed, new single Killpop, Before I Forget, Duality and Spit It Out were among the comprehensive setlist as well as an encore including (sic), People=Shit and Surfacing.

It's an incredible performance, whole-hearted, and Corey Taylor - like Moody earlier - knows that the connection with the fans is key to that. It's a show that (despite the huge amount of booze consumed) I won't forget in a hurry.

VEiiLA Q&A

Your name:

My name is Vif Nüte and I'm singer-songwriter and synth-player.

Where are you from?

It's complicated. Too long story to tell here. Currently we're living in Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Name of band: 

VEiiLA.

Who else is in your band?

We're a duo. The second member is Bes Eiredt, producer and synth-player.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

I think I'm pretty unstable and a little too emotional. Even if you see me calm there's probably a tempest inside. This is absolutely reflected in our music

Who are your main influences musically?

I'm always searching for something new to inspire me. It'd be a very long list of artists to name all of them. I think all music I have in my player influenced me one way or another. The latest update for my playlist included the new releases from Sohn, Royksopp, Lykke Li and Charlie Winston.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I think my hopes are no more different to any emerging artist's. It's about becoming known and wanted. In long term I want to stay open-minded as long as it's possible. All the other achievements are just a matter of hard work.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

VEiiLA is too young project to highlight something. We played at a couple of festivals and released the first single just a month ago. Before we had another musical projects with relatively high level of success but I'd like to keep it to myself. Thinking of VEiiLA as a pure, brand new start gives us the feel of lightness and energy.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

What I want to forget must be forgotten. Recalling it is counterproductive, isn't it?

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

There is only one released song for this moment. It's our first single Animal that we have picked to be the first because it perfectly fits our emotional state for now. This song is a reflection of my inner hurricane.

Where can we listen to it? 

https://soundcloud.com/veiilamusic/animal

Where can we find out more about your music? 

Our official website is http://veiila.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/veiila

Facebook: https://facebook.com/veiilamusic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/veiilamusic

Bandcamp: https://veiila.bandcamp.com

We also share a lot of our lifestyle pics on instagram: http://instagram.com/veiilamusic

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

Very soon, on 25th June we have our first EP release. It's going to be available on iTunes and other digital stores. But for our followers there'll be special treats. So join our pages and stay in tune!

Kobadelta Q&A

Photo by Daniel Robson

Your names:

Dominic Noble – I’m the lead singer.

Alex Malliris – I’m the guitarist.

Where are you from?

Gateshead, UK.

Name of band:

Kobadelta.

Who else is in your band?

Alex: We’ve got my brother Chris Malliris on drums, Jon Marley on bass and Jordan Robson on synths.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Alex: We’re just an easy going bunch of lads wanting to make and play music and have a laugh along the way. Musically though there’s a bit of a contrast to our personalities in that there’s a dark and brooding vibe running through all that we do – it’s heavy rock really but with a psychedelic edge and a dark heart.

Who are your main influences musically?

Alex: I’d say any bands that combine dark and heavy well are an influence, Black Sabbath and Queens Of The Stone Age are definitely and influence on our rhythm section, and for me guitar wise there’s fuzzy psych bands like anyone from The Black Angels and Wooden Shjips to more current bands like Hookworms and King Gizzard that I feel are starting to influence my guitar playing at times.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Dom: I don’t think this generation has yet had a defining sound, and I would love Kobadelta to write a new chapter in the big book of British music.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Alex: I can’t speak for the rest of the lads, but for me personally getting a feature with a photo and all that in NME’s Radar section felt like a nice achievement and a ‘box ticked', in the same way our songs getting played on a station like BBC 6 Music was, in the sense that it’s national recognition from an ‘established’ institution. I don’t know if NME quite holds the influence and sway that they used to but I remember going out on my lunch break at school and buying my first copy in 2003 with The Strokes on the cover. Although to a degree the other lads see it as just another decent feature in another magazine, to me it’s iconic almost. I bought it religiously for years through my teens and into Uni and it felt weird seeing ourselves in it.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Dom: In the early days of the band I used to get off my face before gigs, and looking back it was probably to hide my nerves. I remember one gig I started punching the cymbals along to the song until my knuckles were bleeding, then wiped blood on my face. I think I hid my nerves behind shock tactics.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Alex: I would say ‘Blame It All On Me’ from our new EP ‘Open Visions’, it just seems to me to have the right blend of all the things that seem to represent Kobadelta musically. It’s got quite a subdued and moody, creepy vibe to the verses that kicks off into a sludgy and heavy chorus with Jordi’s synth line behind it – I also really like the sped up psych-breakdown in the middle, and lyrically I feel Dom is at his best, spouting his musings on everything from mass media manipulation to love and war in his own surreal way.

Where can we listen to it?

Strangely enough we’ve just unveiled a music video for it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YublS8e7u0) and you can also download it for FREE at www.kobadelta.bandcamp.com cos we’re nice lads and that.

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.facebook.com/kobadelta

www.soundcloud.com/kobadelta

Twitter: @kobadelta

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

Alex: You didn’t ask us about the time Nick Cave pulled Dom out of the crowd at his Gateshead gig at the Sage in April and got him on stage to sing with him. No news on any further collaborations just yet.