poppedmusic

Amber Run

It is no secret that we here at Popped Music HQ have been fans of these somewhat cheeky chappies for quite some time now. We’re even headed off to see them on their Communion New Faces*  tour this weekend and then again on Tuesday for more fun. We can never get enough.

Then we realised that we’d never actually shared them with you other than sharing their music. So we decided to  keep them out of trouble for half an hour and sent them over a quick Q&A.

 
PM: You’ve had some amazing shows in the past 18 months – what have been your highlights so far?

AR: I think Shepherd’s Bush Empire with Lewis Watson was a highlight, I was really surprised by how intimate the venue was, and it was just a great show. We’ve done some wicked shows big and small though.

PM: And what has been the biggest disaster?

AR: We played a show in Manchester this time last year, I won’t name names but I think the venue was haunted. We had about 10 people there, it sounded awful and the whole show was a disaster really.

PM: Why always Felix? And what’s the story behind his #PrayForFelix tag?

Felix is a personality; an idiot. It’s hard to describe, he’s just a bit like a child. He’s also an unbelievable lightweight, one beer and he’s gone. #prayforfelix just came about as we thought it would be good to let the public know what kind of weird things he does.

PM: What is your band’s process of writing a song and has there ever been anything that has caused an argument in the arrangement or recording of any of the songs so far?

AR: Joe normally comes in with the bones of a song, the chords and the lyrics and then we flesh it out together. Some songs come together so easily, some take a lot more time and work. Those kind of songs we tend to work out in the studio, but it always sounds like us in the end. There’s always going to be disagreements but part of being in a band with 4 other people is accepting that you won’t always get your way with things.

PM: What can we expect from your debut album and when might that come around?

AR: We’re looking at the first part of 2015 for the album at the moment. I think if people listen to the Pilot EP it’s a good indicator of what to expect. We have the faster, upbeat songs like Pilot alongside the slower and more sparse songs. We really love it, we hope everyone else finds something to love about it.

Listen to Pilot here:

PM: You spend long periods of time together in a confined space – how do you all stay sane on the tour bus?

AR: It’s really just down to learning to give people space when they need it, and I think we can all tell pretty easily when someone’s in a mood. And it’s always an option to just put your headphones on and zone out for a few hours.

PM: Who are your favourite new acts from 2014? What song should we post for you?

AR: I’m really loving Sivu’s album at the moment, he’s a really talented guy. Superfood as well who’ve just bought their album out, it’s like Beastie Boys meets Blur. Delicious.

Listen to Sivu- Better Man Than Me (Distillery Session) here:

PM: What are your most played tracks on the tour bus right now?

AR: I don’t know, we all tend to listen to our own music. Today we’ve had Peace, Radiohead, The Maccabees… All sorts.

PM: What song do you most wish you’d written and why?

AR: I’d say Mirrorball by Elbow, it’s just another level, both lyrically and the arrangement. So clever.

PM: Who is the best cook in the band and what’s their speciality?

Tom’s the best cook but he’s also the keenest baker. He’ll make anything, it’s all about bombastic flavours and a take-no-prisoner attitude.

PM:Please send us a selfie from where you are right now (we know how much you love a good selfie!)

*The Communion ‘New Faces’ tour, whose line up includes, Amber Run, FYFE, Pixel Fix and Kimberly Anne, runs this week and visits Brighton, Bristol, London, Oxford, Manchester, Nottingham and Leeds. For tickets and more info, check out –  http://www.communionmusic.co.uk/live/category/new-faces/