Bursting on to the scene in mid-2016, Shanghai Blues are already making a name for themselves through their raucous live shows to sold out crowds in London. Hailing from East London Shanghai Blues are a 4 piece Alternative/Indie band formed by James (Vocals, Bass), James (Guitar), Reece (Guitar), Micheal (Drums).
Their independently released debut single, RUN, released late November 2016 garnered the attention of Spotify’s taste-makers and the b-side was playlisted on their Fresh Finds ‘Six Strings playlist’. As well as support from BBC Introducing.
Get to learn a little more about the band in our exclusive interview!
Tell us about your aims when creating music, and where does that aim stem from?
Chalk: For us, music must evoke emotion, if you don’t enjoy what you’re writing and performing, a crowd will feed off that negative vibe.
What was the catalyst for picking up instruments and wanting to start a band?
Mike: For me I think it came from a need to create.
Chalk: Same, plus we’d previously been in various bands throughout the years. It was a natural progression that we’d gravitate into something serious together.
Heed: I just wanted to own loads of plectrums with holographic boobs on them. Might as well play guitar in a band too.
Were you very influential to music when growing up or did you establish your own musical preferences?
Mike: Massively. My first three albums were Queen (greatest hits I,II,III) Never Mind The Bollocks and Back in Black so I feel like I had a strong education from the off.
Chalk: Some of us went through a predictable teenage obsession with Dimebag of Pantera…
Heed: I might still have a Dean ML or 2 somewhere.
Reece: You need to sell those bro!
Tell us about what it was like when you first started writing?
Heed: Confusing at first because of the wide variety of influences.
Reece: I think we’re still blessed to be in that super creative period where we’ve yet to hit a block with expanding the sound.
Micheal: Don’t get us wrong, we scrap more music than we actually make, but we’re still super creatively focused.
The music scene in London is thriving at the moment, how do you stand out from the crowd?
Heed: Loud dirty powerful guitars. Feel like the indie music scene has been missing some grit. Answer: SHANGHAI BLUES
Reece: I can’t stand bands where every song sounds the same. We’ve definitely managed to find our sound without being monotonous.
You are playing your debut headline show at London’s intimate Social on February 15th. How excited are you?
Mike: Absolutely fucking stoked!!
Chalk: Honestly, the response has been insane and it’s such a nice intimate venue that it’ll get 110% messy for sure!
Reece: Can’t wait to have The Alchemy and GYNX supporting us to, such good bands!
Heed: I’m buzzing like a bee in a jam jar.
What and who influences you musically?
Mike: This is usually the part where everyone says “The 1975” …
Heed: Yeah they’re good, but it comes from everything really.
Chalk: Everything and everyone tends to effect the way we write our music. Be it in a positive or negative light.
Mike: Experiences. Life. Loves lost and found. These all have an impact on the writing.
Describe your song-writing process?
Reece: Heed famously writes all his parts in 12 minutes or less. Quite impressive really.
Mike: I write a lot of the lyrical content whilst battered on the night bus/tube home from nights out, hoping that Chalk will be able to make sense of it the next day!
Chalk: and sometimes it’s a struggle. But it works.
What was it like recording your new single Night Tears which is out on February 10th?
Mike: It was a blast!! Oz Craggs (Feed The Rhino) is a genius. All I cared about was fat drums and he delivered!
Reece: Awesome. We normally demo everything on an iPhone so it was great to hear what we actually sounded like. Turns out we’re not half bad!
Although you are in a band, do you still have to work day jobs in-between live shows?
Reece: Well the band life is just a temporary measure for me. My vocation lies in making cocktails in a bar until my days end. (ha)
Heed: It’s tough, but necessary. We at least have enough money to buy new strings and as many picks with holographic tits on them as we like.
Mike: I work in the industry full time so there’s literally no escape from music no matter where I turn.
How would you like people to respond to your music? Do you wish to connect emotionally with the audience or is it just about having a party?
Mike: It’s a bit of both really. Let’s call it an emotional party.
Chalk: For us if people don’t feel the need to move when listen then we’ve failed.
Heed: By streaming it. Seriously. Go stream it.
Do you ever see your sound changing from the type of Indie/Alternative music you write?
Mike: I wouldn’t necessarily say the genre will change, that’s not the goal.
Heed: I think there will be bigger dynamic changes coupled with more and more external influences from music/experiences and life in general that will shape the sound.
Reece: Our writing is developing with each new song we write as we become more expressive and more confident in our ability as musicians.
Listen to their latest track ‘Night Tears’ below and find them on Facebook and Twitter.
