Continuing our run of letting you know a little more about as many of the bands on at Bloodstock 2025 as we possibly can before you get a chance to see them, we have Compounds. This bunch play on the New Blood Stage on the Friday.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We originally all met in Reading, but we’re spread out around Berkshire/Hampshire and down to Southampton now.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
Kiv (guitar), Jon (drums), and Chris (bass) were all part of the original lineup formed in 2018, although Kiv and Jon had been writing stuff together for a while already. Jay (guitar) and Tom (vocals) joined when we got back together after COVID.
Where does the name of the band come from?
I think the original idea was trying to find something that represented what a mashup of influences the band was – the first tracks we wrote were a wild mix of everything from metal and hardcore through to pop punk. And we wanted something short and easy to remember. I’m not sure why the idea of something related to chemistry came up, but that’s how we found ‘Compounds’.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We describe ourselves as melodic hardcore, but like I say, we arrived at that through a mix of influences, from punk, metal, hardcore, and post-hardcore. The main thing is fast guitars, melodic leads, breakdowns, atmospheric sections, and heavy but emotional vocals. People often tell us we remind them of bands they like, but they’re not sure exactly who or why, which I think is often as close to ‘unique’ as you can get in a genre that’s been around for 25+ years. The closest thing is usually in the realm of Comeback Kid, Counterparts, or While She Sleeps.
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
We put in every bit of energy that we can – I think the only time we’ve ever stood still on stage was when Kiv played a show with an ice-hockey injury! We love performing, and we love our music, and our live show is all about trying to bring the crowd into that. There’ll be lots of opportunities to bounce with us, mosh, get involved in a pit, chat with Tom… Obviously Bloodstock is traditionally about metal, but we’re hoping there’ll be plenty of people there just like us who think some melodic, skater, circle pit energy sounds like a fun change of pace!
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Have you been to Bloodstock before? What did you think?
I’ve been saying ‘this will be the year’ since about 2010, but for one reason or another never been able to. This year it sold out before I had a chance to get tickets! I have friends that have been going every year for a while now, and even a few who have played, so I’m really excited to finally get the chance to be there.
Which M2tM region did you win, or did you come through other channels?
We’re the winners of the first ever Southampton M2tM, which is a really cool thing to be able to say.
Can you put into 10 words or fewer how it felt when you realised you were heading to Bloodstock?
Excited, surprised, validated – lots of (unexpected) work to do!
What sort of setlist can we expect?
High energy, lots of speed, some breakdowns, a few little atmospheric breaks for everyone to catch their breath and Tom to say hi. We’ve got two EPs and a standalone single on Spotify, so anyone who’s checked those out will hear songs they recognise.
Stage times haven’t been announced yet, so which other band do you most hope you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?
We’re playing on Friday, so the one where all our lists converge is Paleface Swiss.
What are you working on at the moment?
We were planning on starting work on our next EP at the end of May – so that’s what’ll be coming next. At the moment we’re focusing on booking up warmup shows and promotion stuff to make the most of the Bloodstock.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I’ve seen a lot of crazy staging – from Sabaton’s tank to Parkway Drive’s pyros and spinning drumkit. A couple of times I’ve seen a band move their whole drum kit into the crowd so the drummer could play a song in the pit. But I think the most chaotic energy I’ve ever seen was Heck (formerly Baby Godzilla) – just non-stop jumping barriers, swapping mics/guitars/instruments, climbing rigging so high that festivals have had to shrinkwrap everything every year afterwards… We can only dream of being that athletic. Jon keeps trying his best to get lost in the mosh pit though – I’ve had to learn the drum parts just in case!
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
Normally something caffeinated – but we’re very much looking forward to trying the Heriot x Signature Brew x Bloodstock collaboration that just got announced!
