RealSoundsOK: 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