Welcome to this week’s The Music That Made us. Today, we turn to Kent natives WAX. A band you must get to know, a band who have started to spread like a wildfire across Kent’s vast music scene and the epicentre is The Forum in Tunbridge Wells, this venue is renowned for being the first venue for many bands, such as Slaves and many other huge bands have played; Wolf Alice, The Sherlocks and many more. Anyway, back to the point, here’s the music that make WAX.
1. First CD/Record you owned?
Joseph and the amazing technicolour dreamcoat. That CD was on heavy rotation for years. It had a lasting effect on the family, my brother Harry who plays bass in the band still cringes when he hears it, and I have always wanted to dye my hair blonde and sing in a loin cloth in front of an audience. I’m half way there.
2. The song that sums up your childhood?
‘Of all the things we’ve made’ by OMD. They’re one of my all-time favourite bands, and the meaning of this track has changed a lot in the years I have been listening to it. When I was 17 it soundtracked me falling in love, and all the drama that ensued. Everyone loves to feel sorry for themselves sometimes, and this is the song that I used to listen to on the last train home.
Nowadays I read it completely differently, I don’t think about myself when listening to it. I’m a massive Cold War geek at the moment. Every spare minute I have I cram in some Cold War research. I now hear the song as a passive commentary on the fact that we could all be obliterated in seconds, depending on the will of a few individuals. 17-year-old me was much cooler.
3. The song that made you want to write music?
I was completely obsessed by The Vaccines first album. Everything about it was perfect, the artwork, the guitar sounds and even the way the band looked. I had a rough live version of ‘A lack of understanding’ on my iPod and it was the only thing I listened to for weeks. That’s the album that made me want to be in a band and make music. It took a few years to work out what I wanted my music to sound like, but it started there.
4. Best gig you have been to?
The Strokes at Hyde park a few years ago was the best gig I can remember being at. They’re one of the bands we grew up listening to, and they played everything we wanted to hear. It was an amazing day, the weather was perfect and everyone was the perfect level of drunk to enjoy themselves and remember everything.
5. The song that you want to play at your funeral?
I think I’d just had Queen’s Greatest Hits 2 & 3 playing through the service. ‘These are the days of our lives’ and ‘Show must go on’ are pretty relevant for a funeral. Then the rest is to cheer people up. I don’t want people to be too sad!
6. The tour bus favourite?
For a long time the only album we had was the first Shura record, and we’ve slowly amassed a few more. But most of the time there are only a couple of us travelling with the gear, so it’s usually just whatever Radio 1 are playing at 2 in the morning just to keep us awake. But we have band favourites, the first Alex Cameron Album ‘Jumping the Shark’ and Tame Impala ‘Currents’ get played a lot when we’re together.
7. Favourite song to play live?
We have a song called ‘Blitzed Kids’ that we’ve nearly finished recording. That’s our favourite song to play live because it has a lot of energy. It’s also one of the more unconventionally structured songs of ours. The song is about the generation of pop stars that arose out of the Blitz Kids scene in central London in the early 80’s, and how a lot of the people involved then went on to struggle with addiction. Like Steve Strange, Marilyn and Boy George. It’s a loving tribute.
8. favourite karaoke song?
This is the question I ask people on first dates, you can learn a lot about a person by what their karaoke song is. Mine changes all the time. Right now, it would be a tough choice between Africa by Toto, or Three Lions by Baddiel, Skinner and The Lightning Seeds. Both massive bangers but it depends on the vibe. You got to play it by ear.
9. Monday mornings?
Without sounding like a dickhead, I listen to our demo’s most mornings. I walk to work, and find it a good time to try and work on lyrics and idea’s. But when I’m not being self-obsessed or researching my next karaoke banger, its usually something pretty simple like Leonard Cohen or Alex Cameron, just a few synths and a voice.
