Dan: When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphany's since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.
Holly: I was bought up in a house where old records were still played, and a Wurlitzer Jukebox owned a place in the lounge. My parents played a lot of blues artists so my earlier influences started there. It was only when my dad got Sky, when I was the age of about 11 that I discovered MTV channels. I discovered new and current rock bands at the time and the music videos brought their sounds to life. When I saw bands like The White Stripes and The Black Keys I realised that the blues could be an influence for so much more, and the idea of reinventing it excited me. That's when I wanted to start writing.
Chess: Alanis Morissette got me into songwriting as her lyrics were just completely out there! I grew up on a lot of predictable pop songs, and her lyrics were poetic masterpieces. That definitely changed me. Bands like Paramore & PVRIS, again the lyrics are so thought out, the creativity gives it a unique stamp to it, so their music stands out to me.
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
Tor: Most of the time it’s music first. Someone may have riff ideas, sometimes I might just be jamming a beat in practice that everyone piles on top of. Lyrics are usually last, although that’s not always the case.
Who has influenced you the most?
Tor: As a band, we have taken a lot of influence from early PVRIS and Coldplay. But individually we are all influenced by very different things. Musically, anything from The Cure and Killing Joke to QOTSA and Girls Against Boys. Also, we've taken influence from the people in our lives, TV shows, books, you name it!
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?
Holly: always listening to new bands and working out what makes them unique. How some bands can have their own style and what the formula is for that is fascinating. As a guitarist that played straight through the amp for many years, effects pedals have only been a relatively new discovery. So now I take inspiration from interesting effects that other guitarists use. With regards to lyrics, more recently I have taken inspiration from what people say and how they act. I find people very interesting!
Chess: Personal experiences & Netflix of course!
We're all a product of our environment. Tell us about the band's hometown and how that reflects in the music?
Chess: We all live in different parts of Kent in the South East. Hate to say it but it doesn’t reflect in our music LOL! Although Dan has made some Folkestone references in some songs, where he grew up.
Where'd the band name come from?
Chess: Super boring story alert! New band sit at a restaurant, new band discuss name of band. Restaurant sign said ‘Formally known as Salvation Jane’, the band said that’s a cool name.... but let’s add a ‘Y’ to Jane.
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the soundtrack for?
Holly: Our lyrics often have dark connotation so possibly an abstract art film like The Neon Demon.
Tor: Not a film I know but I can really see some of our tunes on Peaky Blinders. We’d be so stoked if that ever happened.
Dan: The Crow!
Chess: Peaky Blinders all the way!
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple Effect?). You're going to write a 1,000 word essay on one song. Which would it be and why?
Holly: Viva La Vida by Coldplay, great lyrics, could have a variety of meanings. The instrumentals and production are so impressive.
Chess: Probably Alanis Morrisette’s ‘Thank You’. What a song! Who crams the lyric ‘dangling carrots’ into a song and gets away with it LOL!?
Dan: For me, it'd be 'Burn' by The Cure. It's absolute perfection!
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?
Chess: Holly losing her suitcase, Holly losing her guitar pick, Holly losing her phone, Holly losing her slide, Holly having to buy underwear in Tesco at 2am, haha!.....
Holly: What Chess said...I am the rock and roll in the band. (I still have them Eeyore underpants from that night)
Tor: The two headline shows we have done so far have been amazing, at the Old Blue Last in London and the Quarterhouse in Folkestone. Both of them sold out! We always want to make the shows memorable and put on our best performance. For the local show in Folkestone, we got a bunch of rabbit masks made for people to wear and take home as keepsakes.
What makes a great song?
Tor: Great lyrics, great hooks. I love a good unexpected chord change and interesting drum parts!
Chess: all of the above and great production! Cough cough Anchor Baby Recording Co.
Holly: One that provokes a thought in you, or makes you feel something out of the blue.
What one single album do you wish that you'd written or performed on, and why?
Tor: I wish I’d written all the drum parts on Blink 182 - Neighborhoods. The drumming is so creative, and not easy to do.
Dan: Definitely Maybe by Oasis. It defined an amazing period for guitar music.
Chess: My favourite band is called Paper Route. I wish I’d written their first album ‘Absence’. It’s stunning!
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
Tor: I’m proud of all of it. But every time we do something new it suddenly becomes my favourite thing we’ve done. I think the music we are putting out next year will be our best and something we’ll be most proud of.
Chess: I’m really proud of the new songs! Loving our new ideas.
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
Tor: Phoebe Bridgers, Idles, Teenage Wrist. We are doing a cover of Arlo Parks at the moment, who is this cool British artist and we all really like her.
Chess: Even though it’s very different to Paramore. I think Hayley Williams creativity in vocal melodies and lyrics is just ‘A’ class to me. So quirky too. She definitely kicks ass!
Holly: Biffy Clyro, Coldplay, Lonely The Brave, Nothing But Thieves, The Hunna, Phoebe Bridgers. Recently I've really listened alot to Black Foxxes. They have some great atmospheric guitar sounds and memorable vocal hooks. Lots of epic dynamics and I love the Cure type vibe in some of their stuff.
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
Tor: As a band we’d love to have a release on Vinyl just because it seems like every band should! But I’m a fan of streaming and having a whole library of music to discover so easily.
Chess: I loved Vinyl as a child. Nothing quite like that fizz when the needle hits the record. I’d love a loud vinyl player again. I stream everything now. Like Tor said everything you want is on all platforms these days.
Holly: Digital, just for ease of use and new discovery. Vinyl will always be nostalgic and special to me but they do take up room!
Whiskey or beer? And defend your choice.
Tor: Either. No need to put two great beverages against each other.
Chess: WHISKEY!
Holly: whiskey, beer will give you a belly.
We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. What's your home town, and when we get there, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?
Tor: In Canterbury there’s an awesome record store that’s been there for years called Canterbury Rock! You should definitely go there. There’s also Elsewhere in Margate that’s part venue/coffee shop/record store.
What's next for the band?
Chess: Shows are on a break from us at the moment but we hope to be back next February. We have been focusing on writing our first album together instead and using this time wisely. Which will hopefully be released end of 2021. We have brand new merch arriving in Sept to help towards kick-starting 2021. An Arlo Parks cover too....
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?
Chess: Only that we hope you are all enjoying our remix EP! And to stay in touch with us and not go anywhere,as we hope to come back with a vengeance.
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