Yorkshire band The Sourheads are hitting the road for some gigs throughout this year. Here they are to convince you to get off your lazy backsides and go and see them…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are from Wakefield, West Yorkshire and Essex.
How did you meet?
Jake and his brother Sid have had a band going together in some form or the other for around five years but The Sourheads as we know it now has been together around two. I met them as their producer in the studio. When Sid left they asked me if I would like to join and this version of The Sourheads was born.
How long have you been playing as a band?
We started writing our debut album around the time I joined so I would say just over two years ago.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
We are all cynical and grumpy so we are the sourheads… or something like that. That’s what Jake our singer says. I’m actually pretty happy. Heads up, I never named the band they did that before I joined!
What are your influences?
We have a wide variety of influencers from Iggy and the Stooges and The Doors, Glenn Hughes-era Deep Purple, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Queens of the Stone Age, Clutch, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We like to think of ourselves as a pure band. Loud guitars loud drums and an explosive live show. We like to think that we fly the flag of classic rock but for this era. We are 100% true to ourselves, what you get is what you see and hear.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Jake is a poet so a lot of our lyrics a very deep. We have subject matter such as divorce, demonic possession, relationships breaking down, secret cigarettes, and genuine rock and roll. We also have a song called “Rag and Bone Man” about something that steals people’s souls.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Our shows are full of energy and swagger. We are influenced by the greats so we need to deliver an awesome stage show. We interact with the crowd and try and pull all the moves. Jake can be somewhat unpredictable at times so the rest of us try and keep an eye on him. We try and do around 30 or 40 shows a year. We would do more if some foreign promoters would take us on board.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Jake swap clothes with a transexual and performed the whole set in a lovely frock.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
We use Mapex Drums, Dean guitars and TC Electronic bass amps. Ben plays the three quarter size Squier Jaguar bass. We also have an endorsement with Xvive effects. I have a vintage Marshall 100 watt head and a Hughes and Kettner head.
What are your plans for 2018?
We will continue to write our new album and as of this moment we have a 14 date UK tour coming up. We also have a new music video ready to be released.
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!
We do a lot of gigs with our friends and label mates Red Spektor. They are a really good band with psychedelic 70s doom undertones. I would like to think we have a great respect and understanding for each others visions and music. We tend to like bands who are slightly different than us to open for us maybe a good Americana style band or a punk band. I would personally love to support somebody like Queens of the Stone Age or Alice Cooper.
