As founder member of UK rocksters The Emergency Please, Karan took it upon himself to field our Band of the Day questions…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
My name’s Karan Master and I started The Emergency Please as a songwriting vehicle for music I was working on. We are currently based in Southampton.
How did you meet?
We all work as session musicians and we’d been playing together for a while in different bands. Sam West (drums) and Adam Porter (bass) we’re so tight I asked if they’d join me for recording the debut EP, Remember You.
How long have you been playing as a band?
The Emergency Please has been going since the summer of 2016.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
My band when I was 14 was called Emergency Please. I always liked the name so stuck with it.
What are your influences?
I grew up on pop punk and alt rock and I would listen to bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Funeral For A Friend and Paramore. As I got older I got more into funk, soul and neo-soul. When I started writing for this band the idea was to primarily be a pop punk band but to combine elements from other influences.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We’re a technically progressive outfit that combining pop punk harmonies with jazz chordal elements, stylish grooves and in-your-face rock vocals. We back melody with groove.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
I usually write about life events and topics that play on my mind. Recently I’ve been experimenting with writing from the third person looking in.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
We bring a lot of energy. I think live shows are where you get the full experience of a band, so it’s where we can really let loose and express the music we’ve been working on. I can’t actually remember how many shows we’ve done but we’ve been gigging since last summer.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I ran into members of Don Broco and Mallory Knox at a John Mayer gig once. Was pretty rad. It only happened because I asked them to take a picture for me, realised who they were and was like “fuck that, take one of all of us!” Haha!
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I love Strats. My main live Strat started off as an American special but I constantly mess about with it. My backup is a Strat Plus. I play them both through Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special.
What are your plans for the rest of 2017?
We’re going to release our debut EP, Remember You and play the shit out of it. We’ve already started working on brand new material which we’re gonna take on the road and record before the end of the year.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
This is a really tough. This answer is going to change every time I’m asked but today I’m gonna say open for Darwin Deez. For the band opening for us I would say Kilkovec. I’ve had the pleasure of playing with them a few times, great band and great guys!
The Emergency Please: facebook | soundcloud | bandcamp | youtube
