Band Interview: Speak Easy Circus
Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are pleased to bring you an interview with experimental indie rockers, Speak Easy Circus.
1. How did you get started as a band?
Jack (guitar/vocals) moved to Glasgow after finishing university with a view to start a band and play as much music as possible, which included playing in a band with Jon (sax) and Chats (bass). When that band ended he convinced them to start playing a bunch of songs that he had been working on in his bedroom as a solo project by promising them all the riches of the music business. He told the same lie to Frazer (drums) when they were introduced through a mutual friend, but by then it was too late to back out and Speak Easy Circus was formed.
2. How would you describe your sound?
We would best describe our music as experimental indie/funk. But when people first listen to our music the initial thing we would like them to think is that this is something different and unique, something that they might not have heard before. We want to make music that we would listen to, and the music that we listen to is eclectic, exciting, meaningful and doesn’t take itself too seriously all at the same time, so if people went away from our music thinking anything like that then we would take that as a win!
3. What bands/artists would you say have influenced your style of music?
We all come from different musical backgrounds so we have a wide range of influences, from indie acts like The Libertines and Arctic Monkeys, to the pop-punk of Green Day, to sax players like Bob Reynolds, funk bands such as Vulfpeck, or nu-jazz acts like Snarky Puppy. One of the reasons we have such a good time playing together is because of our eclectic mix of influences, so we are constantly bringing different ideas to the music, and also recommending different music to each other!
4. Has the rise of YouTube & music streaming helped or hindered you as a band?
To be honest we have all grown up with streaming so it has been a constant presence in our lives, there are some vague memories of buying CD’s as a child but to be honest Spotify and YouTube etc are the way that we have always listened to music. It is incredibly helpful to be able to find new music, and to have the opportunity to release music yourself, which is a huge advantage. That being said, the way that streaming services are run at the moment is not sustainable in the slightest and artists are not being properly compensated. If you have a situation in which renowned Mercury Award nominated artists such as Nadine Shah aren’t able to make money from streaming it doesn’t bode well for independent music in the future. Hopefully something changes soon.
5. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?
At the moment we spend most of our time when we are not making music either watching films or tv shows, or doing zoom quizzes etc. Like the rest of the world our lives have been put on hold! Otherwise we would be going to gigs, playing basketball, going to the pub – all things we can only dream of just now!
6. What are your future plans musically? Tours?
Our new single has just come out, ‘Lions Should Hunt’, which we are very excited about. We have some more singles lined up for 2021 and potentially an EP is in the works. We want to keep developing as a band and playing together as much as possible.
In terms of live shows we are going with the flow, we would love to play some festivals and shows in Scotland and further afield, but given the current situation we will play it by ear and take whatever we can!
Links
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