ho are alists?

From a small town called Rotherham,they

W he Journ
slowly made their way up to playing along
side the likes of Kasabian and e Mac-

T
cabees. Sound familiar? Are they the new
Arctic Monkeys? Laura White finds out...
 t was about 3 or 4 years ago when they were
I playing in workingmen’s clubs in their town and
any where else that would have them, now here
they are, on a second album and up for “best
new comers at the NME awards, I catch up with
e Journalists to find out how life is when you’ve fi-
nally reached the top.
So guys, how does it feel after years of fighting,
to finally be up there with some of our era’s
greatest legends?
Sarah: “I cannot actually believe it, I mean it’s crazy,
we actually went out for drinks last night with
Kasabian. Weird “
Callum: “She’s taking a while to get used to things, all
she keeps going on about is how is can’t be real and
we’ve got togot to make the most of it.”
You guys seem really close, do you always get on
this well?
Mike “Well we were at school together so we pretty
used to each other, and to be honest we’re all best
mates so it’s a laugh pretty much 24/7 ”
Sally: “Yeah and us three lads have it easy thanks to
Sarah she’s like our mum aren’t you Sarah?”
Sarah: “I’m the only one who can do washing without
turning everything pink! So I’ve not really got any
choice but to run round after them.”
So how long have you lot known that this is what
you wanted?
Mike: “I’d say since school, when the pressure got
turned up we were all like ‘we can’t be arsed with this’
and we just started pissing around, it just kind of hap-
pened”
Callum: “Yeah like our own little rebellion, like saying
“we gunna do it our way thanks.’”
So you followed most other bands footsteps and
didn’t do to well at school?
Sarah: “My mum wasn’t to happy when I told her I
could spell ‘DUDE’ with my grade.”
Callum: “Yeah we basically dosed the whole 6 years
away.”
(ey say dossed, but in hindsight, they used their
time wisely as they wrote most of their critically ac-
claimed, yet obscure debuted album when they should
have been in lessons.)
Mike “Yeah we wrote ‘Long time since’ at school and
that’s one of my favourites.”
So what’s the new album about “is is the
news?”
Sally “Well it basically about showing some home
truths that most people don’t like to hear.”
What do you mean?
Chad: “you need to know what you want out of l ife,
other wise, you’re in the shit. You’ve got to go and get
it, never mind who you stab in the back on the way
up, today’s world is all about number one.”
Elliot: “the 4th song on the album ‘Hard time for
dreamers’, that’s all about not just sitting around on
your arse but actually getting on with something and
not taking life’s shit”
Since your début in 2008 people have been com-
paring you with the Arctic Monkeys, some even
said that you’ve have copied the Arctics style and
attitude.
Mike: “We’ve heard this, and to be honest it doesn’t
bother me, it’s an easy mistake to make really, I mean,
from Yorkshire, Young, Indie, if you’ve never listened
to us before then yeah, it’s an easy mistake to make.”
Callum: “yeah but that’s the thing people need to give
us a listen to see that actually we’re nothing alike,
we’ve tried to achieve our own sound.”
Sally: “Don’t get us wrong, we think Alex and Matt
and the others are amazing and they’re defiantly
role models for us but we’d never copy any one,
were not rip offs.”
Yeah I know what you mean, your more tech-
noish than them. So, where’s the weirdest
place you’ve ever played?
Chad: “we did this really strange little basement
thing in Scotland, back in the days when we’d do
anything for a gig”
Callum: “Ha, yeah, and about 20 people turned
up, shameful really.”
Elliot: “Oh god, and the owner was really creepy,
and he only paid us £80! Tight arse.”
Sounds like you’ve really lived the roughing
it, band lifestyle.
Callum: “I ‘spose you could say we rough it, our
bus is a tip, I have to have at least 3 days notice be-
fore my mum comes round so we can have a tidy.”
Sarah: “I used to run around after them, tidying
up bnut it’s got to that stage where I might as well
just give up.
Sally: “It’s like organised chaos, I like it, but Cal’s
right, our mums don’t.”
Since you guys are only 18-19, what do your
family think to all this travelling, gigging it,
lifestyle?
Sally: “My mums on the phone everyday asking
how I am, do I need anything, when can she come
and see us. She’s a worrier, but I don’t mind, it’s
nice.”
Callum: “Yeah my mum and dad are like that, can
get rather annoying, but it’s nice to hear from
them when we’re so far away.”
Mike: “It’s a mum’s worst night mare to hear their
only son say, ‘I’m going on tour with my band’ she
thought it was a silly idea, but now she knows,
we’ve actually made it, this is my life now, and
she’s really proud of me.”
“Sarah’s
like our
mum.”
Is it hard for you all, being away from home?
Mike: “I’m a proper mummy’s boy so I miss home
a lot, don’t get me wrong, I love the freedom, but I
like to be home as well.”
Callum: “He really is, we’ve had to learn him how
to make beans on toast! His mum does everything
for him!.”
Mike: “Yeah that’s why I love to go home, I don’t
do anything for my self (smiles smugly.)”
How often to you get to go back home?
Sally: “Not very often, we have gigs every week-
end and we’re travelling pretty much non-stop up
and down the country, but when they can, our par-
ents come to us.”
Mike: “Yeah it’s about once every 3 weeks we see
them. Obviously they can’t all come at once, but
it’s nice to see a friendly face, whether it’s my mum
and dad, or Sarah’s, or any ones.”
Anyway, will you be attending any festivals
this year?
Sarah:: “I’d like to do Leeds, coz it’s kinda local to us
it’d be nice to get a feel for some Yorkshire pride
(laughs.)
Sally: “alright Beck, I’d like to do Leeds as well but for
the music, no soul searching pride shit.”
Callum: “I think we’d all like to go to one or two,
but we’ve really gotta crack on with work, which
sounds sad but it’s not all about pissup’s we’ve ac-
tually got to work some time.”
Mike: “True, we’ve worked hard to get here, but it
doesn’t all just end now.
Sarah: “Yeah but we’re aloud a beak sometimes.
aren’t we?”
Callum: “I ‘spose.”
You guys sound really dedicated! what’s the
best gig you’ve ever been to?Callum: “Oasis, Man-
chester City Stadium 2006. the atmosphere was amaz-
ing! and Liam and Noel did a cracking show, really got
into it with the crowd, which
is a rarity.”
Yeah we all know he’s not one for that. Any
other memorable gigs?
Sally: “I’d say this anti racism thing at Magna in
Sheffield last year. John Maclure arranged it and he
got loads of good bands in, Kaiser Chiefs, Courteeners
and obviously Reverend, It was a brilliant night.
Sarah:“Yeah it was! We were smashed by the time
Kaiser’s came on, good times.”
How does it feel to be on tour promoting your
new album?
Sarah: “It’s crazy! I can’t believe it, like all these peo-
ple queing up to buy tickets to come and see us play,
it’s really weird.”
Callum: “Yeah it is, and I’ve always wanted to live in a
bus (laughs.)”
Yeah you guys are really bringing in the crowds,
do you ever get nervous on stage?
Mike:“I do, I get really bad with nerves, like a couple
of minutes before I can’t talk to anyone ‘cos I need to
get in focus and stuff.”
Sarah: “Yeah, he gets really touchy!”
Sally: “I’m same though, but as soon as you get out
there the nerves turn into excitement, it’s such a
buzz.”
Callum: “e best feeling is when the crowd sings
back to us, it reminds us that people actually listen to
our songs, actually like them!”
What are your fans like? Do you have any
weirdo’s following you around?
Sally: “I’ve got this lad who keeps twittering me, it’s
sweet really, nothing creepy like, just telling me how
much he loves our music, but I feel quite sorry for
him, he obviously hasn’t got anything better to do.”
Sarah: “Aw, yeah, he’s sweet but he’s nothing like that
guy that is at almost every gig we do up north, Leeds’
Sheffield, Manchester, you name it, he’s there.”
at is dedication! What do you all think of the
northern music scene? People like the rev are re-
ally passionate about it aren’t they?
Callum: “I’m so proud to say that I’m apart of it, es-
pecially the Sheff’ scene. e public round there are so
welcoming to unsigned bands. Take Arctic monkeys, if
they were from any where else in England, I don’t
think they’d be where they are today, but Sheffield
made them.”
Mike: “Just watch “bet you look good on the dance
floor” video, it looks like a piss take, it’s really crap,
but because people from Sheffield are so accepting,
that didn’t matter, as long as the music’s good they
don’t care about gilts and glam.”
Sarah: “yeah it’s such a good attitude.”
Gig’s always have a good atmosphere at Sheffield
you’re right. What do you think to John
Maclure’s tram lines gig?
Sally: “I love the fact that people can go and see good
music for free, he’s really great!”
Callum: “Yeah, it really strips music down to the bare
minimal, it shows people what it’s all really about,
making good music and having a laugh.”
Sarah: “we went last year, the crowd were wet
through, and still loving it, purely because the music
was ace.”
How do you feel about coming from Yorkshire?
Sally: “It might sound sad, but I’m really proud!”
Callum: “It is sad, but so am I us northerners are so
polite, not like when you go down London, nobody
wants to talk to anyone, they just wana run off to
work in their posh officers.”
Yeah we’re much more friendly. Well, thanks
for taking time out guys and good luck with
everything.
“is is the news,” is out Monday £8.99.