Band Interview: Calling All Astronauts (David. B – Vocalist)

Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are very pleased to bring you an interview with dark, electro, goth and punk outfit, Calling All Astronauts.

1. How did you get started as a band?

I was in US:UK with J. After we had split up, J started pop-punkers Caffeine. They had done loads of tours and stuff opening for the likes of The Offspring, AFI, New Found Glory etc, but had decided to kinda take a break. One day I bumped into J on a petrol station forecourt in Fulham and we decided to start making music again. We recruited Kristi on bass, however she had a baby just before the first album dropped and didn’t have the time to juggle band and motherhood so sadly left. J and I did a couple of singles as a two piece then recruited Paul who had been in US:UK with us. Paul was in goth stalwarts The Marionettes but they were on indefinite hiatus as Sean, their singer, is making movies with Vinnie Jones amongst others. So he joined us!

2. How would you describe your sound?

We mix a lot of styles together, it’s kinda post punk, goth, electro, drum and bass, industrial, big beat, synthpop, punk and metal all rolled into one.

3. What bands/artists would you say have influenced your style of music?

If I’m honest, all the bands we have ever been compared to, Sisters Of Mercy, Prodigy, Mindless Self Indulgence, Marilyn Manson, Pendulum, Bowie, Ministry, KMFDM…so many.

4. Has the rise of YouTube & music streaming helped or hindered you as a band?

It has as good as destroyed the chances of any indie or DIY acts ever becoming popular. Streaming is the new payola, with labels paying curators thousands to place tracks on the big playlists, many labels are employing bots to vastly increase their streams and views. It’s all so fake, they dominate the charts, the airwaves and social media, and are damaging the long term future of music.

5. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?

We are all parents so we like to spend time with our kids and wives. Paul and I are big football fans, he is a season ticket holder at Brentford. I try to see every Preston North End game that I can, J is a part time Sheffield Wednesday fan 🙂

6. What are your future plans musically? Tours?

We are releasing our “Influences EP” on March 30th, after 12 singles 2 albums and 1 EP, we thought we’d do something a bit different. We’ve recorded versions of four songs by other artists that have inspired and called it a Quadruple A-Side single. We’ve done four videos and staggered the streaming and promo to radio so it’s kinda like four singles released over an eight week period 🙂

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We’d like to thank Calling All Astronauts for taking the time for speaking with us. You can find out much more over on their website. Check out their music on Spotify & via Apple Music below. Like them on Facebook to keep up to date with news, follow them on Twitter and watch videos on YouTube.