It's all been a bit hectic the past couple of weeks, but I thought I would give you something to read! I recently did an interview for my 6th Form Magazine, 'Banter', with We Are Fiction, a brilliant UK band. Unfortunately, the next issue of 'Banter' has been postponed indefinitely, and so I no one has had the chance to read to interview yet, but here it is in all its glory. ENJOY! :D
The Banter Green Room – Interview with ‘We Are Fiction’ by Jemini Gova
‘We Are Fiction’ Band Members
Phil- Vocals
Adam- Guitar/Vocals
Andi- Guitar/Vocals
Ryan- Bass
Tom- Drums
The Peterborough quintet, ‘We Are Fiction’, formed in 2007, creating a post-hardcore/melodic screamo band that has been tearing up venues all over the country. The bands’ strong ethos of ‘party hard’ ensures lunacy and chaos ensuing at their energetic live performances. Parting ways from their record label Rising Records last year, the group has decided to go it alone and has already released a mini-album with six tracks on the playlist. I, Jemini Gova, interviewed Tom from ‘We Are Fiction’, and asked him about the split with Rising Records and more…
What has changed for you since performing and sharing a stage with acts such as Atreyu, We Are The Ocean, Deaf Havana and Story of the Year?
I think it’s opened our eyes to how hard the music industry is. Just talking to some of those bands and seeing how much of their time and effort goes into trying to make music their life is crazy. I think when most people start a band they think that they could make it within 2-3 years maximum; where as in reality it takes almost double that in most cases. It’s a very hard industry to break into, but it’s something we wouldn’t give up for the world. There is nothing else we would rather do with our lives.
The song ‘Bitch', which was released digitally on 2nd November 2009, is a very potent and strong song. The title itself gives you a clue as to what the song is about. However, what was the inspiration for the song? What is the story behind it?
I think every guy at one point in his life has been royally fucked about by a woman. It can be the most frustrating and emotionally deflating thing to experience. This song is pretty much stands up and says “Fuck you” to any women who has ever knowingly done this to a man. It sucks. But don’t get us wrong! We’re not calling every woman a bitch by any means! The majority of women are straightforward and very nice people; this is just focused on those frustrating few.
You have an interesting competition going on at the moment, about drawing a certain prominent part of the male anatomy to win some merch. I’m sure you’ve had some interesting entries. How is it going?
What artists or bands are you guys listening to at the moment?
Allsorts! Cancer Bats, He Is Legend, Underoath, Everytime I Die, Alexisonfire, amongst others. Some underground UK bands as well such as Lavondyss, Deaf Havana and Proceed.
You guys have had great success with your music reaching many people through the medium of the internet, for example Myspace, and the band has received high profile press such as Kerrang!, and NME Radio. But, when did you first feel like a real band? What was the event? Why did it make you feel like a real band?
To be honest, I don’t think that point in time has really happened yet! We have a habit of cutting ourselves short a lot of the time. We’re our own worst critics. But that’s not a bad thing, it means we’re constantly striving to become better and better at what we do. A few years ago we would hear bands that we we’re friends get airtime on Kerrang Radio and we were all like “Wow! They are so lucky!” When it happened to us we kinda just went, “Ok, what’s the next step?” Not that we weren’t pleased or excited that it happened, its just we’re always so keen and excited to see what’s coming next on the path that we sometimes miss what we’ve already achieved.
Young people are stereotyped with so many negative connotations nowadays; however music seems to be one of the ways in which the younger generations can be reached. What do you think about the British music scene at the moment, and what sort of influence do you believe it is having on today’s youth culture?
The British music scene is and always will stand-alone. Nothing compares to the music that comes out of this country, it’s unique and I think that’s something to be very proud of. Most British bands that have made it in this country have got a predominantly “British” sound; it’s edgier and has a tinge of grunginess to it. Compare British music to American for example and you’ll hear the difference; American music on the whole has a much softer tone and rounder edge to it. As a result, I think this reflects on the youth culture. Fashions seem to be edgier and more out there than other countries, we also seem to have a different attitude towards music and going to shows. It’s not a bad thing, it’s what makes us who we are.
You recently parted ways with your record label, Rising Records, and decided to record your EP self-funded. What led to this decision?
Let’s just say we wanted to get the ball rolling again and the quickest way to do so was to go it alone. It seems like it was the smartest decision we made for a long time to be honest, as we don’t have to answer to anyone but ourselves now; we’re our own boss’s. The only down side is that everything we spend money on comes out of our own pockets. We’re in a lot of debt at the moment as a result of releasing this EP. So, if you want to help us out, buy some merch or our music so we can eat!
On the 23rd November, you released a mini album self titled ‘We Are Fiction’. What are the main themes of the album? What is all about?
The EP touches on topics that we feel passionate about; from horrible women, to tossers who start fights with you for how you look, to our passion towards music and the band. We strongly believe that you write best about the things you know, so that’s what we did. We just wanted this EP to be an introduction to people about who we are as a band and as people. We’ve taken a hell of a lot of rubbish in the past 3 years we’ve been together and as a result this has shaped us into the people we are today.
What are your top three bands of all time?
Underoath, Alexisonfire & Nirvana
What advice would you give to Banter readers who want to get involved in music?
If you want to make it, be prepared to give most of your life to it. Only the lucky few make it in an instant; the rest of us are on the long hard trek up the music ladder. In the words of ACDC, “It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll.”
And now for our Quick-Fire Round:
Cats or Dogs?- Dogs
Hulk or Superman?- Hulk
Warner Bros or Disney?- Warner Brothers
Reading or Glastonbury?- Reading
Junk food or Healthy food?- Junk food
Santa or the Tooth Fairy?- Santa
iPhone or Blackberry?- iPhone
MySpace or Facebook?- Myspace
Finally, what is the next step for We Are Fiction, what can we expect from you in the future?
A lot of touring and gigging for the rest of this year. We’re also going to be writing as much as possible so keep an eye out for future releases.
‘We Are Fiction’s’ album is available to buy from iTunes and Amazon now!
©Jemini Gova
xx
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