LOOK TO THE SKIES: Our interview with Mancunian 'heavy' pop punk outfit, Those Who Seek!

 

PART 1 - THE INTERVIEW

 

What is your earliest musical memory and what pushed you towards pursuing a career in the music business?

 

Matt: "I think, mine was probably learning to play drums. I first started when I was about twelve but gave up and then restarted when I was about fourteen again. What’s pushed me into my musical ventures has definitely been the feeling that you truly have an amazing time doing what you love, writing something that means something to you – yet at the same time, truly comforting people and helping them get through things. Makes it all worth it for sure."

 

Sean: "I remember listening to Oasis thinking music was the coolest shit ever - only years later did I actually consider it to be something I'd dedicate so much of my time to, and that's mainly just from watching so many bands live and loving the thrill of performing."

 

Nathan: "I'd say it was getting my first guitar when I was seven and that my dad played guitar when he was young."

 

Had you been involved in any other bands or musical ventures before Those Who Seek?

 

Matt: "Yeah, I mean, me and Nathan were in a year nine band back when I played drums and he played bass. It was a terrible high school band but it helped me gain a good idea for the industry."

 

Sean: "I've been in several bands before Those Who Seek, some more serious than others, typical 'high school band' Arctic Monkeys covers and what not."

 

Nathan: "Yeah...back when I was a bassist me and Matt had a year nine band and I had a year seven even before that."

 

How did Those Who Seek begin?

 

Matt: "Those Who Seek began back when me and Nathan had broken off from our old band. Looking for a side project we started messing about with things in 2011 acoustically. We slowly became a young Manchester band in 2012 but didn’t release anything and didn’t play any shows. The members didn’t last but finally at the end of 2012 we gained Sean and Dan and then Brad at the start of 2013. Ever since 2013’s come about I think it’s starting coming together properly. When we’re asked when TWS started we say 2012 because Those Who Seek as we know it, didn’t start until late 2012/2013, not really."

 

Nathan: "Ditto to Matt."

 

Where did the name Those Who Seek come from?

 

Matt: "When the side project started becoming kind of like an acoustic band me and Nathan were considering names. I’m quite spiritually attached to things – I looked at a bible verse from Matthew chapter 7 v7-8 and whilst I’m not Christian, I loved the phrase and it truly explained me and my way of going about things and getting them if I truly seek it. I’ve kind of introduced Nathan into all that stuff now, and he studies it all too but back then he didn’t seem to really care."

 

Nathan: "Matt's decision."

 

How would you describe the sound of Those Who Seek?

 

Matt: "Honestly, no idea. It’s a cross between every style of new rock/metal there is today. We can change our setlist accordingly to specific shows."

 

Sean: "Somewhere between pop punk and hardcore with a little bit of indie stuck in there for fun."

 

Nathan: "You know what, I don't even know anymore heavy pop punk, post hardcore."

 

Your debut EP is called “Because Really, We’re Just Animals” and was released earlier this year. Where did this title come from and why did you choose it?

 

Matt: "The term 'Because Really, We’re Just Animals' was something I came up with whilst we were all discussing EP names. It’s kind of an observation of tolerance and understanding to people; how they function and why. Many people don’t know humans are animals – I suppose it’s because we consider ourselves to be superior somehow, but sometimes I think it’s important to bring ourselves back to earth and remember that the bear skin and bone of us is simply nature and the animal instincts that are built within us. Likewise, I love how complicated we’ve made our lives to the extent we want more things than we need."

 

Nathan: "Matt's comments yet again!"

 

What influenced this EP on the whole?

 

Matt: "Lots of different things that have affected me lyrically. In terms of music I’d say we’ve all been heavily influenced by the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, You Me At Six and Deaf Havana."

 

Sean: "Many, many things. When this was being written I was very new to this kind of music, so musically it was me taking my alternative/indie roots and the rest of the band making them a little heavier."

 

Nathan: "Everyone had their own ideas and own taste which sort of merged into what we have (except for Brad, he came late)."

 

You have been offered a clothing endorsement already in your career. How did it feel being asked to be the face of as brand like this?

 

Matt: "It was really cool to be asked to do that. Atera are really nice guys and have hooked us up with some nice threads. They’re going to be on our new music video so watch out for that!"

 

Nathan: "It was great knowing that people see so much potential in us and of course, nice getting free clothes."

 

Do you have any 'rituals' before you go on stage?

 

Matt: "I just make sure I’ve got some warm water and strepsils and I’m fine. When we play a big show we have a huddle but that’s it."

 

Matt: "I like to keep the old school rock star feel and have a nap and a cuppa."

 

Nathan: "Not really a ritual but booze."

 

Any live dates coming up?

 

Matt: "Yeah man! We’re playing Norwich next week (19th) followed by Manchester on the 8th November and then Derby on December 14th. We had a tour booked but it fell through so we’re seriously booking down with demos ready to record."

 

Nathan: "Another thing Matt's probably said..."

 

Any new songs in the pipeline?

 

Matt: "Yeah, we’re getting ready to record demos in Liverpool in about three weeks time. Then after that we’re going down to Surrey with Matt O’Grady (You Me At Six, Bring Me The Horizon,Your Demise etc.) – we’re booked in to record two songs but we have some more songs ready to record after that – once we find the money for them."

 

Nathan: "Of course, just you wait."

 

When can fans expect the next official release?

 

Matt: "I can’t say for sure but it will be early 2014 for sure."

 

Sean: "When they least expect it."

 

Nathan: "Very soon but new songs wise a few months."

 

Who would be your dream collaboration?

 

Matt: "If we were to tour, I’d love to go with You Me At Six, Bring Me The Horizon, While She Sleeps and A Day To Remember or Mallory Knox."

 

Sean: "I'd love to sing a duet with Whitney Houston."

 

Nathan: "Mallory Knox easy, same vibe as us."

 

Who would be in your dream super group?

 

Matt: "Dan Flint on drums, Jeremy McKinnon on vocals, Lee Malia on leads, Sam Douglas on bass and Max Heyler on rhythm guitar."

 

Sean: "Thom Yorke and John Frusciante, accompanied by Rolf Harris on the didgeridoo."

 

PART 2 - THE QUICKFIRE ROUND

 

Favourite Beatle?

 

Matt: "Ringo."

 

Sean: "David Cameron."

 

Nathan: "John did the most he could to change the world with his influence."

 

Favourite band?

 

Matt: "You Me At Six or While She Sleeps."

 

Sean: "Radiohead."

 

Nathan: "Currently, I See Stars but that'll change in a week."

 

Favourite new band?

 

Matt: "Mallory Knox or Don Broco."

 

Sean: "This Town Needs Guns."

 

Nathan: "Don Broco."

 

Favourite song?

 

Matt: "Tigers & Sharks, You Me At Six."

 

Sean: "Idioteque by Radiohead."

 

Nathan: "You Wear A Crown But You're No King, Bless The Fall."

 

Favourite album?

 

Matt: "What Separates Me From You, A Day To Remember."

 

Sean: "Plans by Death Cab For Cutie."

 

Nathan: "S&M, Metallica."

 

Vinyl, CD or download?

 

Matt: "CD."

 

Sean: "Vinyl every time."

 

Nathan: "Vinyl cause I'm retro but I like my sound quality so CD probably."

 

Style icon?

 

Matt: "What?"

 

Sean: "I don't know what that means."

 

Nathan: "Oli Sykes maybe but not intentionally."

 

Favourite clothing brand?

 

Matt: "Atera Apparel!"

 

Sean: "Atera Apparel of course."

 

Nathan: "Primarni."

 

Favourite film?

 

Matt: "Troy."

 

Sean: "School of Rock."

 

Nathan: "Inglorious Bastards or Gladiator."

 

Favourite TV show?

 

Matt: "South Park, One Tree Hill or newly Breaking Bad."

 

Sean: "Breaking Bad!"

 

Nathan: "Dr. Who."

 

Who would play you in a film of your life?

 

Matt: "I hope Lucas from OTH."

 

Sean: "Britney Spears obviously."

 

Nathan: "Matt Smith."

 

Favourite food?

 

Matt: "Chicken strips."

 

Sean: "Pasta."

 

Nathan: "Curry."

 

Football team?

 

Matt: "Manchester United."

 

Sean: "I'm afraid I couldn't care less."

 

Nathan: "Newcastle United."

 

Hope you enjoyed this feature on Those Who Seek! Check out our previous feature on Suspire!

 

Check out Those Who Seek here - http://www.thosewhoseek.co.uk/

  

You can also like our Facebook page to keep up to date with all future interviews at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords

 

AB RECORDS

WHEN I SEEK SHELTER: Our interview with Memory Clinic from last week!

 

PART 1 - THE 'INTERVIEW'

 

1 - Had you been involved in any bands prior to Memory Clinic?

 

Phil: "Me and Dav used to be in an indie pop outfit called Pretty Places. We achieved a minute amount of success in our country. We were regularly played on BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru. Interviewed by Huw Stephens for his C2 show on Radio Cymru and we were also played on the Tom Robinson BBC Introducing Show on BBC Radio 6." 

 

Dav: "It was a good start I suppose."

 

Al: "I wasn't really involved in anything major except for jamming with a couple of bands around my area that didn't really make anything of it."

 

2 - How did Memory Clinic begin?

 

Phil: “Memory Clinic began from the ashes of Pretty Places. Myself and Dav had grown tired of Pretty Places as a band and our drummer left for university, so we wanted to start from fresh and pursue a more darker, dreamy sound."

 

Dav: “Essentially, Memory Clinic and Pretty Places are the same band, it’s just the sound we have now as Memory Clinic is what we aspired to pursue when we were in Pretty Places. We were just never quite able to achieve that kind of sound in the days of Pretty Places. It took a while to come to the realisation that we were able to do what we wanted to do all along, we were just going about it the wrong way.”

 

Al: “I had heard of Pretty Places and I liked the last couple of songs they released which were much darker in sound. I was approached by Phil at a party one night and he asked me if I was interested in joining the band. A few months later, I found myself at a practice session with them, and Dav and Phil expressed interest in changing the band name to Memory Clinic and pursuing a dreamier sound, and it all started from there really.”

 

3 - Where did the name Memory Clinic come from?

 

Phil: "I am a student nurse, which for now is my plan B, so if nothing comes up musically, I'll have something to "fall back on" so to speak. I was on placement in a hospital specialising in the assessment of patients with dementia, and on one of my days there I had been with a staff nurse in the memory clinic; a clinic specialising in the assessment of cognitive functions. I spoke to Dav on the phone during my dinner break and told him what I had been up to there. Upon hearing I had been in the memory clinic he told me "That's what the new band should be called!" and there you have it, that is why we are called Memory Clinic. Looking back, I don't think it evokes the nicest of imagery."

 

4 - How would you describe the sound of Memory Clinic?

 

Dav: “Pop music in disguise.”

 

Phil: “Pop music drenched in reverb, with a slight psychedelic twist. Dream pop, I suppose.”

 

Al: “Yeah, pop music from outer space.”

 

5 - Your debut EP, 'I Seek Shelter', takes it's name from one of the songs that features on it. Why did you choose this title?

 

Phil: "We tend to rely on Dav for titles most of the time and it was him that came up with the new 'When I Seek Shelter' for the third track. This song is basically about someone who has had a shit time, and has felt very vulnerable in the society he or she lives in and upon recovering from this, tells themselves to not go back to that way of living; 'don't go back there'. It's like some kind of personal mantra. I liked the overall theme of that song as it's something that a lot of people (I think) can relate to, the need to seek shelter from areas in their life that are negative. So from that I decided that it would be a fitting title for the EP."

 

6 - Are there any themes that run through your EP or does each song take influence from separate points?

 

Phil: "Our songs tend to be a mixture of personal experiences and completely made up situations. Each of the songs on the EP are about something completely different. I'm not that great when it comes to talking about the meaning of my songs!"

 

Dav: “The songs are to be interpreted in any way that the listener feels, but for me personally there is an underlying theme of wanting to leave home and experience the more exciting elements of life through a medium other than 9-5 work.”

 

Al: “For me it’s all about the music, I don’t really listen to the lyrics. I’m just a bitch for the rhythm!”

 

7 - Who would be your dream collaboration?

 

Phil: "I personally would absolutely love to work with Bradford Cox of Deerhunter. He has been a major influence on my song writing and the dreamy sound we have gone on to make as a band. I remember hearing Halcyon Digest for the first time and it literally blew my mind. It induced a drug like state of euphoria and that was the moment I really decided that this is what I want to do with my life." 

 

Al: “I would love to have a jam with Bob Dylan. Just me, him and two acoustic guitars.”

Dav: “A band with Yoko Ono and the ghosts of Brian Jones & Jimi Hendrix would make an interesting band. I’d also want Michael Stipe in the corner with a tambourine.”

 

8 - Any new songs in the pipeline?

 

Phil: "Lots."

 

Dav: “Countless.”

Al: “Whatever Phil brings to the practice when we meet up really. I also work on instrumentals in my own time.”

 

9 - When can fans expect a new single, EP or album?

 

Dav: “I’m not aware that there any fans out there but if there are, please get in touch. There’s a cookie in it for you.”

 

Al: “We have fans?!”

 

Phil: "Haha! We will be releasing a new track in the next couple of weeks. We will be releasing it on our Soundcloud page. We take releasing an album very seriously, and it's not something we aim to rush. Personally, I think that there will be a couple of EP's before we eventually release a debut album. It's really interesting to see a band like My Bloody Valentine's body of work before they actually released their debut album. They made an insane progression in sound from their early The Birthday Party-esque Goth rock sound they had when they first formed to the shoegaze sound of Isn't Anything and Loveless. As a band, we aim to progress in sound as time goes on. We do not want to be doing the same thing forever, I mean, that's just boring!"

 

 

10 - Who would be in your dream super group (dead or alive)?

 

Dav: “Johnny Marr, John Cale and the drummer from Blondie, his name escapes me.” (CLEM BURKE!)

 

Al: “Keith Moon on drums, Dick Dale on guitar, myself on bass & Todd Rundgren screaming random shit down the microphone.”

 

Phil: "Kevin Shields and Johnny Marr on guitars, Bradford Cox on Vocals and Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) on percussion and production duties."

 

PART 2 - THE 'QUICKFIRE ROUND'

 

1 - Favourite Beatle?

 

    Phil: “Lennon.”

 

Dav: “Lennon.”

 

Al: “Harrison.”

 

2 - Favourite band?

 

Phil: “The Beatles.”

 

Dav: “Today Mac DeMarco. Ask me tomorrow and it’ll probably be different.”

 

Al: “At the moment, Tame Impala.”

 

3 - Favourite new band?

 

Phil: “Tame Impala.”

 

Dav: “Um, Memory Clinic.”

 

Al: “Toy.”

 

4 - Favourite song?

 

Phil: “Very hard question! At the moment I’d have to go for Mind Mischief by Tame Impala.”

 

Dav: “At the moment, I’d probably have to go for Radio Friendly Unit Shifter by Nirvana, It’s been stuck in my head all day!”

 

Al: “Another Girl, Another Planet by The Only Ones”.

 

5 - Favourite album?

 

  Phil: “Either Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys or Sgt Pepper by The Beatles. Obvious choices but brilliant nonetheless.

 

Dav: “I’d have to agree with Phil, although Rubber Soul is a big contender for me.”

 

Al: “At the moment I’d have to go for A Wizard, a True Star by Todd Rundgren.”

 

6 - Vinyl, CD or download?

 

Phil: “Vinyl.”

 

Dav: “Vinyl.”

 

Al: “Vinyl.”

 

7 - Style icon?

 

Phil: “Brian Jones, The Smiths era Johnny Marr, Tom Dougall of Toy and many others!”

 

Al: “Temples as a band, Dom from Toy, Bob Dylan & The Jam era Paul Weller.”

 

                     Dav: “John Cooper Clarke, Jarvis Cocker and Transformer era Lou Reed. Syd Barrett.”

 

8 - Favourite clothing brand?

 

Phil: “I am partial to the old Topshop I must admit. Although I’m not a fan of everything they sell.”

 

Dav: “Oxfam and various vintage shops cater to my clothing needs.”

 

Al: “Topshop for my jeans, vintage shops and occasional Pretty Green shirt when I can afford it.”

 

9 - Favourite film?

 

  Phil: “The Shawshank Redemption.”

 

Dav: “American Beauty and/or American Psycho. Watching both after each other is quite a feast for the imagination.”

 

Al: “No Direction Home and any of the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost collaborations.”

 

10 - Favourite TV show?

 

Phil: “Peep Show or The Sopranos.”

 

Al:  “Spongebob Squarepants.”

 

Dav: “Arrested Development. When in a less enlightened mood, Date Line can be entertaining as can Road Wars.”

 

11 - Who would you like to play you in a film of your life?

 

Phil: “Edward Norton.”

 

Dav: “The recently deceased James Gandalfini.”

 

Al: “Rhys Ifans.”

 

12 - Favourite food?

 

Phil:  “Spinach and Ricotta Caneloni.”

 

Dav: “Hummus on toast.”

 

Al: “Bowl of pesto pasta with melted cheese.”

 

13 - Football team?

 

Phil: “I hate football.”

 

Dav: “I’d rather cover myself in braising oil and feed myself to a pack of rabid Rottweiler's than even comprehend watching a football match.”

 

Al: “Whoever the local team is!”

 

Hope you enjoyed this feature on Memory Clinic! Check out our previous feature on Stone Thieves!

 

You can listen to Memory Clinic's debut EP here - http://www.soundcloud.com/memoryclinic

 

You can also like our Facebook page to keep up to date with all future interviews at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabrittonrecords

 

AB Records