Interview: CRITICS (Glasgow, 10th March 2017)

Dirt-pop band CRITICS based in London, created the group back in 2014, constantly changing their sound and testing the barriers of the music industry. Now, in the wake of their first EP release Spilled Milk, not only are the boys on tour with four-piece Scottish group Vukovi, but they’ve opened up and revealed just what it’s like for them to be on tour.

Are you looking forward to the tour? 

 Yeah! We met Vukovi earlier and they’re lovely! You never know if you’re going to get along with the bands you tour with. But, we are so grateful to be touring with them and this whole tour is just INSANE?!

What was the response like to the latest release?

It was our first EP and we’re still a small band. But, when Jack checked Spotify recently we had reached over 7,000 streams! It was mental, especially because we released it on tour. The response has been really good, we’ve been working on the songs for roughly two years. There are many songs we felt really passionate about and the response has been amazing!

What gear do you use?

We recently got a Fender Deluxe Up Rod, new pedals, and stuff. We can’t really say what gear we use because I can’t remember off the top of my head. But, what I can tell you is that it takes plenty of practice setting up. Like, when we had first started out as a band and we had a small gig in Leeds. We tried to set up ourselves and it all just went wrong if I’m honest. We heard static for most of the soundcheck, but we learned from our mistakes.

How did the band come together? 

Back in 2014, we met when we were touring in different bands. We just bumped into each other a lot as we were usually on the same bill at festivals and stuff. Jamie actually interviewed Lynn which was quite interesting. But, the first time we met was when Lynn’s band at the time were headlining a gig.

What inspired your music and your style?

When you’re in a pop band, you want something new. We wanted to do something fresh and something interesting. We grew up on emo and post-hardcore so, we just mix it really.

What are your plans for next year?

For the next year, we are trying to hit festival season. We’ve spoken to our manager to see if we can. Most of what we have planned is yet to be revealed. But, we can assure you we won’t be away from Glasgow for long!

Do you have any advice for new bands?

For new bands? Persevere. We still have a lot to do. At the end of the day, you need to keep going then, in the end, you’ll reach the path to success. If you don’t believe in what you’re doing, you won’t have that same buzz.

Spilled Milk is out now!

CRITICS: facebook | twitter | spotify