With an official single released and sights on plenty of festivals this coming summer, we caught up with good friends, RedFaces, to see how new band member Ryan is settling in and to also discuss the Sheffield music scene, celebrating Independent Venue Week.
You recently signed to RCA since we last saw you, how is that going? What major benefits have you seen?
Well, we actually managed to get the single, ‘Kerosene’, out! Although we had our first demo ‘Katie Come Home’ it never was a single. We’ve also received a lot more radio play since RCA. Vevo also posted a video giving us a shout out. Huw Stephens has also been helping out.
Ryan, you’re a new member to the band, so what has it been like for you?
It’s a bit mental really. I’ve come in smack in the middle and everything is going on at the same time and although I’ve been in bands before, they haven’t been at this level! In terms of getting up to speed with songs, we as a band had about 1 week just learning the tracks constantly.
Music releases?
Obviously we want to get more music out there, but there isn’t a plan. Hopefully there will be more music in the future. We do have a 7” single coming out on the 3rd of February which has ‘Kerosene’ on the A Side and our demo ‘Katie Come Home’ on the B side.
On Monday it is officially Independent Venue Week. How important are independent music venues in today’s industry would you say?
Massively! They are so important! In Sheffield there is Plug, O2 Academy and the Leadmill which are the huge venues, but our local is West Street Live which is just and independent venue/pub and that was like a right of passage for us. Personally I would rather play ten 200-capped venues than one 5000 capacity venue.
You said in an interview that you’ve played around 200-ish gigs, what’s some of the best independent music venues that you’ve played or been to as music fans?
The Cookie in Leicester, The Sugarmill in Stoke-on-Trent, The Bodega and Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, The Green Room in Sheffield. There are so many. As cheesy as it sounds, we make memories there and then they become some of our best gigs.
What’s the best memory or story you have when playing in an independent music venue?
It’s either The Rocking Chair or our Warehouse gigs. We did some warehouse gigs which we arranged ourselves. This guy we knew had an old silver plating factory and we hired it out and performed to a bunch of our friends. It’s actually been closed for having asbestos! The Rocking Chair however, is cravenness, it is a right of passage and definitely a representation of the ‘Classic Sheffield’.
In Sheffield, The Boardwalk was a launch pad for the likes of Arctic Monkeys and also was the home to The Clash’s first ever gig! It actually closed in 2010 and recently there has been talks of reviving it. First of all, if they were to revive Sheffield Boardwalk, to what extent could that improve the music scene?
It would be brilliant! As we’ve said The Rocking Chair is a great small venue where everyone plays but even having another would give the whole music identity in Sheffield a boots. Bands, venues, promoters would all benefit. Also a city cannot have too many venues because they help to create an inner city music festival such as Tramlines which does run in Sheffield.
If a venue in your hometown now closed down due to not making enough money to survive, what effects would that have on the local music scene?
If we lost one like The Rocking Chair or The Leadmill, it would collapse the scene. Bands would struggle to find places to play and also fans wouldn’t be bothered about going. There is a road in Sheffield with independent shops and restaurants including the Green Room venue. And It has been approved to remove the whole road for a new complex. So that will be devastating when it goes.
Many people say that every artists owes a debt of gratitude to independent music venues because they act as the platform for them to reach higher levels of fame, do you agree with this?
A band becomes a band based on where they’ve performed, they define the band and give them the character that they show on stage. The Beatles became The Beatles in the Cavern Club in Liverpool and also Alan McGee found Oasis is a music venue.
And also festivals are a key part to the year, is there any this year that you want to tackle for the first time?
Festival wise, Y Not is on our list – We love that festival! We would love to do Glastonbury too. On a smaller scale we have done, Hardwick, 110 Above. Inner city festivals, we’ve done Tramlines and LiveAtLeeds also.
