C: Tell us about your band?
Stephen: We’re a 4 piece acoustic indie folk band based in London since 2012.
Ria: Stephen and I are brother and sister, we met Sam (the drummer) 2 years ago and we just knew the connection was there. We started jamming and writing together, Sam designed the logo and the band was formed. We have been gigging in the UK since, and also had the opportunity to record our first EP with EMI publishing. At the moment we are writing for our second EP, and also looking in to a possible mini tour over in Ireland.
C: What was your most successful or most enjoyed gig so far?
Stephen: We played at the Olympics 2012 in London, which was pretty awesome, we got to play around the park in front of loads of people, got two extra dates at the Paralympics as well as being invited to perform in the V.I.P Press Tent. Also headlined ‘BBC Introducing Stage’ at a festival called ‘SO Festival’ which led to be recognised as ‘BBC Introducing Sound of 2012’ which was really great but I think the best so far was travelling down to my hometown in Wales where we played at a venue called the Queen’s Hall in Narberth which was absolutely awesome and for me personally as well, it was just a great gig.
C: Where have you performed in and where would you really like to perform?
Sam: We played in loads and loads of bars/clubs but we really want to hit the festivals and see where that goes. Glastonbury for me I reckon, main stage. Boom.
C: Tell us about your songs? How would you describe your creative processes?
Sam: We’ve got 12 tracks we are happy with and working on new stuff, which is good.
Ria: ‘Goodbye chief’ was written quite a while back now (before we even started together), Stephen wrote that song, it’s about a family member of ours, it’s a bit of a sad tale but that song always draws in a really nice crowd as it’s got a really nice kind of cheery vibe to it.
Sam: Our favourite track might be ‘Gambler’ for the moment, and that’s purely for live reason coz it gets the crowd going.
Stephen: Unfortunately ‘Gambler’ isn’t available at the moment online so, from our EP, our favourite is definitely going to be ‘Shake me up’.
Sam: I don’t think the song writing process has really changed; it’s probably how we tweaked the dynamic and how it changes the sounds of the tunes we’re writing now.
Stephen: I was on an electric guitar to start with (more like a rock band) but it all changed when we were asked to perform for BBC Introducing as they wanted it acoustic, and ever since then we thought it was the way to go.
Stephen: The recording process for the next sound will be a little more raw, more of a live feel, obviously a professional edge but just a matter of getting the right sound we’re happy with and we can promote and do a video for.
C: What do you think about downloading music online?
Sam: We do it all the time! It’s good for us because we can share our music really easily online to anyone.
Stephen: In the past you had to prioritise on having your cds, gigs, and promoting yourself that way to make sure people had a physical copy in their hands whether now you just send a message on Facebook and the job is done!
C: Tell us about your next show and why we should be there?
Sam: We’re playing at The Trapeze Bar in Shoreditch on Wednesday the 9th of July. We are all really looking forward to this one! We have a couple of new tunes for your ears which we can’t wait to share. I will be getting on a kit and we will have our bass player on board.
Ria: Plus, we may just be bringing along our pet badger (Trev). He’s a beauty!
C: What are your favourite places in Shoreditch? (Where do you hang-out/ dining/ going out?)
Sam: There’s too many! The new place we went to is the ‘Blues Bar and Kitchen’, which is epic. My first ever gig was in Shoreditch at the Strongroom. Used to go a lot to ‘The Old Blue Last’, another bar which is pretty good if you want to get dirty and messy, and at last, the Tay Do, always, bring your own bottle!
Stephen: And pretty much the whole of Hoxton Square!
Ria: The Book Club is awesome.
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Website and blog: www.updowngomachine.com
