A band on the lighter end of the scale for the Sunday evening, with a new single that’s definitely worth spinning as you have an after-dinner loaf in the garden while the sun’s still in the sky…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Hello! We’re from York, capital of Yorkshire and centre of the universe.
How did you meet?
I was at school with Harry and Moses, then met Louis at college via a “drummer available” advert in a now closed down second-hand music equipment shop. Louis then met Louise at a café where they were both working, a week later Louise was in the band and Louis was on the lookout for another job haha. Worked a treat! Then we all came together and the rest is history!
How long have you been playing as a band?
It’s a funny one. Ten years ago, Harry and I started jamming in his living room, then we grew apart at college and I met Louis. Louis and I started a band and then Harry got involved and we had a good thing going for a few years. Covid gave us time to rest and re-assess and naturally as Louis, Moses and I lived together, I showed them some new songs I’d written that I knew wouldn’t fit where the band I was in was at at that point. We kinda jammed them out between us three and when the rules relaxed, Harry started coming over to join and then Louis met Louise not long after that. So in a nutshell, it’s been us five for around 3 years but it’s been a long road haha. It feels right now though, this is exactly where I want to be as a songwriter and I feel so lucky to play music with these four.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
It’s a reference to Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights! Louis and I were watching it and both said that’s a good band name. A bit of a eureka moment!
What are your influences?
There’s a lot that goes into it, we’re all huge fans of classic pop music all the way back from the 60’s but also think some modern pop and indie bands from today are so crucial to our sound. Blossoms, Alvvays, The Weeknd, Dua Lipa, Inhaler and Phoenix all played a huge part in the “Typical Fantasy” sessions.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
I think it’s that we’re not afraid to show our influences and wear them on our sleeves. All creation comes from inspiration so may as well indulge in it to make something great than try hide those things in fear that they won’t work.
A lot of things that end up on our recordings are just off the cuff melodies we’d whistle or little vocal ideas. Louise came up with this great melody for the middle section of “Typical Fantasy” and that is now my favourite part. She just randomly did it when jamming in the studio, it was perfect. Her and I also worked a lot together on harmonies and arranging vocals for the track and I really think that gives us something you don’t hear as often.
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Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Most of our songs are about moments and things i’ve felt at a very particular point in time. “Typical Fantasy” is about that moment where you meet someone in a busy environment and the connections so strong that you think you’re the only two people in the room. I wanted to write about that feeling and the kind of “laugh it off” moment you have coming out of it. But are you really laughing it off? Probably not haha. I’m a bit of a dreamer anyway but something excites me about writing a songs worth of lyrics about one particular moment and I do it all the time.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
As Pennine Suite, I think we’re nearing 100 now? We’re fortunate to have played everywhere from Glasgow to London as well as a little trip to Paris! Our live shows are energetic and we like to play as many songs as we can purely out of love of doing it. I always put the date and location on setlists and keep them at home to look back on them and they change so much without us realising! I like that though, we’re always writing and wanting to improve the set. The set at the moment is without doubt the best that it has ever been, i’m very proud of it.
We’re about to play our first main stage slot at Truck Festival alongside some of our all time favourite bands. We can’t believe it haha!
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I’m not too sure to be honest haha! It’s always great when the crowd are up for it and they’re on shoulders and singing along. I remember a fight breaking out once at a show? I can’t remember where though, it was pretty wild but not enjoyable.
We played a sold out headline in London and our friend Josh started doing gymnastics in the middle of a mosh pit – that was hilarious haha!
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I can’t comment on Louis’ drums but I know Moses, Harry and I like our Fenders/Squiers and particularly offset models. Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Mustangs, we love it. Louise has an awesome Roland Juno synthesizer which bands ask to borrow all the time haha!
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Our new single, “Typical Fantasy!” It’s our first since August 2023 and we’re so proud to finally have it released!
What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?
We’ve started on the follow up single so once we have played these festival slots, celebrated mine and Moe’s birthdays and had some rest, we’ll get back to that. We also have a massive gig at home in York to publicly announce. Some people already know, some don’t. It’s that big that the secret is getting hard to keep…
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!
Wow, this is a good question! I’m going to be selfish and say we’d support my favourite band of all time, The Cribs. We all saw them earlier this year at Live at Leeds after being invited down and I think everyone in the band is a big fan now. Our friends, Everything After Midnight are also fans so we’d have them on too!
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“Typical Fantasy” is out now on all the usual streaming platforms
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