You’re currently on tour across the U.K. How’s that experience been so far? What’s been your favourite place to play?
It's been mental. We did a headline tour back in October last year and the difference between that tour and this one is crazy. The amount of people we're playing too and the interaction and energy that we're experiencing from the crowds feels like ten times the amount compared to last time so we're happy. The last 3 shows in Oxford, Guildford and Brighton have been equally amazing. It was St. Patrick's day in Brighton and we had Otherkin who are Irish supporting us. You can imagine how that turned out.
We’ll be seeing you in Sheffield on 5th April at Plug. Have you played Sheffield before? How was it?
We've played Sheffield a couple of times before. Bungalows and Bears and then The Rocking Chair. Every show has been great. Our good friends at MEAN have put on the last shows and this time isn't any different so we're looking forward to it. The fact it's sold out too is really exciting for us, it feels like we've built up to it by playing all the smaller venues in the town.
You’ve recently announced your debut record, what can people expect from that?
It's quite a raw record. We recorded everything live and only put a few overdubs on after. Our producer Catherine Marks wanted us to nail as much of the sound of record as possible in the live takes. It wasn't uncommon for us to do 20+ takes for us to get it right. I think there are some more intimate moments on the record too that people may not expect.
You’re releasing the record on a clear LP. Do you think this recent renewed interested in vinyl is a trend which is here to stay? What do you think has caused the interest in vinyl?
I think the shift towards streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music ironically has created more of a demand for vinyl. I guess the argument for CD over vinyl was one of convenience and efficiency.. Streaming has won that now so it feels like if you are going to buy physical music, vinyl is the format that offers the most. I'm not sure how long this vinyl revival will last, but I think it is a good thing. I think it's more nostalgia than anything, Brian Eno said something about how it's interesting pop culture celebrates the imperfections, the crackling of the vinyl, the grain of the VHS.
You worked with Catherine Marks on this record who’s worked with bands such as Foals, Sunset Sons and Wolf Alice. What influence did she have on the album and what was the experience of working with her like?
It was great. We already had worked with her on 2 previous releases so we all knew each other, what we wanted to do, how we wanted to work etc. She's well into getting locked into the song, she wants to know the lyrics and how to play it on piano. Catherine almost became the 5th member of the group. As mentioned, we were very keen to nail as much as possible in the live takes so Catherine's input was very much around getting in the room and trying to orchestrate the right vibe.
You were selected as part of the BBC Music Sound of 2017, how did that affect the band?
We've been cutting our teeth for the last 2 years, writing, recording and touring pretty much under the radar. I think because of that we've had time to work out who we are and where we want to go. We're now at the point where we want to share our music as far and as wide as possible, so we've just been grateful for the exposure that tips like the BBC sound of and MTV give us.
You’re from Reading. Did you grow up going to Reading Festival and did that have an influence on what you wanted the band to be when you started? You also recently played at Reading Festival, was that a special gig?
Absolutely. We're playing this year and it'll be my 10th year in a row. We love the festival. Having it on our doorstep every year as we've grown up has shaped our ambitions in the band for sure.
What’s next for the band?
We're currently on tour round Europe with You Me At Six. After that we're back in the UK to finish off our sold out tour then straight into festival season with Live at Leeds. Our self-titled debut record is out June 2nd! We started the thing in April last year so it's going to be great to finally get it out and share it.
Question by Joe Thompson