We’re no strangers to Gasoline Outlaws so it’s only right they finally got our Band of the Day treatment.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Belfast, Northern Ireland.
How did you meet?
Matt and Chris are brothers and they’ve known Ryan for many years through the local music scene. Adam joined through an online advert for another band that Chris was in. When Matt came back from travelling to Australia, we all started the band.
How long have you been playing as a band?
Since 2014.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
One of the hardest things about being in a band is coming up with a name. We had the songs and the name came after. Matt was listening to the Audioslave song “Gasoline” and then just paired it up with the word Outlaws because it sounded quite cool!
What are your influences?
We pull from many different influences from many different genres. The heaviest metal to the cheesiest pop and everything in between. And I think this mix of tastes makes for a great melting pot, out of which hopefully comes some cool tunes.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Our music is riff driven with lots of groove. But we also like to strip it back and have acoustic tracks too. I think this broad range of styles keeps it interesting for both us and the listener. And Matt has a very distinct voice which always ties it to a Gasoline Outlaws track.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Matt writes the bulk of the lyrics. And he draws on personal experiences and local history for a lot of the songs.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Our live shows are great fun. Lots of audience interaction and we pride ourselves on being as tight and well drilled as possible. We haven’t played as many shows as we would’ve liked. Living over here in Northern Ireland, you’re limited to how many times you can play as the local scene is so small. But we try and get over to the mainland as much as possible.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
We’re quite a reserved bunch, but a couple of years ago we went to Slane Castle to watch Guns N’ Roses. The weather was atrocious so we lit the BBQ in the back of the car. And then realised we had no cutlery so used tent pegs to cook the stuff. Rock and roll, right?
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
Matt uses a Shure Super 55 Deluxe microphone and a Gibson J-200 acoustic. Adam uses Gibson Les Pauls and a Diezel amplifier. Chris uses Fender basses and Ashdown amps. Ryan plays a Mapex kit with a Ludwig black beauty snare, Sabian cymbals and uses his signature drum sticks from London Drumstick Company.
What are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
We have a brand new album out 10th May called Light Up the World. It’s our second album done through a successful Pledge campaign. We had a nightmare when Pledge ran into problems but we have overcome those now.
What are your plans for 2019/2020?
We want to promote our new album and hopefully play in front of a lot more people. We did two Planet Rock festivals last year which were amazing, so more festivals would definitely be a goal.
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?
We would love to support Those Damn Crows. We have played on festival bills with them before but not a stand alone show. They are great fellas and a superb up and coming band. And to open, Broken Witt Rebels (although they should probably co-headline). We discovered these guys at Wildfire Festival a couple of years ago and they blew us away. Great band with a very promising future.
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