I met up with Billy, Grant, Camron and Sam at The Hop Merchant before their gig. We had a chat and Billy introduced me and my friend Abi to the rest of the band. Ashley was on his way to the venue but the lads asked if we could start the interview, here’s what they had to say.
How did you all meet?
Billy – “We are all long-time friends really”
Grant – “We all came off the same estate and went to the same schools”
Camron – “We all went to Highbank primary school that’s where we first met”
How has the support been from friends and family?
Billy – Yeah it’s been good our families are behind us 100% and have been from day one even when we weren’t so good. The help they have given us as well has been great”
How much dose their support mean to you?
Billy – “A lot! Also word of mouth has helped a lot as well, people finding out about us then listening to our music you know the usual stuff”
Grant – “Social Media as well that’s helped us a bit”
Billy – “We’ve met some people from doing gigs as well which is a good thing as well”
A young lad walks into the room and the band go quiet and look around at him.
Billy – “This is Ashley by the way”
The estate you all grew up on was there a lot around the area to help?
Billy – “No there isn’t a lot around the estate to help out anyone music wise”
You haven’t done any gigs around your area or anything like that?
Billy – “No there isn’t a scene around Cliffton that would fit the stuff we do. I mean the great thing about living on an estate is everyone knows everyone so you get known about but there isn’t a venue that would fit us I mean we are struggling here tonight”
Camron – “It’s not the best venue is it”
The band laugh
Grant – “Don’t say that Cam! It’s a great venue!”
Camron – “Edit that! There are a lot better venues then this like Rough Trade”
I think out of the Midlands Nottingham has the best music venues.
Billy – “It’s a good scene around Nottingham there is a lot of good venues like The Maze it’s a bit like The Shed in Leicester, it’s a legendary venue in its own way”
Where do the idea’s for songs come from?
Billy – “It’s personally experiences like everyday situations”
Grant – “Life”
Billy – “Yeah life, a lot of it is the bad but you know it’s all from what we have experienced”
You’re playing here at The Hop Merchant tonight what should we expect from tonight’s gig?
Billy – “A great gig, I think it’s going to be….”
Grant – “Sweaty”
Billy – “Yeah sweaty, it’s going to be compact but hopefully people enjoy it”
Any funny or interesting gig stories you can share with us?
Billy – “We’ve not actually had anything mad happen … oh no wait there is one. I had some guy come up onstage and he asked if he could sing a song, I don’t know if he thought it was a karaoke night or something and I was like ‘not really mate I’m half way through a song’. That was when it was just me and Grant and it was an acoustic set”
Is there enough help around Nottingham to help small or up and coming bands?
Camron – “There needs to be more record labels knocking about”
Billy – “Yeah I don’t think there is, I think the promotion scene needs to stop concentrating on one particular scene”
Grant – “It’s all the same thing everyone wants”
Billy – “I think a lot of the new bands around Nottingham are going out there doing covers which is a good thing but don’t call yourself an original name unless you’re going to play original stuff. That’s the struggle we went through we wouldn’t do a gig until we had a set list of our own music we had wrote”
Grant – “As a full band now we have never played a cover”
Billy – “I know it’s hard but you need to help yourself by writing your own songs”
Do you have a pre-show routine?
Grant – “Not really”
Billy – “Recently we have been getting together before a gig and we have been rehearsing”
If the band had to be remembered for one thing what would you like it to be?
Billy – “Music obviously and that we did it our own way, we got to where we are not because of who we know but through hard work and because we are good”
Any plans/ goals for the rest of 2017?
Billy – “Bang out a few more singles like ‘Headstrong’ is going to be our next single we release”
Any plans to do any festivals next year?
Grant – “Yeah we want to start doing a few more festivals next year”
Billy – “Next year we want to play more festivals and play bigger venues”
‘No no no!’ is my favourite track of yours what is it about?
Billy – “It’s about a close friend that’s basically wasting their life away, trying to be someone you’re not to try and impress people”
What was the first gig/concert you went to and how much did they influence you?
Grant – “Mines the cringiest one ever I went to watch steps”
The band laugh.
How old was you?
Grant – “I was about 7”
That’s not too bad then I thought you was going to say when they reformed, how much have they impact did that gig have on you?
Grant – “Absolutely immense! Nah none at all really”
Grant – “My first gig that really influenced me was my cousin, The Swiines or The Libertines”
Billy – “Yeah that was a great gig, we went to see The Libertines at Rock City, it was amazing and made you think that’s what I want to do and be like. When it comes to a goal that’s the goal you want”
Camron – “I don’t know I think it was a Swiines gig”
Ashley – “Donovan”
Sam – “Spicegirls”
Than band laugh again
Any information you want me to give out?
Billy – “Check out our social media accounts for information on gigs and EP’s and check out our stuff on YouTube”
Grant – “The interviewers were great”
Billy – “10/10 fire”
By Siân Parker
That Blogger Music 
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