Bison Face are an alternative rock band from St Albans, England formed in 2019 by songwriter, frontman and multi-instrumentalist Ernie Hill and joined on lead guitar by Alex Bowden.
Here’s what they had to say when we got a chance to ask them some questions.
How did you all meet?
Ernie (Vocals/Guitar): I met Alex at school or through a school friend a while back now, and we’ve stayed friends since. 10 or so years give or take! In the live band at the moment we’ve got Joe and Steve, Alex knows them both from his time at BIMM in Brighton.
Who were your musical influences growing up?
Ernie: Nirvana were the first band that made me go “Music eh? I think that’s what I want to be doing”. Before I heard Nevermind, music had always just been a thing that existed, but I started noticing it after that, really hearing it. Zeppelin, Muse, Rage, The Prodigy and The Stooges all followed soon after and that was it.
What made you want to be in a band?
Ernie: I’m quite introverted and get pretty bad social anxiety at points, but playing music in a room with other people was my first proper love. I usually write alone, and spend a lot of time playing guitar by myself but there’s no better feeling than nailing a song as a band.
What has been your best gig?
Ernie: Our first headline show in St Albans was pretty damn special, it was packed out and that was when people started knowing lyrics and getting stuck in, that felt like a turning point. But our first show back will probably be the best one, it’s been 22 months, there’s a lot of pent up riffs that need releasing.
Can you tell us a bit about your music?
Ernie: Our third single ‘Private Joke Party’ drops on July 30th! It was initially a throwaway instrumental, but I dug the riff, it could have been a b-side at some point. Then I went through a tough time and it morphed into a whole different song pretty much overnight, I fast tracked the recording, smashed it out in a day and had it ready for release a month later. It was cathartic therapy getting that song out.
Can you describe your music in 3 words?
Ernie: Heavy, Honest, Loud
What makes your band stand out from others?
Ernie: I think we just do what we want at the time, writing wise I draw on a lot of different influences and sounds, I’m always trying to expand our direction. And I think we make music because we have to, we need to. Rather than doing it for fame or some egotistical bullshit reason. That’s not what art is about.
What are your plans for the rest of 2020?
Ernie: After we play our first show back on July 31st, we’re heading down to Brighton to start recording work on our debut EP. We should have another single ready fairly soon, hopefully by the end of September! Once that’s tracked we’re just going to playing as many shows as we can, we’ve got a lot of time to make up.
If your band had to be remembered for one thing apart from your music what would you want it to be?
Ernie: Both Alex and I are very environmentally aware, we’re vegan and do as much as we can for animals and the planet, so it’d be nice to get to a point where we had a bigger voice for things like that.
Do you have any gig’s coming up?
Ernie: We’re playing a hometown headline show at The Horn, St Albans on July 31st. That’ll be the first one in 22 months, and a massive bucket of emotion to be on a stage again for sure. We’re in the process of booking a few more for later in the year. Hopefully we’ll do a little tour in Autumn/Winter.
By Siân Parker
That Blogger Music 
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