In the pub with The Voom Blooms.

It is a wintery September evening in Leicester as you join us. We are on the way to out local pub to catch up with a local band who are attracting their fair share of favourable press. As we enter the bar it is difficult not to spot them. They are sat in a large group along with the band they are supporting, taking up at least three sofas and more than a couple of chairs. A large group of men, together, in a bar,watching the football. Intimidating? Never.

So, we sit down around a small round table. To my left sits Thom, the drummer. He looks a bit cheeky and cheerful. To my right is Craig, the heartbreakingly handsome guitarist.  Next to him sits vocalist George, looking a bit boy-next-door. Next to George is Brett the bassist. He is cute. Adorably so.  But that is just first impressions ladies and gentlemen, and we all know how wrong they can be. Anyway, we are here to talk music, not to discuss the pro’s and con’s on todays popular fashion trends.

We will begin with a brief history of the band, now we are all settled with a pint and a Marlborough Light. Thom beings “ It was over a year ago now… when we and George first started playing, and… we recruited these to boys (he gestures to Brett and Craig)…” here he trails off and lets George tell the story. “Me and Craig pretty much grew up together, me and Thom pretty much grew up together, and erm… Me and Craig used to write a lot of music together when we were ,like, thirteen, fourteen. We used to walk to school everyday and argue about music, and stuff. We met Brett at school, a bit later on, when we were about sixteen. We used to play together then…” Thom is clearly getting bored of the childhood and demands “Wrap it up, Wrap it up” and gestures at George. George hurridly tells the tale that ends in the current line up sitting in front of me now. Basically they all met and school through a mutual love of music and an indescribable urge to play.

So, why form a band? Why not go college, or university, get a “proper job”? George is straight in there with an answer, before I’ve even finished the question. “To me…since I can ever remember all I ever wanted to do was make music, write music, play music. That’s everything I’ve ever wanted to do.” He declares this with such conviction that you have no choice but to believe him. Despite it being a totally over used explanation as to why people form bands. Too many say it without the total and utter conviction and belief that George says it with. “I think it pretty much goes for all of us” says Thom, to murmurs of agreement.

Craig offers a similar explanation “I’ve had jobs in call centres, stuff like that. It’s not the kind of life I, ideally, want to lead. So…” “Having said that, we’re all on the dole” laughs Thom.

Press about the band compares them to such bands as Interpol, The Libertines and Manic Street Preachers. How does it feel to be compared to such bands ? Brett, the shy, quiet bassist speaks up for the first time “It’s very humbling to be compared to them…they’ve made so many great records.” Thom interjects, saying “ It’s a bit overwhelming really. Our inspirations are so varied throughout the band…” So what does inspire them? “You can say our influences are fucking varied…” complains Craig “ … everyone says that.” He does have a point… “Ok” says George “ So what don’t people say?” “Wagner” replies Craig. Oh the wit!

Conversation sways to the idea of being a band on Britain in the current musical climate, it was only the night before this interview that the Arctic Monkeys surprised critics by taking away the Mercury Music Prize.  Craig begins “There are so many bands around at the moment the market is really saturated, so many bands. Some good, a lot of shit. It’s really hard, you have to try to distinguish yourself from other bands.” Craig goes on to comment about the current trend for people forming bands, which seems to be more popular than ever at the moment, especially with the popularity of MySpace and other music sharing on-line communities. Everybody wants to be the next Arctic Monkeys. The conversation swings around to the fact that the market is saturated due to guitar music being very popular at the moment. “I can remember when most popular music was really, really terrible.” George tells us. “Not that long ago.” After Brit-pop he explains that he thinks nothing has changed and progressed. Except hip-hop, which, he says is “ always evolving”. Now, he says, guitar music is making a come back over here. “I think its good, its brilliant to be in a band right now… ya know. I couldn’t imagine wanting to do anything else.” “I think the industry now is a lot more cut throat that is has been for a while …” Brett tells us “…and I think that that is because of how many good bands there are out there.”  George continues, and explains “ I think all that it comes down to at the end of the day with music, as with a lot of things, is that you’re either you’re either really good, or you’re average, or you’re shit, or you’re brilliant. It comes down to how good you are…” explains George, and here is where we see just how aware this band are, of the music industry, themselves and the people around them. Something that you don’t often see in bands, let alone bands as young, and as new as the Voom Blooms are. George continues “…We’ve only been together, like, a year. We’re still babies, we still need a lot, lot more time. We’re just gonna carry on, and carry on, developing and growing with everything we do. Our lives sets, our songs…(and here he gets passionate) that’s the most important thing. You can wear what the fuck you want, (a direct dig and the pretentious scene bands that seem to be taking over the music world at the moment) you can wear what you want and not be in a band, and think you’re in a band, or wish you were in a band.” George carries on, he tells us about a band he was talking to a few nights before, who were interviewed and said “A lot of bands are wearing pointy shoes and tight trousers, but they got no songs.”  “You know that’s true” he says. Here a discussion erupts, from Craig, about how some bands consciously decided to shun ‘the scene’ and wear track-suits to be anti-image, which then became an image in its self… it goes on. “You can get signed, but you’re not gonna sell the records if they’ve not got the songs… you’re either good enough, or you’re not good enough” declares George. The man has a point, and he makes it very clearly.

We move on, to the story behind the new single ‘Anna’. Amid mumurs of “crazy” and “ that was a bit of a crazy one” George begins to explain “‘Anna’ and ‘Models…’ were born out of, a bit of a strange time because…we all quit our jobs, and we all kind of really went for it. There was break-ups with girlfriends. Emotional kind of …fights within the band. Alcohol problems, everything… all, like, meshed into one. We were getting frustrated with ourselves because things weren’t working out the way we wanted them to. We did the NME tour… and the last night of that…everything, all of a sudden just like came together and that’s what those songs are born out of.” George finishes his story nicely. Thom has other ideas and laughingly takes over the role of interviewer. “So…”he begins “…what happened in Paris guys?” A question which is met with a silence from Craig and George, the members of the band who embarked on a drunken mission across the channel and got arrested on arrival. Rebels! Eventually the response from Craig is “Next question” Sore point then lads?

We continue the interview. What have been the highlights of their career so far? “ Koko, which was incredible” George tells us, because “ It was the first time we’d seen anything like that. Then Summer Sundae, I think topped that.” Summer Sundae was a music festival based in Leicester to celebrate and promote all kinds of music, from the new local bands, to established nationwide acts. George continues “ I loved going into the studio when we finished ‘Anna’… we mixed it ourselves… and we came back in the car and we put it on, and we were so happy. That was a real high point. We were so proud that we’d paid for it ourselves, we’d produced it ourselves…worked really hard.” The band seem to be in general agreement. Thom talks about Summer Sundae, saying “It was wicked, coming back to our home town…we packed out the tent and they weren’t letting any more people in, which is always nice to see.” He grins, genuinely happy. “ I think for me it’d be Koko” Brett tells us. “Just the whole experience has been great. It’s great being able to go out at night and just do what you love.”

George tells us about how the band spent a lot of time fretting about how to get signed, and why they weren’t signed already, and what they were going to do… all usual worries I suppose, but then they have only been a band a little over a year. “Right now…” George declares “…I really don’t think we give…” “A flying fuck” interjects Craig. “…a flying fuck about being signed or not, because all that we wanna do is make music, record it, release it and gig, and we’re doing all of those things.” Craig continues for him…” And if two people want to come to our gigs, like they did last night, two people that like our songs. Two people who queue, and wait at sound check and they come to our gigs, then it’s worth it… that’s why we’re doing it.”

So, what ambitions do these fine young men have for the future?

“To write a really, really, really good album.” I think the first ambition is to get the single out. Then get another single out. Then record more. I suppose my biggest ambition is to write that absolutely incredible album” George tells us. We talk about bands that they’d like to tour with, or work with. “ If The Cure did a reunion tour…” laughs Brett “… I’d like to get on the back of that.”

Do the guys have any advice for other bands who’d like to follow in their footsteps, so to speak? “Write songs that you think are really good, and that you’re passionate about, and then send them off to every single outlet that you know of…” suggests Craig. Thom’s advice, and plug for local recording studio is to use “ Deadline studios, and book time in with somebody called Adam Ellis…he will make you sound incredible.” They laugh… “ In all seriousness…” adds Craig, in a serious voice. “…we recorded at Deadline studios, and sent it out to absolutely everyone and it got played on Steve Lamaq , like, three weeks later.” Overall the band seem to agree that you’ve got to love what you do. “And don’t loose sight of why you’re doing it” adds George. “Don’t compromise why you’re doing it.” Craig sums up by saying “Stick with what you’re doing, and if the songs are good enough it will happen.”

That is about it for our time with this wonderful group of young men. We drink a little, debate on how much Arctic Monkeys really deserved to win the Mercury Music Prize, talk about music in general. Smoke so Marlborough lights, drink some Stella… just a night down the pub with some lovely blokes really. Later on the band will play an impressive set around the corner at The Charlotte. People will dance, there will be a huge, well deserved applause, with cheers and whistling. It will be a good night. I suspect it is just one of many to come for this talented young band.

Love x

Laura