London-via-Athens punk rock band The Burnt Tapes recently revealed details of their forthcoming EP Alterations. Following on from their two previous releases Wasted History in 2014 and ‘Besides’ in 2016 the band will release their new EP Alterations through Lockjaw Records (UK CD/Digital), Umlaut Records (Vinyl) & Cannonball Records on Friday 2nd June. Recorded under-the-radar and in the blazing Athens heat, the development of Alterations wasn’t all plain sailing. A dose of bad fortune meant Guitarist Phil Georgoulopoulos almost had to duck out of the sessions after a freak cycling accident left his strumming arm badly injured and placed in a sling. However, with the help of some serious pharmaceuticals, namely painkillers and muscle relaxants, he managed to play through the pain barrier and successfully deliver all his parts.
Produced by Jacopo Fokas (Despite Everything/Vodka Juniors) the 5 tracks of Alterations throw nods to the gritty post-hardcore influenced punk of bands like Hot Water Music & Polar Bear Club. Taking the well-travelled sounds of mid-western punk firmly in their grasp, The Burnt Tapes have successfully created what could be said is their most accomplished work to date and a record which is surely set to become a fan favourite. The Burnt Tapes are Tone Apostolopoulos – Vocals & Bass, Phil Georgoulopoulos – Lead Vocals & Guitar, Panos Tessaromatis – Vocals & Guitar and Jordan Hall – Drums. Check out their latest single Oh, Marie below!
We managed to catch up with the band as they talked about their latest single, upcoming EP and more!
How pumped are you for the release of ‘Alterations’?
We are all super excited! This record was a huge learning experience for us, something we have spent the best part of a year preparing and planning, so yeah it’s nice to finally have a solid piece of work done and dusted. We have to keep Tone from purging the web from everything else we ever did. I think he is ashamed of our old stuff. Never forget where you came from bro…
Can you tell us anything about the release?
For a myriad of reasons, good and bad, this is the longest we’ve spent on a release. It tested our patience and resolve, both as musicians but also as friends and lovers. The whole process taught us priceless lessons in what to do, but mostly what not to do, and I think it has definitely set a benchmark for everything we do in the future.
Will there be a tour at all this year to coincide this?
Yep! We’re heading out on a release tour at the end of this month, playing a few dates in Europe, and then a small UK run before our release show in London on June 3rd. Shinjoku Riot are crossing the pond for the first time, coming from Tijuana, Mexico to support, along with London’s Wayfairer, so we’re really stoked to spend another ten days stuck in a dank van with 9 soon to be decaying corpses. We’ll have loads of goodies with us, bearing some excellent artwork sourced from very talented illustrators. Best part is it’s gonna be dirt cheap so come on down to a show and we’ll treat you to some fresh threads.
How has the video for ‘Oh Marie’ gone so far?
Oh Marie is our first ever video and as is common in the Burnt Tapes camp, we were woefully unprepared for the whole process. Luckily we had Mark Richards shoot the video and that man has the patience of a saint so we ended up with tight little video and had a great time shooting it. The response from people has been really positive.
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
That’s a tricky question. Tone is Iron Chic mad, every inebriation session ends up with him blasting their records, wishing he could ask them to teach us the way of anthemic regret rhythms and melodies. I think if you asked Jo, he would definitely mention Madonna, but it seems unrealistic.
Who has the best fashion sense out of you four?
That would almost certainly be Tone. He likes to rock a look that sits uncomfortably between hobo chic and Russian rent-boy (it okay to say that cos he’s Russian). Full marks for his consistency though, as you will almost always find him wearing his Set Your Goals hoodie or Manchester Punk Fest sweater. He also always wears shorts, no matter the weather.
What was the funniest moment while recording your latest single?
We laughed when Phil nearly broke his arm the day before we started recording in a freak Boris Bike accident. We laughed when we got to the studio and realised how unprepared we were. We laughed when we somehow managed to finish the record without going mad or killing each other.
What do you get up to in your spare time outside of the band?
Outside of the band we still like to very much be involved in music and supporting our local scene. Phil and Tone started putting on shows for touring bands last year, hosting bands from the US, Europe and even Singapore.
Music aside, Pan is a self-confessed video game addict (recovering), Jo is still trying to impress football scouts with his Sunday League football team. Phil has been dabbling in graphic design, helping put together tour posters and artwork for various bands using MS Paint. Also, when Tone isn’t high, he loves snowboarding and wants to start a punk festival up on the slopes. Fingers crossed.
What was your first gig that you ever attended?
Tone claimed that his first gig was a Scorpions show but as it turned out, it was just Status Quo. When we were in our early teens, we all managed to get to see The Misfits play in Athens, so think that was at least for 3 quarters of us, our first punk rock show. Jo’s first show was Madonna on her “Like A Virgin” tour.
Would you say the music scene in Greece is different to the UK?
The UK is such a big country, I would almost say that the music scene in the north of the UK is different to that in the south.
But the Greek scene is tighter knit as a community, probably because of its size, but also because of their enthusiastic support for the local bands. There are loads of great bands and people doing really creative things, and they are starting to tour Europe and the UK more and more which is great. The UK music scene is definitely more…spoilt, you get so many bigger bands always coming through, so naturally, the local DIY scenes are affected, that’s not to say there aren’t some great people putting on awesome events across the country.
P.S Jo doesn’t actually like Madonna
Tour dates:
27th May – Bar Les Anges, Charleroi (BE)
28th May – Cafe Bluff, Heerlen (NL)
30th May – Bobble Cafe, Lomme (FR)
1st June – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
2nd June – Sanctuary, Basingstoke
3rd June – Urban Bar, London