How would you describe your music for people who don’t know you?
I guess you’d probably label us as pop/rock, but it’s so much edgier than that. It has such a dark spine and the instrumentation always has a little something interesting about it. A little something something, so to speak.
You’ve just released your new single Monsters – what’s it about?
Monsters is really a song about sharing your dark side with someone. I’ve always found it difficult to talk about my worries and I’ve always used music as a kind of release. I wrote Monster in reverse, from the other person’s point of view. In a way it’s me breaking my own balls.
What’s your favourite song from your Monsters EP?
My favourite track is probably Roses and Razors. I’ve always been proud of it lyrically and when the chorus finally drops it has so much power – it makes my pants shake.
Was the EP easy to write and record?
You know what, it really was! It was basically a set of songs I had written over a couple of months. I literally took them into the studio with Paul as acoustic demos and went ‘sort that lot out’, and he did.
When can we expect another EP?
I’m actually in the studio right now pushing buttons. We’re recording the second EP at this very minute. Now, I don’t want to oversell it, but I’ll be buying several copies!
Any plans for an album?
I’m sure we’ll get to an album in the future but we’re in no rush at the moment. EPs give you so much freedom to try new things, and on top of that you get to do more launch parties.
How many more songs have you written?
Too many and not enough.
Can you talk us through your songwriting process?
It inevitably starts with a beer, a guitar and some wailing sounds, and then some words come along. It’s a hard one, actually. I’m not a writer who has a system. Sometimes it’s a lyric that comes along first and sometimes it’s a melody. I’m definitely a night time writer!
Any plans for more live dates?
YES! We can’t wait to get out there and do this EP live. We’ve got touring plans for this summer and some festival dates which are making me twinge with excitement.
What’s your favourite song to play live?
Red Light Rodeo – it’s got such a dark energy about it. Saying that, a couple of the new tracks were born to be played live so I’m sure I’ll have a different answer for you next time.
What’s the best thing about playing live?
It’s the moments when everything comes together and everyone’s in the zone. When your shirt sticks from the sweat of the last track, then you play a quiet one and you can feel the whole place come down with you. That’s when my hairs do their little dance.
You’ve been getting a lot of local radio support lately – how important do you think radio is for emerging artists?
I think any platform that has the potential to give you such a huge amount of exposure is really important. For emerging bands gigging for a following isn’t what it used to be, because promoters aren’t what they used to be. With specialty slots and ‘Introducing’ schemes, radio is about the only mainstream platform that has actively changed in favour of ‘new music’. Rant over.
What are your plans for the next year?
To get the Giants on the road and get this show out to as many people as we can. It really is going to be something special!
Describe yourself in three words?
Naked And Bold.