Bad Sounds - Escaping from a Vilolent Time, Vol. 2 (EP) + 10 Questions
The five track body of work is an endlessly playable snapshot into the Bad Sounds alt-pop universe. The new record is a development of the band's original sound and a continuation from Vol.I released in Jan 2021,which featured tracks 'Sympathetic Vibrations’ and ‘Permanent’. This new chapter see’s Bad Sounds embrace the art of collaboration. “In Vol.II we have some friends with us featuring on tracks, and we really feel like we’re getting more comfortable with who we are as Bad Sounds."
The first single to be taken from the EP was ‘Move Into Me’ feat. BROODS, a track penned moments before the pandemic halted the world’s free spirit of movement. This was the Bristol-based band’s first collaboration and the outcome was a lush, soul enticing soundscape that was warmly met with a tastemaker mark of approval. With press support from the likes of DIY, Dork and The Line of Best Fit and radio support from Jack Saunders, Annie Mac and Greg James at Radio 1 each playing the song and Shaun Keavney made the song his Tune of The Week on 6 Music.
Bad Sounds sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:
1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?
Callum: We were pretty young. Our dad started learning guitar a few years before I was born I think, so there was always a guitar in the living room growing up. Then I think our dad took me to keyboard lessons when I was about 7 or 8, I don’t actually remember anything from that though. My dad tells me that I used to refuse to do anything with the keyboard except climb onto, or underneath it. It was when we got to secondary school age that our Mum got us electric guitar lessons, and from that first lesson I was hooked. Ewan is a couple of years younger but I’m pretty sure he’d tell you a similar story.
2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?
We’re big Gorillaz fans and think Damon Albarn is pretty much a musical genius. When he hired Danger Mouse to produce ‘Demon Days’ I think they really pushed each other to be the best artists they could be and it’s a great moment in history. I’d love to experience something like that. Danger Mouse also worked a lot with Inflo who has been producing some incredible artists and making some intimidatingly great music lately. We’re quite lucky because we do a lot of writing and production with other artists, so we often get to work with people that we find inspiring, and without fail they always end up influencing what Bad Sounds does next. Would really love to work with Biig Piig and Alissic though.
3. What are some of the problems you have faced making and releasing the music during the corona virus pandemic?
I’ve actually loved making music during the pandemic. The problem has been finding a way to share it in an organic way. We had to postpone our UK tour 3 times and then it ended up getting cancelled, so that was a bummer. Social media isn’t really our schtick ya know? So nothing compares to touring and festivals for us, when it comes to playing new music to an audience and seeing it connect (or not connect). We’ve been lucky enough to stay actively working, making music, and producing artists throughout the pandemic, so we wouldn’t dare complain. A lot of our friends have had it really rough through out the pandemic and lost record companies, and management etc. It’s forced a lot of people to completely rethink their whole lives and start over from scratch.
4. How would you describe your sound?
We’ve really never been keen on being described as an “indie band”. I think that’s just because we associate it with the UK indie-rock scene that was really prevalent when we were growing up. We don’t really identify with that scene, our influences and our writing/ recording method has always been lot more routed in soul, hiphop and funk records. But oooobbbbbviously we don’t sit on that playlist either. haha! I think we just make music and are happy to let other people decide what to call it now. Maybe the boring version is ‘Alternative Pop’ but that’s a pretty wide net.
5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?
We’re super proud of ‘Move Into Me’ the lead single from our latest release ‘Escaping From A Violent Time, Vol.II’. We wrote it with our good friends Broods who we love to pieces. We got to support them on tour in the USA back in 2019, and we owe them so much. We recorded it together, produced it ourselves in our old studio space (which was an old prison cell), and mixed it ourselves. It’s a really special piece of music that I know we’re all really proud of.
6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?
Figure what you want to do and why you want to do it. We write with soooo many artists at the minute that have had their head spun by the industry and don’t know which way is up. Its so important to figure who you are as an artist, what you want to say, how you want to say it etc, so that once you gain some traction you’re confident in what you’re doing. Then get a good manager.
7. Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?
Rose Gray is an incredible artist we’ve been working with on and off since the start of the pandemic. Ruti who features on EFAVT Vol.II is crazy talented. VC Pines, Max Pope, Miso Extra, and Devon are all absolutely amazing too. Some really special people getting an opportunity to come through now.
8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?
Mother by Cleo Sol
Untitled (Rise) by Sault (told you we like Inflo haha)
On The Beach by Neil Young
Live At The Half Note by Wynton Kelly Trio ft Wes Montgomery
Women In Music pt.III by Haim.
9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?
Not much. Ewan has a 1 year old baby so when we’re not working he pretty much has his hands full. We love films, we’ve referenced a lot of horror and kung fu B-movies in the past, but we’re not experts or anything, we just really like certain stuff. I’ve been obsessed with Greta Gerwig’s films ever since I watched ‘Frances Ha’. Also I tried to build some guitar pedals at the end of last year and it made me feel very very dumb. It was great when it worked but completely maddening when it didn’t. When we were kids our dad used to let us mess around with his soldering iron. We mostly just burned our names into things, but it’s meant that we’ve never been scared to play with circuits or break things apart and try to figure out how they work.
10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio?
Ewan, Bourbons, a computer (in that order).