Interview: Saints Among Us (Written)
Featuring Maddy (vocals), Rahmaal (bass), Tom (guitar), and brothers Brad (guitar) and Adam (drums), Saints Among Us were born in Doncaster, England, and for the past six years, the powerful alternative crew have been crafting anthems and shaping a live set of hearty earworms that are ram-packed with colossal riffs, captivating synth lines and hooky refrains. In addition to delivering a slew of scorching cuts, the Yorkshire quintet are also big advocates of mental health, and their lyrical themes touch on everything from self-identity, self-worth, and the belief that brokenness can be beautiful.
Now, the rising Brit alt-rockers Saints Among Us continue their climb with the release of their deeply engrossing new single, Hunger, which is out now. The band will also release a lyric video for the single next month. In this interview we learn a bit more about the band and their plans.
1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat with us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.
Thanks for having us! We’re made up of Maddy, the front woman; Adam on drums; Rahmaal on bass; Tom on guitar; and Brad on guitar. We got started years ago with Brad and Adam as the founding members (being brothers, it’s great that they both play music!). They met Maddy at college, and then we all met Rahmaal and Tom at university. The rest is history!
2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?
We always say we’re alternative rock, but we take inspiration from so many different genres, whether that’s metal, rock, pop, or even more electronic genres like drum and bass and synth wave. We just make music we’d want to listen to, and we try not to put a definitive label on it because who wants to live in a box like that?
3. What’s currently going on in your camp? New releases? Tours? Etc.
We’ve just released our latest single, Hunger, which we wrote with the art of Kintsugi in mind. Kintsugi is where broken pottery is repaired with gold, and we’ve interpreted it as a message of loving yourself regardless of the things that break you. Our experiences make us stronger and more beautiful. We have a lyric video coming out in December for everyone to enjoy! And this is just the first in a series of singles we’re planning to drop as we move into 2025 to keep this message going! There’s talk of a tour in the spring, but we’ll have to see!
4. What has been the most positive experience of making music to date for you?
Recently recording Hunger—it’s a cliché, but we’ve really loved the writing process for this one, and working with a producer like Ross Dore has been an absolute privilege. It really felt like a collaborative effort, and we were all able to put our personal touch on the track, making it something we’re all proud of.
5. Likewise, what has been some of the more challenging aspects, and how have you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges has been balancing our personal lives with the demands of the band. We all have other commitments, like day jobs & studies, and it can be tough to find time to focus on the music and the band’s progress. But we’ve learned to stay organized and communicate with each other, setting clear goals and priorities so we can keep moving forward. There’s also the pressure of constantly pushing out content to stay relevant, but we’ve found that staying true to our creative vision is what keeps us motivated through those tough moments.
6. How do you handle the modern expectations of being in a band? Always online, having to put out content constantly, with your success measured in likes and follows?
It’s definitely something we spend a bit of time talking about and working toward, and it does take up a fair bit of time. But we always try to make sure everything links back to the music or helps the music in some way, viewing it more as an extension of our art than anything—a necessary evil, if you want. For us, success comes from people at gigs listening to and resonating with our music. If people like it, we’re succeeding.
7. What’s something that really ‘grinds your gears’ about the industry/business these days, and what would you propose be done to combat it?
We all collectively hate the pressure grassroots venues are facing. It’s not an easy fix, but taking care of our local venues is the only way we, as a community of music lovers, can create the next Nirvana, the next Coldplay, or the next Queen! These are the venues where we all cut our teeth and honed our craft, and if we lose them, the knock-on effect for new independent music will be devastating. It’s important for everyone—whether you’re a fan, a musician, or an industry professional—to support these venues in any way we can.
8. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support your music?
Honestly, we appreciate any and every stream of a song, every share, every like, and every follow! It helps us out massively when people are on board with us, and it’s something we get giddy over when someone shares our music or we get new people following the band. Also, come to a gig and get involved in the madness! There’s no better way to experience our music than live, and we love connecting with fans at shows.
9. Outside of the music, what do you do to relax?
When we’re not making music, we each have our own ways to relax. Maddy finds peace in cleaning—it’s her go to stress relief. Adam is an avid gamer, spending hours on his PC. Brad, Rahmaal, and Tom bond over D&D (which Maddy has had the pleasure of witnessing firsthand, much to her dismay). Rahmaal has a passion for baking and cooking, while the rest of us are happy to enjoy his creations. We all have our own rituals to unwind and stay grounded!
10. Where can people find you?
You can find us at @saintsamongusband on Instagram, TikTok, and X, and on Facebook, we’re Saints Among Us Band. To listen to our songs, you can find us on all the major streaming platforms—or come to a gig and hear it in person!
