When did you first realise that COVID-19 was going to have an effect on your band?
It was when we had to cancel our show at The Night and Day cafe in Manchester and then all the other cancellations that followed. It felt like we were going a hundred miles per hour to begin with and then Covid felt like slamming into a wall. Suddenly we just couldn’t do anything and it’s been very sad.
Initially, what was that whole situation like, and how did your band overcome/react to it?
Initially I think it was actually quite exciting. At first I felt like it was quite possibly the end of the world and we were bearing witness to the extinction event. As more time passed though we came to realise that the government is causing more harm to people’s lives than this virus is, it’s at that point that we really got frustrated that we couldn’t perform live anymore. Fingers crossed for next year, because this ones been a dud for the live music industry, especially here in Wales where restrictions have been even tighter in regards to live performances.
How has your creative process changed as a band over the last couple of months?
I’ve had more time to write new material which I’ve been doing religiously and the bands had more time behind closed doors to practice and to grow as musicians. When it came to us getting together again for rehearsals after the initial lockdown in March it felt as though we’d never been away.
What’s been the hardest part about writing/doing music this way?
Writings not been hard, if anything it’s been freeing. What has been hard as a band is the pause on our goals. There’s so much that we want to achieve and we’re just eager to get back out there and smash it!
What bands/artists have you been listening to over the last couple of months?
We all have differing musical tastes, I’ve been listening to a lot of Twin Peaks, The Beatles, Sonic Youth and stuff like that. Dale’s been listening to The Airborne toxic event, October drift and The S.L.P. Tim’s loving on sixties ska and Ryan’s been listening to a lot of NOFX, Iron maiden and Reel big fish. So god only knows what our next record is going to sound like!
So, what do you think you’ve learnt the most from being a band through COVID-19?
That even when it feels like it’s not going anywhere, it’s still worth doing. I think we’ve found that despite everything we love to get together and play music simply for the love of doing so. Even if the worst was to happen and we could never play live again, we know now that we’d continue regardless.
What kind of effect do you think that it’s had on the music industry all together, and how excited are you to see it return to normal?
A negative one, nobody knows what the hell they’re doing at the moment. We’re like drowning rats on a sinking ship, just clinging on to anything for dear life and hoping that somehow we’ll survive to pick up the rubble of what’s left of the music industry. Massively excited! Although I think it’s going to be a good few years until we see any real return of what it once was. I’d love to be wrong though, I just want this nightmare over with.
What tips/advice would you like to give to other bands who are also going through this?
Pffft, we were hoping they had tips and advice for us? I guess we’d say stay strong, keep playing and we’ll see you all on the other side.
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