Band Interview: Ninth Degree
Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are pleased to bring you an interview with rock band, Ninth Degree.
1. How did you get started as a band?
We are a 5-piece Rock band founded in September 2018 out of the ashes of Misselbrook and Watt, which was a small project between two of the band members Hamish and Cameron. Hamish (Vocals/Keys) and Cameron (Vocals/Guitars) are two of our three vocalists and have been in bands together for many years having been friends since they were kids. Connor (Vocals/Bass) and Murray (Drums) came in to be Ninth Degree’s rhythm section after Misselbrook and Watt disbanded. They were fans of the band and so it just made sense because they knew the material well already.
We played shows and brought out our debut single “Smile” as a 4-piece but decided in mid-2019 we needed a second guitarist to fill out our sound and so we recruited Reece (Cowbell/Guitars) who was on Cameron’s course at uni.
2. How would you describe your sound?
Due to our hugely varied musical interests and influences it’s hard to narrow the band’s sound down. We blend influences form Modern Rock, Alternative Pop, Progressive Rock and Folk, but what sets our sounds apart is our catchy riffs and big harmonies, helped by having 2 lead guitarists and 3 lead vocalists.
3. What bands/artists would you say have influenced your style of music?
We have a huge range of influences but most notably Queen, Green Day, Rush and Franz Ferdinand.
4. Has the rise of YouTube & music streaming helped or hindered you as a band?
Music streaming has definitely helped us grow as a band, providing us a relatively easy way to get music out to as many people as possible. We set up a YouTube channel as we formed the band, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that we made a concerted effort to produce content. Our videos and series, notably our Folk cover of “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and our “The Works” series, have allowed us to continue to grow our audience despite not being able to perform live.
5. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?
Hamish: Despite being a significant part of my life, music is still the way I like to de-stress the most. I also enjoy reading, writing and watching terrible Netflix original movies with my Flatmates.
6. What are your future plans musically? Tours?
In the long run, we are aiming to bring out our debut album once the pandemic is fully over and we’ve built some more momentum. Then hopefully we will go on a small UK and/or EU tour to promote the album. In the next few months though we are looking to start work on an EP to release over the summer (all COVID dependent at the moment).
Links
Website | Spotify | Bandcamp | Facebook | YouTube
