I managed to catch a quick couple of minutes with the band before they went onstage on Wednesday night in Birmingham at The Rainbow in Digbeth. So, meet Jarvis (bassist), Tom (lead guitarist), Elliot (drummer), and front man Brad.
You're currently on tour with Nothing But Thieves, how's that been so far?
All: "Brilliant, it's been really good so far"
Elliot: "The crowds have been awesome too and it's been a great opportunity to get more gigs under our belts."
Tom: "We've had some really nice venues so far as well. This one seems pretty good so we're looking forward to tonight"
Have you played here before?
Tom: "Not here but we've played Birmingham before, I think it was the Hare and Hounds."
Elliot: "But this is a really cool venue by the looks of it. We're excited."
How did you get into music?
Brad: "Our families got us into it but I just wanted to learn guitar when I was about ten"
Tom: "I always fancied playing an instrument and my dad was a drummer but I just didn't fancy drums. I remember he was playing guitar so I had a quick go on his and I just really wanted to learn."
Brad: "I told him that if he bought a bass he could be in the band so that's what he did"
Elliot: "I remember my father and my brother were all into music so for me I guess it was always around and I was born into it and I just ended up getting into drums"
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| Photo credit to Simon Sarin |
Jarvis: "Brad's really good at telling this story"
Brad: "I think it was a random Thursday night and everyone from our school was in this field and we all decided to have a bit of a campfire and we all got a bit drunk. I was in a cover band at the time but they didn't want to play original songs, so I saw Elliot across the fire and I knew he played drums and I just asked if he wanted to be in a band. I decided to start messaging him on Facebook and we really got on-"
Elliot: "I still have the messages actually. There's one where Brad said 'You never know what's gonna happen'"
Brad: "And now a year later it seems to have gone a bit mental."
Elliot: "Three days later Brad asked Tom to learn and buy a bass and he did and it took off from there. We recorded Cave Song six months after and four months after that we got signed."
Jarvis: "I met some guy at the train station from GumTree and he sold me a bass guitar for thirty quid."
Brad: "We just lived in a bit of a unit then. We practiced every day and worked really hard for the next six months just writing and grafting and then it started to kick off"
Who would you say were your main influences?
Tom: "There's honestly loads like Nirvana, The Jam-"
Jarvis: "Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Iggy Pop, The Sex Pistols..."
Elliot: "Iggy Azalea that is of course, not Iggy from The Stooges obviously" (laughs)
Brad: "The Smiths, The Cure, Oasis"
Elliot: "There's a load of different genres too for instance, Brad is into a load of different ones like electric and house and shit like that"
Brad: "Well I like The Prodigy sort of dance stuff, I like a bit of rock and electric too - especially after the gig; it keeps you on a high"
Elliot: "Basically just any good music, not really specific genres."
I saw that you're playing with The Vaccines in November, how did that come about?
Elliot: "I actually have no idea how the hell that happened"
Brad: "I think they mailed us actually"
Jarvis: "What, The Vaccines asked for us?"
Joe: "Yeah I think they literally just mailed us, it was really weird"
Brad: "We played with them in Jersey when they headlined Jersey Live Festival"
Jarvis: "We also met them at Latitude Festival when we played there, they're really nice, they're really tall as well actually"
Brad: "Well I was drunk so I can't really remember it but from what I can remember it was really cool."
Is there anyone you'd like to tour with?
Tom: "Queens of the Stone Age"
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| Myself and the band |
Brad: "We're not really into many new bands so I can't really think of many else."
Jarvis: "We of course appreciate a lot of new bands but it's like you're so focused on your own music you don't really pay much attention to new stuff that's going on"
Tom: "We'd like to do our own shows too where we can play more of our own stuff. When it's a co-headline show there's like different groups of fans so it's nice to have your own fans at your shows"
Brad: "And we do have our own tour in November so we're really looking forward to that. It's all on our Facebook page if you're interested"
How's the album process going?
Brad: "We've pretty much got it all written out it's just timings we're waiting for."
Elliot: "We've basically got the next three albums written it's just waiting for the right time so doesn't clash with other people's and building up a fan base. Hopefully we'll record it soon and be releasing it in the summer right before festival season."
Brad: "It'll be good then because people will be able to sing our songs back to us when we play festivals"
Elliot: "That's the main part of getting your album out - just being able to tour and play your songs to people and seeing that people actually know your songs that you've made"
What's the one song that made you want to be in a band?
Brad: "I don't actually know but All Day And All Of The Night by The Kinks is a good one, I wish I would've written that. I remember being gutted as a kid that I didn't write it.
Tom: "Sunshine Of Your Love made me want to learn guitar."
Elliot: "I used to be into bands like Oasis so probably one of their songs, but I'm a bit past that now."
Jarvis: "I think I've just always had that mentality to want to be in a band"
What the first album you bought?
Tom: "I don't think I've ever bought an album, I just downloaded them all. (laughs) But my first one was Youth & Young Manhood by Kings Of Leon"
Jarvis: "Mine was probably The Simpsons soundtrack" (laughs)
Elliot: "I think it was the live soundtrack to when Led Zeppelin played Royal Albert Hall"
Listen to National Plastics by Pretty Vicious HERE
Written by Rosie Mulhern.
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