We’re into the second half of the year and still there’s no end of new acts that we’re encountering. Today we have Shipwrecker for you, answering our profile questions. Check out their answers and a taster of their music below…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re based near Liverpool, on the Wirral.
How did you meet?
Jo and Matt went to school together. Jo recruited Adam after seeing him doing a gig with another band, and Jo and Eve met at university in London where they first got together (They are married now!). We all really got together for the first time in the recording studio though – Matt had never met Eve or Adam before recording vocals on the first EP!
How long have you been playing as a band?
We made the first EP in 2017, but only really got together as a proper band when we decided to make the album last year (2022).
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
It’s a reference to the smugglers who used to wreck ships off the coast of the Wirral. They’d set up fires to confuse ships about the position of the nearby lighthouses, and then loot the boats when they smashed on the rocks.
What are your influences?
We all grew up listening to classic rock like Led Zep, but were also influenced by that 90’s alt rock sound – Early Foo Fighters, that sort of thing. I think both strands show through in our music.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We are a rock band first and foremost, but we like to think that the album we’ve made has a “pop heart”. It’s a very unselfconscious sound – Full of hooks and earworms. Everything is built on rhythm and groove. I think what makes it unique is that it tends towards the “fun” end of the rock spectrum, rather than the “gritty, dark side”, which is pretty unusual for a modern guitar band. Matt’s vocal style is super old school as well – which helps us to stand out!
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Matt likes to cover a variety of subjects and styles: The songs cover social issues, love, loss, the personal and the pseudo-philosophical – A bit of everything!
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
We’re quite a new band, really – We’ve spent more time writing and recording than playing live, but the shows we have put on have been loud. We try and focus on the audience, and the live show is all about entertainment: We want anyone who makes the effort to go out and see live music to be rewarded with a memorable and entertaining evening. There will be unique improvised moments too – Something that sets a live show apart from listening to the record.
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What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I once did a gig on Halloween dressed in a full three piece suit with a tail coat – The works. I thought it would be fun to fill a top hat with fake blood and just have it start to drip out during the gig, but the whole lot just burst out all over my head, hands and guitar in the first song. It looked absolutely berserk, and my hands were so sticky I could hardly play.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
For Jo, the guitars are a 1979 Fender Strat and a Godin Montreal Premiere, Matt’s guitar is a Red Special, and everything is through vintage Marshall or modern Victory valve amps. Adam plays a mix of Fender P-Bass and Jazz, and Eve has a shiny new red sparkle Gretsch USA Custom drum kit and a mix of Zildjian and Istanbul cymbals. We also use a lot of Hammond Organ on our songs, too.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Our début album, “Different Beast” is due out on Friday 4th of August on Digital and limited edition vinyl. We have a huge hometown show booked at Future Yard in Birkenhead that night to celebrate, too! The early bird tickets are just about sold out, but the regular tickets are still available, so grab one and come and party with us!
What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?
The album is the big one, but we’ve also got another single and video to come out in the meantime – to be revealed soon! After that we are looking at some dates for a late summer/autumn UK tour, so they will be posted up as soon as everything is confirmed.
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!
I think we’d all love to support the Foo Fighters, and for an opening act, I’d be tempted to invite Rival Bones along. They are a great local band – They sort of split up before lockdown, but we got them out of retirement to support us at a show in April, and they were awesome – They are back together properly now and gigging and writing again. Highly recommended!
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If you want to check out more new music, then fire up our Headline Act playlists on Spotify and YouTube!
Shipwrecker: facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | bandcamp | youtube
